Poll: Which personal characteristic has worked well for you in your career?
Autor da sequência: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
STAFF DO SÍTIO
Nov 29, 2024

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Which personal characteristic has worked well for you in your career?".

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Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 11:51
Membro (2007)
Inglês para Português
+ ...
Other Nov 29, 2024

All of the above. I would add remaining composed in all situations and being honest, diplomatic and well-mannered…

[Edited at 2024-11-29 09:48 GMT]


Liena V.
Heather Oland
Maria Laura Curzi
Kimberly Wastler
Philip Lees
WolfgangS
expressisverbis
 
Tom in London
Tom in London
Reino Unido
Local time: 11:51
Italiano para Inglês
Charm Nov 29, 2024

ProZ.com Staff wrote:

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Which personal characteristic has worked well for you in your career?".

View the poll results »



My irresistible charm.


Liena V.
Lingua 5B
IrinaN (X)
Becca Resnik
Olivier MANESSE
P.L.F. Persi (X)
Philip Lees
 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 11:51
Membro (2007)
Inglês para Português
+ ...
Welcome back! Nov 29, 2024

Tom in London wrote:

ProZ.com Staff wrote:

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Which personal characteristic has worked well for you in your career?".

View the poll results »



My irresistible charm.


Liena V.
Becca Resnik
P.L.F. Persi (X)
Philip Lees
expressisverbis
 
Siobhán Fulton
Siobhán Fulton
Estados Unidos da América
Local time: 06:51
Alemão para Inglês
Other – sheer luck Nov 29, 2024

When I decided to try to work full-time as a translator in the mid-1980s, I bought a computer (running on a variant of CP/M), and joined a local computer club to gain expertise in operating the equipment. One of the members, a notoriously picky Prussian, owned a small translation/tech writing business. When he learned that I was trying to get into the translation business, he gave me a small job, translating a brochure for an upcoming auction in Germany. Over the years, he passed on his overflow... See more
When I decided to try to work full-time as a translator in the mid-1980s, I bought a computer (running on a variant of CP/M), and joined a local computer club to gain expertise in operating the equipment. One of the members, a notoriously picky Prussian, owned a small translation/tech writing business. When he learned that I was trying to get into the translation business, he gave me a small job, translating a brochure for an upcoming auction in Germany. Over the years, he passed on his overflow and taught me a lot about translating and technical writing. Using him as a reference was useful in obtaining jobs from other local translation agencies, since if he repeatedly hired me, they assumed that I must be at least competent.

Early in this century, I stumbled across an agency that was affiliated with a division of large multinational corporation. Eventually this agency was bought by a larger firm which increased my opportunities; this, in turn led to colleagues' referrals to contacts at other agencies or direct clients. Consequently I rarely lacked for work, despite a absence of driving ambition or much more than a modicum of talent.

I was also very lucky to have good clients – only two real deadbeats: one skipped the country and was uncollectable; I had to hire an agency to pursue the other to recover a large sum.

However, I never developed many marketing skills, since the work came to me. I attended trade fairs, both in Europe and locally, mainly as a means of taking a tax deduction to take a "working" vacation or meet with friends. When I realized that I didn't possess the skills to cope with the current challenges, I called it quits, with no regrets.

[Edited at 2024-11-29 14:24 GMT]
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IrinaN (X)
Beatriz Ramírez de Haro
Philip Lees
Baran Keki
 
Sylvie Pelissier
Sylvie Pelissier  Identity Verified
Local time: 12:51
Membro (2004)
Inglês para Francês
+ ...
Other Nov 29, 2024

Some of the above. But first of all, subject matter expertise...

Philip Lees
expressisverbis
 
Lingua 5B
Lingua 5B  Identity Verified
Bósnia e Herzegovina
Local time: 12:51
Inglês para Francês
+ ...
Subject-matter Nov 29, 2024

Is subject-matter a “personal” characteristic? Don’t think so. I think this is about your personality traits.

Can’t pinpoint just one characteristic.


expressisverbis
 
Jennifer Levey
Jennifer Levey  Identity Verified
Chile
Local time: 06:51
Espanhol para Inglês
+ ...
Autodidacticism ... Nov 29, 2024

... is behind everything I've achieved in the last half century.

Dan Lucas
Beatriz Ramírez de Haro
Gjorgji Apostolovski
Philip Lees
expressisverbis
Zea_Mays
 
Gennady Lapardin
Gennady Lapardin  Identity Verified
Federação Russa
Local time: 13:51
Italiano para Russo
+ ...
Attention to detail and two more skills Nov 30, 2024

Attention to detail + adaptability to ever changing topics + curiosity/analytical research skills = my own formula of tasty cake, the skills wich are acquired through decades of intense work. The skill of patting-down one's pockets is out of my expertise

Philip Lees
expressisverbis
 
expressisverbis
expressisverbis
Portugal
Local time: 11:51
Inglês para Português
+ ...
All of them and... Nov 30, 2024

... being humble, fair and honest.

Rachel Waddington
 


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Poll: Which personal characteristic has worked well for you in your career?






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