Poll: Have you noticed a slowing in demand / your workload so far this year? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Have you noticed a slowing in demand / your workload so far this year?".
This poll was originally submitted by Anne-Virginie Lerat. View the poll results »
| | | | | "No" but I meant "Too early to say" | Feb 6, 2017 |
However, it could happen. One agency I worked for got bought out recently. I was expecting to lose them as a client (their eyes are stuck on rates only) and I managed to replace them before the merge. With a couple of other clients I need to increase my rate and I'm almost certain one of them will prefer to see me go, so I'm getting ready for a possible slump in my workload, which means I'll have more time to develop my business.
| | | | | No, it actually increased, it's too early to say... | Feb 6, 2017 |
No, if I compare to the volume translated the same month (January) over the period of the last 5 years, but as this profession is full of ups and downs I’d say it’s too soon to tell, there are still 10 more months to come…
| | | | | too early to say and not interested in comparisons | Feb 6, 2017 |
I do not do comparison year to year, month to month and so on.
What I see is that I have to work, every day, full time and I go on.
If I see that I have some days off during the week well I can then say there is something wrong.
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| No idea really | Feb 6, 2017 |
Things are a bit quieter than sometimes, but it is partly because I have told some of my less attractive clients that I am winding down my business and planning to retire...
I have told others that I am still very happy to work for them, and work is coming in from them. Then there are the types who won't take no for an answer, or who have not deleted me from their database as suggested. I have even had some of those trying to 'recruit' me again after successfully dropping them.
... See more Things are a bit quieter than sometimes, but it is partly because I have told some of my less attractive clients that I am winding down my business and planning to retire...
I have told others that I am still very happy to work for them, and work is coming in from them. Then there are the types who won't take no for an answer, or who have not deleted me from their database as suggested. I have even had some of those trying to 'recruit' me again after successfully dropping them.
Income-wise, January was a good month, because I invoiced a large job that was partly done in December, and December was a fairly busy month, as always.
I think the demand is there, but I am cutting down deliberately on my workload. ▲ Collapse
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Christine,
Who is going to take up after you, so to speak? Are there enough skilled translators in your pair, do you believe? Just being curious...
Catherine
| | | | Patricia Bowden
Italy
Local time: 00:58
Member (2013)
Japanese to English
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| Only becausw my availability changed | Feb 6, 2017 |
I noticed a slowdown in my work only because I translation soeed is slower than before and i am much less available now that i have a small child.
It will probably get worse after I have my second.
| | | | Linda Ildevert (X) 
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:58
French to English
It's been pretty much the same as usual for me. The first week of January was very quiet, but then things picked up and it's been non-stop ever since.
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| I hope there are enough translators in my pair... | Feb 6, 2017 |
Catherine De Crignis wrote:
Christine,
Who is going to take up after you, so to speak? Are there enough skilled translators in your pair, do you believe? Just being curious...
Catherine
I hope there are enough translators in my language pair - though I know at least one client is having difficulty finding suitably qualified people. There are probably not too many, but I want to stop while I'm still delivering the quality clients expect.
I hope younger colleagues will take up Danish. It's not a language taught in schools outside Denmark. (Some people are worried about the levels of teaching IN Danish schools too, but I don't think it is entirely hopeless!) There are plenty of opportunities for translators and good dictionaries and resources.
The demand will be there too - Danes trade all over the world, and they use a lot of documentation in English... And competition is not always as fierce as in some of the 'bigger' languages.
| | | | inkweaver
Germany
Local time: 00:58
French to German
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| Yes, but it's picking up again | Feb 6, 2017 |
In fact this January was the worst month in my whole career as a freelance translator. I just didn't expect such a slump after more than 9 years as a freelance translator. But things are picking up again, I have already made as much in a week as in the whole of January (pretty good for just one week, precious little for a whole month...).
| | | | Rebekah Burdyshaw
United States
Local time: 18:58
Member (2014)
Norwegian (Bokmal) to English
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| Slow for Chinese New Year but... | Feb 6, 2017 |
I always expect the few weeks around the Lunar New Year to be slow, as my main language pair is Chinese>English, but I can say that early January showed a huge increase in work volume. If that trend can pick back up after next week, this will be my best Q1 to date!
| | | | | Thanks Christine for your insight | Feb 6, 2017 |
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Julian Holmes
Japan
Local time: 07:58
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
Haven't a clue
How can you make any rational judgment based on just the month of January? 
The question would have made more sense if it were properly programmed and posted, say, at the beginning of April.
You might as well make a guess based on whether or not it rained yesterday or by a throw of the dice. IMHO
| | | | Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 19:58
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
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And it hasn't happened in 2016 either, despite all the complaints I heard from other colleagues. I had no free time then, and I still don't. The quality of my clients is improving, my income is improving, I'm getting rid of undesireable clients and getting new and better ones. As I mentioned before, I think we, freelance translators, are a very privileged category of professionals, and it would be a sin to complain at all.
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