You're considering a career in translation. What are the benefits of working as a freelancer versus in-house?

It's great to work as a freelancer as you have the freedom to chose when and where to work. You can decide which projects are a right fit for you and which ones you are not interested in. You can define your own schedule and can be much effective or productive.

An example of this is the huge advantage that flexibility offers to single parents. It provides the work life balance needed to sustain and provide a healthy and secure family dynamic.

It's funny that I get to comment on this article on the National Freelancers Day! The flexibility of working for yourself means you can pick and choose: the client is happy to pay your rates, the deadline is acceptable, the subject is one of your specialisms. Great! The call out for interpreting is too late at night, the client sounds like they are going to be a lot of hassle, then you can just say no! No one will force you to take on work you don't want to do... apart from occasions when you feel you aren't earning enough, being a freelancer and unable to find work in a highly competitive market.

Working as a freelancer gives you the opportunity to choose which area / industry to focus on and specialize in. You get to choose opportunities that fit your career progression and further your specialization. It also allows for flexibility in working hours.

O tradutor freelancer precisa ter mil habilidades! A habilidade técnica é essencial, mas saber se vender é importante, o que implica ser auto confiante e saber quanto custa o seu servi?o.Após vender seu servi?o precisa fazer follow up, perguntar ao cliente se o servi?o prestado estava de acordo com o que era esperado, e ainda emitir nota fiscal. Ou seja, o freelancer faz seu mktg, vende, e ainda faz o back office... Mil e uma habilidades!

One area I find quite challenging is setting my translation rates. I one day lost a task because the vendor (as I possibly thought) found my rate to be too high. But how can you fix a rate that makes you feel you have not been taken advantage of? You should know your worth! The organisations you work with, how much you put into educating yourself (such as courses, seminars, conferences etc) will help in knowing your worth and hence fix your rates. Register in various translation forums and have discussions as to what should be the right rate for translation and know methods of fixing rates too. Payment of a completed task is yet another challenge. Work with trusted clients. If possible put in your terms 'commitment fee' before you start.

And always remember the proverb: "You win some, you lose some." Even more pertinent: you may win by losing; indeed, a client may, at first, find your rate too high and decide to go for a lower bidder. In many cases, though, they return to you after realizing their bad bargain! Knowing your true worth and actually committing to it constitute your major selling point!

Un des défis du freelance est le tarif - fixer un tarif qui me satisfait (qui me donne un "salaire" honorable) sans me vendre à bas prix. Avec des tarifs au mot variant de 0,04€ (oui, QUATRE CENTIMES D'EUROS) à 0,20€ voire plus, il est difficile de trouver un juste milieu pour ne pas faire fuir le client - qui ne voit souvent que le prix final, qui lui parait trop cher. Il faut donc expliquer au client pourquoi en choisissant mon tarif plus élevé il fera le bon choix - je garantis notamment une qualité irréprochable, une cohérence sur tout le projet et un choix pertinent de la terminologie.

Four (4) other challenges not mentioned: 1. Payment methods and payment terms. As a freelancer I worked to some clients who don't pay. And many of them you have to accept their payment terms (like 60 days after invoice, or following their threshold). They choose payment method to use, for example, in my country PayPal is not available but a client uses only PayPal. 2. You are working from home, the main challenge is when you have family; children and other family members at home making your environment desruptive. 3. You don't know when you will get the next client. You start compromising rates so that you don't lose any client coming your way. 4. Sleepless nights for finding new clients, to keep earning.

As we analyze the pros and cons of freelance translation work, it's important to note that there are a few drawbacks worth mentioning. Firstly, freelancers don't have the same opportunities as in-house translators to learn from their colleagues on a daily basis. In-house translators work together as a team to translate a project, allowing them to support and learn from one another, resulting in a refined translated version of the document. Another issue is that in-house translators are not concerned with finding translation projects; they only focus on translating the documents provided by their employers. They have set salaries and working conditions.

Travailler en freelance est la meilleure option, car elle vous permet de gagner en expérience et de progresser professionnellement rapidement. En travaillant pour plusieurs entreprises ou clients légaux, vous avez la possibilité de développer votre expérience et votre réputation plus rapidement que si vous travaillez par exemple dans une entreprise sur une longue période. De plus, et c’est ce que je préfère, même si parfois on peut être débordé par le travail et passer plusieurs nuits blanches, travailler en freelance nous permet de gérer notre emploi du temps comme on le souhaite.

You should know this too: Working in a company or an agency is a comfortable option, many freelancers would find interesting. However you may be limiting your economic growth unless you have an option of freelancing as side hustle. The company will chase clients on your behalf (you don't have to do marketing and negotiate every time) you have a team to collaborate with, that's good part. It's better to know that you may be working more and earning a constant income, while you would grow your own clients database and keep growing your income, if you choose a freelance path and become a business owner of yourself. So, if you need a comfort zone, then in-house is a good option. You want economic growth and flexibility, be a freelance

You have the stability and support of your company, not to mention stable income. You would already have your own way of working in that company and style as well instead of constantly changing it.

Working in-house presents as many advantages as disadvantages. In-house work allows You to dig deep into the know-how and is crucial to gaining experience in a specific field. Focusing onto one industry or field can allow you to raise above your peers and to be more recognizable and "trustworthy", allowing to build Your value. Stability of income is also very attractive as it helps shifting Your mind into learning and not solely focusing on survival. Also, it's a great opportunity to grow together with the teams and departments simultaneously as well.

It's all about what's important to you, this is a deeply personal subject. Do you value comfort and stability, or adventure and growth? And of course, it depends on your life as well. A father of three won't have the privilege of being responsible just for his own life, but for three.

