| Pages in topic: [1 2 3] > | Poll: If you could go back in time, would you still be a language professional? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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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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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.
| | | | | 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…
| | | | Josep Vives (X)
Spain
Local time: 15:38
English to Spanish
+ ...
| 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!
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WolfgangS
France
Local time: 15:38
Member (2007)
English to German
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| 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]
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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! ▲ Collapse
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I might even have started as a freelancer earlier
| | | | | 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.
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June Wang 
China
Local time: 22:38
Member (2021)
English to Chinese
+ ...
| 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.
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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. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | 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 flow ▲ Collapse
| | | | Dler Piran
Iraq
Local time: 17:38
Member (2023)
English to Kurdish
+ ...
| 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.
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Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:38
Member (2008)
Italian to English
"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]
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 15:38
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
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Depends how far into the past I could go (and how old I would be when I arrive).
| | | | Baran Keki
Türkiye
Local time: 17:38
Member
English to Turkish
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
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