What do translation and porn have in common? What are the signs of a good project manager? What makes the relationship between a freelancer and project manager more personal? Also, #MT.
This is part 2 of my interview with Vegh Fruzsina Judit, my favorite Hungarian translator 🙂 But hey, there’s more:
- Saying NO to a client
- Fun translating… coins?!
- Productivity and tracking all translation jobs
- Dealing with downtime seasons
- How to look for new clients
- Final tips for new freelancers
This is episode #22 of my speaking & social interaction practice, also known as the Localization Podcast 🙂 #localization and #translation insight delivered to you by the power of voice. #translators
Andrej Zito
Have you ever canceled on a client because you couldn’t work with the project manager? Or do you also when you consider new clients? Do you look at the content that you will be translating? And maybe say no, because the content itself is not engaging? or interesting for you?
Végh Fruzsina Judit
The answer to the first question, if I if I turn down clients, the answer is yes, I still do. I have more clients than than time, I think sounds very well, it doesn’t sound very nice. I think people might think that I am speaking on a higher horse. And and but it’s not true. I just know that. Like I’m simply incapable of handling as many clients as I have with the time I have on my hands. And it’s not just about, you know, picking the best clients. It actually happened to me, even during the last one and a half years that I simply said no to clients, because the project managers had a very different approach or they had a very unprofessional communication. If you cannot rely on them, if you cannot have asked for help from them. It’s not It’s not the kind of cooperation I’d like to I’d like to keep an eye to go. And yes, it happens. It happens all the time that project manager leaves and you have a very good relationship with him or her. And you cannot get on with the new team. It happens. Sometimes it’s not even up to you. But it’s a it’s a fact that personal relationships. And an image is a very important factor of success in the translation and local localization industry.
Andrej Zito
Can you like maybe share, like one experience where you turn down the client? Because he couldn’t work with the project manager? And how did the events on for like, I’m wandering from the perspective of the LSP? Or maybe the project manager like Did somebody at the LSP like actually care about the feedback that you actually canceled on them? Like maybe someone from the vendor management team, or was it like you said, like, okay, I don’t want to continue this cooperation. And they said, Okay, bye. And that’s it.
Végh Fruzsina Judit
If you’re in a pool, you’ll never get out of it. So that’s my recollection. So if you if you’re in a pool for a client, and they are short on Anders, no matter how many times you wrote them, that you are not working for them anymore, they will contact you anyway. Uhmm an example. Okay, I had new clients, a new account at an LSP because if you work for LSP have, you know, several accounts, on one account for you and several clients to work for, and the new client and to know us be and it was it was a nightmare. Honestly. Not just because the job was quite boring. It was Huge people always urgent. And the client came up with amendments and different requests six, seven months later, after delivery, you know, and it was just so I couldn’t keep up with that. I have to deliver everything the same day or, or maybe I had two or three days for massive jobs. Everything was so, so urgent. And I wasn’t sure why. Maybe the client send them everything late, or it was the localization team. And the project managers who couldn’t handle these jobs on time. I’m not sure because I never, I’ve never been there. But sitting here in front of my computer, I could just see that all the jobs have problems. And the communication is unfriendly, pushy, bossy. And whenever I tried to reach out and ask for help, they just sent me you know, things useless things like the style guide or something, and didn’t help. So I just said, Okay, I tried my best. I contacted their supervisor. I told him what my problem was, I think I wrote him twice. something’s changed. others didn’t. And finally, I just, I just said, No, thank you, I don’t work for you anymore. without any notice. I mean, I never actually wrote them. But I want to leave, I wanted to leave. I just, I just did. And I’m happier. Honestly, and I’m much, much, much happier. And, and I feel cold, and calm. And quiet. It was a it was a poisonous relationship. And I wanted to get rid of it happens. You don’t have to insist on having a client and having a bad relationship with them. You have to choose, which is important. Being in a toxic environment, or getting rid of it, and losing the money. And if you remember, that’s what I chose. When I left my left skumanick. I was hurt I was in a toxic environment. But I and that was more important to me to have my peace of mind.
