Thanks to our friends Veronika Demichelis and Madalena Sanchez Zampaulo at Smart Habits for Translators, for asking us to record another joint episode!
Our topic this time around is boundaries and sticky situations:
- How to handle non-paying clients, especially if you know them personally
- What to do when a dream client wants to work with you…but can only pay a fraction of your normal rate
- How to respond to rude/unprofessional feedback from an editor
- What to do when you pour your heart and soul into a translation test…and you fail it
- How to handle drama and misunderstandings when you volunteer for a professional association
- How to set boundaries so that stress and negativity don’t affect your self-esteem or your personal life
Download the audio file here.
Speaking of Translation 
Great post. I failed a translation test last year in my specialty field that I was very confident was good. I have no idea why I failed. When they emailed saying I’d failed I didn’t ask why because I was too angry/disappointed. Your comments made me feel better about that! As for editors. I’ve never had rude feedback but have had what I consider utterly pointless changes made. I always try to rise above it and just tell the agency that I’m fine with the changes but sometimes I’d really like to say “could you ask the editor why they made these changes?” I never do this because I don’t want to waste the PM’s time. I’ll take your advice and get a second opinion from a colleague next time my work is covered in “red pen”!
Thanks, Julia! Glad you enjoyed the episode and found it helpful!
Hi Carinne and Eve, I’d love to listen to a future podcast covering subcontracting/outsourcing if possible. This can include outsourcing translation projects, admin tasks, and/or marketing activities. Thanks!
Amanda
Thanks, Amanda!