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Poll: If you could go back in time, would you still be a language professional?
Autor da sequência: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
STAFF DO SÍTIO
Apr 10, 2023

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "If you could go back in time, would you still be a language professional?".

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Roberto Nogueira
 
Sundar Gopalakrishnan
Sundar Gopalakrishnan
Índia
Local time: 18:23
Inglês para Tamil
+ ...
A New Job Apr 10, 2023

If I could go back in time, I wouldn't still be a language professional. I would become a film director. I couldn't get seat in a film institute. Thereafter I studied English literature and Linguistics. Eventually I became a translator.

Rabie El Magdouli
 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 13:53
Membro (2007)
Inglês para Português
+ ...
Yes, I would Apr 10, 2023

I didn't start out my career as a translator. Translation found me rather late in life: part-time for a few years followed by 20 years as full-time in-house translator and reviser (retired now). Let's say that I am (I was?) adaptable and I love learning…

Philip Lees
Xanthippe
 
Josep Vives (X)
Josep Vives (X)
Espanha
Local time: 14:53
Inglês para Espanhol
+ ...
Best job ever! No discussion there Apr 10, 2023

Yes, I would! Happily ever after! Language has been my passion since I was born, I was able to study it at the University and graduate with flying honors (an average of 8.5 for a 5-year degree, equivalent to a Ph.D.) and we have been falling in love every day since then. The best part is that this passion for language and words can be a job! I am very happy about this profession and I would never give it up. So, yes, without hesitation!

Lieven Malaise
Angie Garbarino
Anna Dzidowska
Anna A. K.
 
WolfgangS
WolfgangS
França
Local time: 14:53
Inglês para Alemão
+ ...
I don't think so Apr 10, 2023

I'm not yet sure, either rock guitarist or pedriatic heart surgeon.

[Edited at 2023-04-10 09:09 GMT]


The Shredder
Philip Lees
Rabie El Magdouli
 
Christine Andersen
Christine Andersen  Identity Verified
Dinamarca
Local time: 14:53
Membro (2003)
Dinamarquês para Inglês
+ ...
Definitely Apr 10, 2023

I would definitely be a language professional at some point, but not from the start.

At school everyone said I should work with languages, but I absolutely was not going to, because I had more than enough of them at home. I wanted to read medicine.
However, after trying several other things, and never achieving my dreams workwise, I began to think about languages anyway, to find a permanent job where I could use my qualifications, and not be fired after a year because I simply
... See more
I would definitely be a language professional at some point, but not from the start.

At school everyone said I should work with languages, but I absolutely was not going to, because I had more than enough of them at home. I wanted to read medicine.
However, after trying several other things, and never achieving my dreams workwise, I began to think about languages anyway, to find a permanent job where I could use my qualifications, and not be fired after a year because I simply did not fit in.

I was not ready for languages when I was younger, but when I did land an in-house job, I had really found the right place. I was not ready for freelancing then, either, but that was even better when it came!
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Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Eoghan McMonagle
 
Yetta Jensen Bogarde
Yetta Jensen Bogarde  Identity Verified
Dinamarca
Local time: 14:53
Membro (2012)
Inglês para Dinamarquês
+ ...
Yes Apr 10, 2023

I might even have started as a freelancer earlier

Simon Turner
Puritad Thongpreecha
 
Adrian Florescu
Adrian Florescu  Identity Verified
Itália
Local time: 14:53
Romeno para Italiano
+ ...
No. It was a mistake. Apr 10, 2023

If I could go back, I'd become a plumber (working with my step-father for three years) rather than throwing away three years of my life in uni for a degree.

Tom in London
Dan Lucas
Anna A. K.
Michael Harris
deseji
Rabie El Magdouli
 
June Wang
June Wang  Identity Verified
China
Local time: 20:53
Membro (2021)
Inglês para Chinês
+ ...
If I could go back in time Apr 10, 2023

I would not be a language professional any more and probably stay in a financial institution as I knew given enough time, you can work and live well in any trade.