Andrej Zito
So that was the example of canceling on a client because of bad relationship or bad communication. The second question that I had was related to the content. Do you consider the content that you’ll be translating as the factor for deciding whether to say yes or no? Do you have like a preference?
Végh Fruzsina Judit
It’s not taste that matters. It’s a thing that I feel confident with the content. Why not? Do it happened to me it was an automotive company. And they had I worked for them as a proofreader. An LSP translator was, I don’t know, maybe expelled? Maybe they just said goodbye, maybe the less with him or her. I was caused, there were two proofreaders and both of us were constantly complaining about the quality of the job. And finally, they decided to offer the translation translator position to any of the on both of the proofreaders and I think we both turned it down. And the project manager was actually begging to me to become a translator for this client. And I said, Please understand me it’s super, super difficult. It’s an alternative. It’s, it’s about lubricants and everything else. I don’t feel I don’t feel confident on this field. And she said Okay, don’t worry, we have everything in a team, you will have a chance to talk to the client, if you don’t, don’t feel comfortable, but please try. Because you know, the vocabulary, the the terminology, you know, the style, the tone of voice to be used and very, very easy to work with. So, I insist that translator when I said, when I said, Okay, and I became the translator for this client, and it turned out that she was right. The project manager was right. And I was, I was very happy to work for them. It was boring. Yes, but but, but it was it was, it wasn’t as difficult as I thought. It was okay. It was okay. But if I feel that the job offer or the client wants to work with me, is difficult, or I don’t, at least 90% sure that I can, you know, keep up with the content with the terminology. I rather say no, because it’s about being professional, I think. And, and of course, it’s not about being entertained. I am not entertaining and, and working.
Andrej Zito
Okay. Okay, so it’s like a porn industry. Right? Where are they? It’s work for them. Right? But But did you know, no, it’s not my podcast, I can swear I can talk about porn, whatever I want to do. So
Végh Fruzsina Judit
Are you 100% sure that they are enjoying it. I’m not sure.
Andrej Zito
No, no, that’s what I was saying. Like for them, like from like, like, I read, you know, like interviews or something like that with porn stars. And they were saying like, first of all, it’s about its work. You know, it’s like, it’s like, I think because like when people usually ask him like, like, because like, some of them, like many of them have, like a normal relationship, you know? So they’re asking, like, if their partners are not jealous, you know, when they go on the set? And they say like, no, it’s like, it’s like, there are no emotions. It’s just work, you know. So that’s why that’s why that’s what came to my mind. And with you said that, like, translation is just like, work. But do you? Do you have like, like, a preferred content? Or like, have you worked on something like super interesting that you like, really, really enjoyed translating like something? I don’t know, finding your,
Végh Fruzsina Judit
Of course,
Andrej Zito
Something special?
Végh Fruzsina Judit
It happened during the last year, maybe that I was working for Skrivanek. Not even as long as later, but they sometimes approached me. For some reason, I’m not sure. And they offered me in the database. So maybe that’s why and they offered me a job. It was it was a museum catalog with medieval stuff, to say, you know, coins, weapons, and things like that. And it was from English to Hungarian. And they offered me a more ridiculous Lee low rate. And I looked at the content, I looked at the rate and I said, Okay, let’s go for
Andrej Zito
I thought you would say the opposite like like, How exciting is it to translate coins. Gotta look for a lower rate
Végh Fruzsina Judit
Yes it was a very valuable experience to me. It was super hard. Extremely difficult. Because you, you you think that you remember high school history? And No, you don’t. You don’t. Unless you have a degree in history. You don’t? Absolutely not even nothing and the words the terminology they use tonight. It took me three or four more. And quite. So it took me like it normally it should have taken me like one hour, two hours and me like six eight, I cannot. So it was extremely. It was an unlimited job. Absolutely. And I was happy to take it because it was so bloody interesting and so different from What I do every, every day, just a new territory a brand new territory. So happens sometimes sometimes I prefer the the value or the job to the rate because I can I can I feel that I can afford it to myself now, before I accept jobs, which are interesting and teach me something new to those who pay well.