You may be limited by terms, not to work, (side hustle) in the same industry of translation out of your current job (conflict of interest). Working in-house also means you have to live around the office. Even if the office is located in a place or a city you don't like. You also have to copy the working environment, you may have a toxic boss, you need to be able to work under pressure. You can be terminated as per your contract terms as well.

Work can get repetitive and boring, thus limiting creativity since you don't get to choose which projects you work on. Plus strict deadlines, guidelines, and more hindering performance and productivity

Being a part of a bigger whole can limit individual creativity and identity. You won't get to pick what you'll work on, when you'll work on it, and the deadlines, company policies can make one feel stilted. On the other hand, that's just another challenge that one can learn to overcome.

Um tradutor interno encontra menos flexibilidade em seu tempo, e também na sele??o de projetos nos quais atuará. Mas, para muitos profissionais, esses limites s?o importantes e levam mais foco às fun??es como tradutor. As limita??es internas ficam equacionadas quando condizem ao perfil do profissional em quest?o

I combine freelancing with in-house work. I love the independence of choosing my own projects and handling clients myself. However, working in-house gives me financial stability as I know I am getting a salary at the end of the month.

This can also be a best option to transit from full time in-house into remote freelancing. Once you have your database of clients grow you can decide to manage your own freelancing business. If you this option, is better than only in-house.

O modelo híbrido é ideal. Manter contato com colegas é essencial, aprender sobre novas técnicas, discutir terminologias, para trabalhar em nosso home office ele precisa estar bem equipado: wifi, telefone, computadores (pelo menos 2) e poder trabalhar com aquela roupinha gostosa.

This is the best solution I think ?? Where I live and work right now, we're facing power outages and having a permanent office where you're employed ensures you don't miss deadlines and can work without interruptions

If you are very organized, as well as compromised with your clients, this sort of combination is an excellent choice for those who want to work both, as freelancer and cooperating with translation/interpretation agencies. I must emphasize on the time, since the organization regarding time and tasks is a complex one, but also is a plus-point if you need more flexibility regarding schedule (if fixed/flexible one), free time (to travel, personal affaires, studies).

When deciding whether to work as a freelance translator or in-house, it's crucial to assess all available options. The translation market is shifting—while in-house roles are decreasing for pure translation work, they are increasing for positions related to vendor management, client relations, project management, and quality control. These roles often require translators to have additional skills beyond translation itself. If you prefer to focus solely on translation, understand that demand is more limited. However, companies may still collaborate with freelancers of various profiles. Be realistic about your own skills and preferences, and align your expectations accordingly to make informed, grounded career decisions.

Remember; nothing in life is ever unchangeable. You're always free to explore and find out what works best for you as you're doing it! Looking up how it is will only get you so far, for you to really get to know what works best for you, you have to get your hands dirty.

As a freelancer, you are in control of your translation skills and can easily adapt to the latest trends in language development. Since language is constantly evolving, especially in technical organizations, having complete command and resources to keep up with these changes is essential. Furthermore, freelancers are better equipped to handle unexpected projects that come with tight deadlines. You have the flexibility to plan your work schedule and attend relevant skill development courses and workshops as per your convenience.

Les deux statuts - freelance ou employé - ont des avantages et des inconvénients. A chacun de trouver son équilibre. Personnellement, je suis freelance depuis 2008, mais la situation a bien changé. Si je devais choisir d'être employé pour ma sécurité financière, je regretterai longtemps ma liberté de lieu et d'horaires de travail. En revanche, j'apprécierais certainement les échanges avec les collègues.

J'ai choisi de devenir freelance car le statut de salariée ne correspondait pas à mon état d'esprit. Les deux statuts ont leurs avantages et leurs inconvénients. Ainsi, je ne peux pas dire qu'un est meilleur que l'autre. Il faut juste comprendre où on se situe par rapport à cela. La flexibilité est-elle plus importante que la stabilité pour toi ? Alors deviens freelance. Si tu ne peux pas renoncer à la stabilité d'un salaire, la vie salariale est la meilleurs des voies.

When speaking on the subject of freelancing it’s important to consider you will have flexibility in time and prices as your ally, but the unpredictability of payments and jobs as your enemy. This fluctuation, while normal, is also very draining on mental health. You can make more in a month as a freelancer than a year as an in-house hire, but not without sacrifices. You sacrifice time, sleep, family, friends… a bit of your sanity. Still, considering the outrageous proposals (in a bad way) for in-house positions… I stsnd by my freelancing lol.

In terms of financial gains, freelancers have more opportunities to expand their wealth creation capabilities. You may work consistently and put in long hours throughout the year for important projects that come with significant financial rewards. Alternatively, you can choose to take time off and focus on leisurely activities that bring you happiness when you have less important work on hand. Embracing freelancing offers immense benefits.

en tant que freelance, on choisit ses horaires et son lieu de travail, mais les lendemains sont incertains. Il est difficile de prévoir les temps creux et d'en profiter vraiment pour s'engager dans d'autres projets (personnels, par ex.), puisqu'un lundi "libre" n'annonce jamais une semaine "libre" - les projets peuvent se faire rare puis pleuvoir de nouveau très rapidement...

Il est primordiale d'avoir un bon état d'esprit général pour savoir gérer les périodes critiques concernant la baisse de travail, entre autres. Il faut toujours avoir un plan B au cas où l'activité stagne.

Freelancing is a large scale of opportunities. Don't expect to stay where you are, if you follow this path, you have to learn all the time, be updated, discover other fields.