 
Gianluca Marras
Gianluca Marras  Identity Verified
Itália
Local time: 14:53
Inglês para Italiano
+ ...
No way Apr 10, 2023

I love my job, I love languages, I love communication and I love translating.
But really, Cat Tools first and then MT are destroying all the pleasure.

These tools lead to reduce rates and therefore anyway involved tries to use the minimum time required and this means that quality is strongly affected.

Again, I love everything of the job, but the new trend are making this just a sort of "survival reality show".

I would never recommend my kids to start
... See more
I love my job, I love languages, I love communication and I love translating.
But really, Cat Tools first and then MT are destroying all the pleasure.

These tools lead to reduce rates and therefore anyway involved tries to use the minimum time required and this means that quality is strongly affected.

Again, I love everything of the job, but the new trend are making this just a sort of "survival reality show".

I would never recommend my kids to start a career as a language professional.
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Siobhán Fulton
Dler Piran
TanjaO
Anna Dzidowska
Sabine Braun
The Shredder
tabor
 
Denis Fesik
Denis Fesik
Local time: 15:53
Inglês para Russo
+ ...
Go back in time while knowing the future? Apr 10, 2023

Back in time is a direction from better to worse in my case; it took me hard work to organize things in life. I'd still be working in an area where I'd be in a position to bring new things (whether tangible or intangible) into being. Selling or watching over other people's things are definitely not among my favorite things to do. Also, I'd rather be making something useful myself than supervising other people as they are making something useful. I went for translation because I knew I'd be good ... See more
Back in time is a direction from better to worse in my case; it took me hard work to organize things in life. I'd still be working in an area where I'd be in a position to bring new things (whether tangible or intangible) into being. Selling or watching over other people's things are definitely not among my favorite things to do. Also, I'd rather be making something useful myself than supervising other people as they are making something useful. I went for translation because I knew I'd be good at it (an audacious move for someone who'd never studied this subject-matter). One thing I'd change is I'd force myself to get interested in interesting stuff that seemed boring to me as a student. Unlike today, we had no content back then that could hook one into studying hard (but exciting) things, so a lazy potato like me would just go with the flowCollapse


 
Dler Piran
Dler Piran  Identity Verified
Iraque
Local time: 15:53
Membro (2023)
Inglês para Curdo
+ ...
I think I wouldn't Apr 10, 2023

I might choose a different career. As Gianluca Marras stated, things like AI and machine translation tools have destroyed not only the pleasure of the job but also job itself. If time goes back (or may be even now) I'll choose to become a business man.

 
Tom in London
Tom in London
Reino Unido
Local time: 13:53
Italiano para Inglês
No Apr 10, 2023

"If you could go back in time, would you still be a language professional?".


No. I would have taken a completely different path when I was 17 (the age at which a young man is supposed to decide what he wants to do with the rest of his entire life).

I was not in a position to make an informed decision. If I had, and if I had been given the support I needed, I would have gone into the music business. And I'd have done well.

[Edited at 2023-04-10 14:13 GMT]


Elena Feriani
Rabie El Magdouli
Fazalhaq Omair
 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Holanda
Local time: 14:53
Membro (2006)
Inglês para Africânder
+ ...
Depends Apr 10, 2023

Depends how far into the past I could go (and how old I would be when I arrive).

Siobhán Fulton
Liena V.
 
Baran Keki
Baran Keki  Identity Verified
Turquia
Local time: 15:53
Membro
Inglês para Turco
Napster Apr 10, 2023

Tom in London wrote:
And I'd have done well.

[Edited at 2023-04-10 14:13 GMT]

Up until the early 00s, I expect. You'd have found that the freeloaders downloading your music were actually more detrimental than ChatGPT, which apparently writes music as well


Liena V.
 
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Poll: If you could go back in time, would you still be a language professional?






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