Andrej Zito
Okay, I want to go back a little bit to when we were discussing, like, you know, how you actually organize your day, you mentioned that you have like some sort of a planner or schedule, can you maybe share some more details like how you trick hold the jobs and the deadlines and everything,
Végh Fruzsina Judit
I have a very, very simple access excel table. And I put all the jobs, especially if I have more than six or seven jobs into all that is very ordered. In delivery order. I mean, I start, I put the first one, which is the has the closest deadline and the last one was with the furnace. And, and it works quite well, it works quite well, because I can change at any time. I can delete, I can add things. So it’s really a very, very lost decade. I don’t I don’t try to claim to Google. I don’t I don’t make any money, I don’t know that don’t put them into my Google Calendar. For instance, I just I just put them into a table I try to keep keep them in my mind, you know, and not forgetting them.
Andrej Zito
Yes. Of course,
Végh Fruzsina Judit
You will turn 40 one day, you know, you will turn 40 one day and you will you will know that won’t work don’t work, as it used to be.
Andrej Zito
I don’t have to wait to be 40 or something like that. Like I was using a tree if you know about it’s called GTD getting things down. It’s kind of like a methodology for organizing or planning your not only your day, but basically your whole life. And I think I was I read this book, like when I was doing Moravia. So that’s when I that’s the sort of my earliest days in the in the industry. And one of the key things they’ll learn from there is that you shouldn’t trust your head, like your memories, like like a bad thing. So you should have everything that you need to do that you want to do. Whether it’s today or like in 10 years, like your goals, you should have everything like somewhere in like some system. Because like what we think we we we know and we will remember will probably forget about it. So I already had like a system for like what I need to do long, long time ago before I hit 30. You know, so I’m definitely not waiting until 42 to do something like that. So yeah, so that’s something that we can definitely agree on. And that would be definitely, I think a strong recommendation for anyone listening to to keep track of what you need to do outside of your head because you cannot reliably remember everything that you need to do. So that’s about that. Finally, I would just want to talk about about a little bit about productivity and workload. You mentioned that you have lowered this in the in the recent years to maybe balance your work and life better. How do you feel about productivity or how do you calculate like your workload like how much you can take home, I know that when we were working together and I think it’s still kind of like the the expected standard productivity I think it was like 2000 words a day.
Végh Fruzsina Judit
I don’t know as much I think they I think as B’s expect 3000 a day. Minimum, I think. And with the cat tools in place, it actually it is actually possible. Even more, you think even 4000 4000 is a is the limit. I think after that it’s just struggle. And I mean all of that, over 4000 just struggle it can be done. Of course, especially depends on the text depends on the client depends on the tool. You are working And, and your productivity is also depends on your, your physical and mental state. That’s what I want to add to the previous topic. Because you, I learned that sitting in front of the computer all day and not eating, not going to the toilet because it happened. Word is very in your pajamas forgetting about everything, your your, your eating, washing tooth brushing anything else or or doing housework is not worth it. Please don’t do that. Please don’t. Everybody tries this. Maybe it happens just happens to you. If you’re at home, and you have no boss, and you have just deadlines and no programs. Just want to feel good at home and coffee. But please eat properly, please go to the gym, please do the housework, keep quiet and clean environment around you. Keep it in order. Because if if you don’t have order and organized things around you, it won’t. It will it will have an impact on your work. I think if you are caught, turn on the heater, if you are hot, open the window, go out, check if the sky is still blue. And go to the movies to the theater, see your friends. And and be healthy as healthy as possible. Because this gives you the armor and the backbone to work on. Because, yes, Andre, you told that you need discipline. And you have to you have to learn to by yourself. What is the kind of thing you need to to be productive? And to be able to work more if the workload is higher, because you know it’s not constant. Sometimes it’s a lot, sometimes it’s just some drops.
Andrej Zito
So how do you go about the downtime season? Like when you have less jobs? Are you like mentally prepare for that? Are you like okay, or do you like start looking for new clients?
Végh Fruzsina Judit
I’m balancing between enjoying myself and feeling desperate. Yes, this is true. These are two extremes. There’s no golden path in the middle of my husband knows it as well. So yes, I am sometimes I feel desperate sometimes. For the clients. I said harsh words to them. They will never come back. They hate me and they won’t open the door again. Yeah, I’m forgotten. I should bury myself and cry. The other extreme is that okay? I don’t have any jobs. I’m happy. Let’s go. Or let’s spend money. Enjoy life as we should have done it. Like 10 years ago.
Andrej Zito
Yes, I know. Exactly.
Végh Fruzsina Judit
Well, yes, yes. That’s that’s the two extremes I need when I don’t have too many jobs coming in. Seriously, I think it’s normal, because you depend on clients you depend on vertex in income jobs. And if you don’t have enough, you feel lonely and you feel this cold around you that yes, I have money in the bank and And I’ve earned enough money last month. But still, I need more. Because I’m a hamster. I’m more I’m, I need to put things, you know, in a little bank. I have to earn as much as as much money as possible this time right now, because who knows what tomorrow brings? This never, never ends. I think this feeling, but not as intense as it used to be at the beginning. So that’s why I feel so sorry for myself during these periods. Abandoned and poor. Okay, I’m just joking, of course. But But yes, I am. Sometimes I do think that I offend in my all of my clients, and they just forget about me, and they kick me out if there are actually times when there are no jobs on the horizon. So,
Andrej Zito
I actually remember when you were going through that period, I think it was when I was still in school Evonik. Because like when we were talking about the rates, I actually do remember like, at some point, like Radek told me that we should be sending less jobs to Fushi. Fuji, sorry. Because I think you actually, that’s when you negotiate maybe higher rates, or something like that. So I was actually asked to send you plats jobs because you were becoming too expensive. And I don’t know if it was during the time, or if it was after I left scream panic. But you were telling me that you kind of like had to start booking for the clients. So I would like to know how, how you go about that? How do you find new clients?
Végh Fruzsina Judit
All right now, I’m not looking for new clients, because I have more clients that I can handle. But when I want to put my name into databases, I simply asked my friends who are some of them are translators. And ask them if they can recommend agencies lsps they work for? And I urge them, but sometimes it turns out to be well, that’s an unpleasant experience. Because they are not open, about about things, rates, for instance. And it’s really, it’s a bad experience to you bitter one, when you realize that you put a fort, you you created a very good test translation, for instance, of time. And it turns out that they pay very literal, and you cannot negotiate it, it just happened like, this summer that I went, I tried to be in the database of a major international company. And it turned out that I cannot be in the international pool on the Hungarian pool with Hungary. It’s so embarrassing. It happens. But if I want to increase and extend the circle of my clients, there are slides do this, like pros or local sites, I’m quite sure that there are some similar sites in every country in the local language, and I tried this path as well. I tried to learn when I try and I need new clients I I apply, simply apply. I look for them in the pros, pages, you know, the pros website, or or I I simply look, look for them, use keywords like I can offer cosmetic translations. And I look for companies very useful asset to have a background because metrics and cosmic And I simply write to them. Or, or I get recommended, because I feel like that, you know, people go and come in though. And if they go leave the company and start a new job at a different one, when they run over you, they will contact you anyway. So, right now, I do not put too much effort on new clients at all. Sometimes I wish I had a bit more diverse portfolio with clients. But now, I have I have some, some very strong ones. And I have a great relationship with them. And I know their text and their content very well.
Andrej Zito
So during this whole interview, you were talking about, like your experience with lsps. And dealing with the project managers, and like one of the main issues that you pointed out was like, the communication. wondering like, how do you from your perspective? And also because you had the experience of project management before? How do you differentiate between a good and a bad project manager?
Végh Fruzsina Judit
Interesting question. I think a good project manager understands the whole process, understand a client’s point of view, understands the company’s point of view, for for which he or she works for, understands the doors, they need needs, and their problems. They can help them to the client, of course, with their questions. And they are courageous enough to turn to the client. Because it happens, I have the impression that today, asking the client is such some sort of a taboo. I’m not sure, of course, because I don’t work for or LSP anymore. But I mean, as a project manager, so I’m not I don’t have Intel about this, but may be asking the clients today is not as easy or as encouraged, as it used to be. for different reasons. Because the client is a valued trophy. And don’t want to bother them. It’s understandable. But you asked me about the project. During that declined, so the project manager is Val organized and the job on time and keep keep track of it. And, of course, it’s a very difficult and very it’s a multi layered, and it’s a multitasking job. Absolutely. It takes three or four copies of you to do it, right. And it takes lots of attention, empathy, problems solving. And in this century is simply you are playing you are actually the coach of an invisible team. Which changes project by project language by language. Because you have to coordinate these people the client as well, because he’s also part of the team. And yeah, it’s like like a ballgame. You know, like soccer, football, football, because you have to know what they’re capable of. If they can keep the deadline, or, you know, you have to know if the vendor has personal issues, or if she or he or she always running late, or has problems with the quality or has technical issues all the time and you have to rework the whole project from scratch. So you have to know, the people you’re working with. And and you have to, you have to be their coach. And you have to you have to ask the questions, the vendors or the client might ask from you. And you have to be, yeah, responsive. And you have to help. Always, always always, because otherwise it will send emails. And you have a very superficial knowledge of the whole thing. You want to be reliable I’m afraid. That’s, that’s my, that’s my observation.
Andrej Zito
I think you’re mainly mentioning, like, the professional aspects of being like a good pm. And I definitely think like, that’s like the starting point. But I would like to also talk a little about like, what, what makes the relationship more personal, let’s say that you have, you’re working with five different project managers, and everyone is good in doing project management, right? But you have like one or two favorites, what what what makes the relationship between a freelancer and a project manager more personal and personal to you,
Végh Fruzsina Judit
I think it always starts with a smiley. In this filing here, if if they they’re sending you smiling, or if they’re sending smile, then it means that you are one step closer. Because smiley, however, common emoji, however, is nowadays, I’m not from that generation, you know, to move using emojis and smiley faces is a personal thing. Maybe. And, and, and sending an emoji, smiling one or craving one or whatever is, is a sign that the time I find this relationship important, or I want to share something more personal with this one, smiley or this icon. And then after that, you can be a bit more chatty, or you can, you can add one plus word or, or even a sentence to your email, which is no more personal. And, and it’s a gradual, step by step. And, and finally, you can you can even feel friends with with the, with that certain project manager. And that is the time when they are sharing background info with you. And of course, you never tell anybody. Because it’s it’s, it’s so precious. That you know, something you You shouldn’t know. And you understand something with this piece of information, having this piece of information. It’s really I love these moments when when the Boer War breaks down. And then I find these moments very important and very precious. I these are the sweetest memories.
Andrej Zito
So I have like this challenging question for you. So let’s say we have two project managers. So one of them is like, professional like, you can rely on him but he’s like super dry and totally like distant. And then you working with another project manager who is like, full of emojis, you know, sharing all his personal stuff, but he’s just not that good PM, which one would you prefer working with?
Végh Fruzsina Judit
The Pro, I would, I would go for the Pro. Because sooner or later he will become less distant. I have one thing. I don’t say that will be friends. I had I had the relationship, very distant relationship. guy was a project manager. He’s still a project manager. And he was so distant so far, far away and so called at least this What I felt about him and, and it happened, I think I broke the ice when I called him when I was very, very, very bad condition. And she was in hospital. And I called him and I told him that my mom, my mom was actually dying. And, and I told him that she was in coma. And I’m simply unable of working right now. And he was so understanding, and I thought I was 100% sure that I lost this client, and I lost this boy. And, like, a month later, he sent me a job. And I accepted it. It was it was a system generated email, and I did the job, I was quite surprised, I was still in the pool. And he wrote me an email. And it was just like, I’m happy to see you on board again. And the smiley and, you know, these are the moments I embrace. Because it’s so touching, that you remember, remembered that he remembered that I had a very, very serious issue. And, and, and I lost my mom. And, and he was understanding he was helping. And since then, we are quite close, I don’t see hands, but but he he’s being funny in his emails, and he has a sense of humor, and the latest gesture. It was very sweet. I translated magazine for the client. And it was a I didn’t know it had a physical copy. I thought it was just an in house magazine, you know, PDF, anything. And then I was quite surprised that we open the postbox and and, and I had a big, huge envelope in it. And and in the envelope it was the the printed copy of the magazine. And it’s a tie. Nice, isn’t it? So so I really I really like working with him. I don’t think we are friends. But I know that I can be more more personal with him than we are. But it’s just, you know, it also happened. There was a moment that was an issue. And I I was brave enough or courageous enough or desperate enough to ask for his help. I think these are the moments when when you you become closer to project managers, because you are both of your humans with issues, problems and of course, biases. And you Yeah, you can rely and that is that’s a very sweet and nice feeling. But I like professionalism. I prefer professionalism to to chit chat. Yeah,
Andrej Zito
Yeah, totally. Okay, so I would have like a lot of questions. But let me ask like the final Let me ask the final question, because this is something that I definitely have to ask you about, like what is your opinion and experience with? And this is something that I was mentioning in almost all of the episodes that I did previously. And that is machine translation. So how do you remember like what was like your first experience with receiving machine translation? How did you feel about it then? How do you feel about it now?
Végh Fruzsina Judit
It was like it was quite a long time. Four years. And it was a it was a Hungarian company. Just as we as it turned out to be. It was a massive job and in a car to remember how big it was but it was big. And it was shared. Share job with a pool of first laters it was technical in nature and It turned out that it was a experimental job, the pilot job. And they, they had a survey after the job, and there was a presentation from the insight from this insight from
Andrej Zito
So. So was it like a survey like you translate it or like you did the post editing? Because that’s how we call it right now. And then they surveyed you like, what you thought about the quality? Or?
Végh Fruzsina Judit
Yes, yes. Because there was there was no information. There was no mention about machine. I’m not. I’m not sure about it, because it happened such a long time ago. But But still, after that it was a serving. Yes. And we have to ask your questions. Maybe it wasn’t not a long one. As I said, it was a long time ago. But I remember that there was a presentation at a conference. localization conference, made by the project manager who organized this job is quite interesting. And it was it was brand new at the time. And the quality was scandalous. And
Andrej Zito
did you like when you first saw the translations? Like, did you feel like something’s wrong here? Like, did you doubt like, Is there like a human being? That’s possible, like creating such a messy translations? Or did you just think like, Okay, this is like a, some amateur translated for a lower rate did this.
Végh Fruzsina Judit
Like Google, Yeah, no, I realized immediately that it was more in translation. And Google was in famous for the quality of translations that time. And it’s highly improved later. It was horrible. It was horrible to work with. cannot remember the rates, if it affected the rates, or not. It was it was a very interesting experience, but it took so much of what I do like it. And when it became, you know, in fashion. I was, I wasn’t happy. And I turned all the possibilities down. And that was a time when my husband actually joined me as a translator, he had an absolutely standard office job. And if you’ve worked in an office for like, nine years, and beside this, he, he did translations, sometimes he had talent. And I could say, right away that he had said to him, I think it’s his way, because he was always so happy when he was translating. And, and we discussed this matter together, I mean, machine translation. And my first reaction was very hasty. Which is not a typical thing for me. And we discussed it, you know, appropriately, deeply for it. And not just once, I think we had like three or four conversations about it. And I changed my mind. I said, Okay, let’s give it a go. I, I realized that it was a niche market. opportunity, because all the translators said no. I said, Okay. I’ll be the one who will say yes,
Andrej Zito
Yeah. Because that’s your experience, right? Because like when you whenever you said yes to something new, whether it was me or like the automatic translation, it always worked out pretty well for you, right?
Végh Fruzsina Judit
Yes, yes. Yes. And I think I was I was one of the first ones to have training about machine translation. That’s all of my LSP And and it was it changed a lot. I mean, the concept, even the concept, and the quality, of course, thanks God. And I was I was I was happy with my choice. And and I see that machine translation is getting more and more space. And it’s getting more and more popular. And I think it is for things which are not suitable for machine translation. It’s a bit overused now, I was expecting it, because new technologies are overused, tend to be overused after,
Andrej Zito
Wait what do you mean, over when you say overused? Do you mean like more people are using it? Like is becoming mainstream or like we use it too much in places where it shouldn’t be used?
Végh Fruzsina Judit
Yeah, both actually use machine translation and in fields that are not inappropriate to be translated by, you know. The machine. Yeah, and automatism. Yeah. And like marketing, marketing, absolutely not suitable or subtitling subclassing is the latest angle. It happened to me last week. And the even that they they had the machine translation text. And I said, Okay, this isn’t, oh, my God, it’s horrible. It’s horrible trouble, because the algorithm cannot understand that. It’s a long text cut into smaller segments or pie. So it’s it’s
Andrej Zito
Wait wait wait wait. Does it mean that you got all the segments as they’re viewed? Like, it wasn’t segmented properly? Like, as a whole send
Végh Fruzsina Judit
Them to me as a subtitle, and it was machine translated?
Andrej Zito
Oh, my gosh.
Végh Fruzsina Judit
Oh, okay.
Andrej Zito
Yeah, that’s so weird. Yeah. That’s so bad. Yeah.
Végh Fruzsina Judit
It’s a bit overused. Now.
Andrej Zito
In that case, like, we shouldn’t blame the machine translation, right? Because like, if you feed it like partial sentences, which are not even complete, and of course, it cannot deliver anything meaningful.
Végh Fruzsina Judit
Of course, I don’t blame machine translation. Yeah, it’s much better now. I mean, using machine translation and performing posts editing. But the rates are still flexible. I think there is room for improvement there. And, and time buys? I’m not sure you have the, you know, all of the industry is getting more and more automatic. And they want to have standards for everything. Why? And how much time should be spent with this type of job and that type of job. And that is the standard. And if you cannot follow this standard, that’s your problem, because we want to pay you more. For instance, for machine translation, I think it’s 500 words per hour. Which is, okay, more or less, but I’m not sure if it’s, it’s it fits all types of machine translations.
Andrej Zito
100. Do you mean 1000 words,
Végh Fruzsina Judit
Mo. 500 words?
Andrej Zito
Oh 500? 500. Okay.
Végh Fruzsina Judit
Yeah. But, you know, in case of legal texts, or technical translations, it’s a very good, it’s a good rate. I think it’s quite useful. MT is best when translating technical and legal texts, and absolutely horrible and translating, for instance, marketing, or something playful. And I don’t think that in this case, 500 words per hour is an appropriate piece expected which is expected from you, but it’s the practical part of it.
Andrej Zito
What do you mean?
Végh Fruzsina Judit
I mean, it’s just practice, everyday practice. It’s not about principle of machine translation or concept. I’m okay with that. I know that some of my colleagues are absolutely not interested in it, otherwise hostile. And if you if you think about it, it’s quite threatening. That’s a machine can provide 70%, acceptable, acceptable output?
Andrej Zito
So how does your portfolio of your work right now, like how much is represented by empty? And how much is translated from scratch? Or with the use of TMS
Végh Fruzsina Judit
empties? It doesn’t have a high ratio, folio? I think, because my clients don’t use it as such a such an extent as they could be. But to my surprise, some of the clients use it, and I find it in a in an inappropriate use. And other times they don’t use it. And I feel that okay, it can be done. It could be done with empty. It could help. It depends on the choice, I think, on the end client. I’m not sure. This is the part I cannot see at all. From here, Budapest. We are made out there.
Andrej Zito
Yes, this? Yeah, I think it’s usually determined by the end client, because they are the ones who need to maintain the empty engines is that even the decision of the LSP maybe the LSP can come up with like some suggestions. But I think at least from my experience, it’s usually the the decision is solely based on the end client. So if the end client is usually like a smaller or they don’t see the return on the investment, or they just want to wait until it’s like totally mainstream, then they probably want to change anything. Okay, so I think these are all the questions that I had for now. It’s been more than two hours. Is there something that you want to maybe talk about?
Végh Fruzsina Judit
I think, I think I shared almost everything I hope that I didn’t sound hostile or complaining because I didn’t want to know them very grateful that they could be here with a well established clientele and knowing that the family reliable source for them. And yes, knowing my value and be confident it was lots of lots of work. And then it was most of the time I was alone. And I’m very happy definitely like I have my husband next to me and and yeah, I’m not sure I’m not sure how long the traditional translation and traditional localization will exist I’m not sure about it. I’m very curious because the whole industry is reshaping the stage I you know, I always I read articles about the industry because I’m interested Of course, and and people are asked major figures of the industry if translation will disappear or machine translation will take the place of the whole translation process and no, I’m not a fortune teller. I cannot predict maybe I will have enough input one thing so I mean in the next 10 years, No, definitely not.
Andrej Zito
So as like a final the final comments from your sight like what would be like your advice to to new starting freelancers who let’s say just finished a college or maybe there are maybe like like your husband let’s let’s let’s just make this personal like what would you advise to your or what did you advise to your husband like when he made the switch to becoming a freelancer? Like what what what should he be aware? No, but like, well, how did you track him to this kind of lifestyle?
Végh Fruzsina Judit
Hmm, I think everyone should, should try work independently. I think this is the experience that major 80 of people don’t have in their lives. to shame. I think you have to try yourself as a small business owner. And, and work without supervision, and enjoy the freedom no matter what you’re good at, because you can become a freelance accountant, or a freelance Craftsman or anything, anything, you know, whatever, whatever you want to try. And this is this, if you if it takes a year or two from your life is still very good experience, very useful. And you get a better picture of yourself at the end. And if you realize that it’s your, your way, it’s your path to follow, please just just stick with it. And because you will, you will see how different Your life will be. Over the years, because it’s changing all the time constantly changing, I cannot say that it is the same as it was five years ago, 10 years ago, it’s not true. Because as you grow older, and as you gain experience from life, it will have a direct impact on your work as well. As a freelancer. That’s if you mature as a person, you mature as a professional, I think that’s there’s the best I can put it briefly. And, and I really wish you good luck. And, and confidence, please gain confidence. Please be strong. And, and don’t be afraid of making one step further and further and further. And don’t look back. Because Because this is this is a one way perfecting. I mean, you can you can always end it. You can always finish being a freelancer. But if you want to be a freelancer don’t- just just go ahead. Go ahead.
Andrej Zito
Okay, the those those are very, very nice and think advice. And I totally agree with it. So thank you very much for this interview. It was it was a real pleasure. And I think you shared like a lot of good advice from your long experience as a translator, Freelancer and as a proofreader in the early beginnings. So thank you very much. If there are people listening, and maybe they want to reach out to you, is there a place? Like where they can contact you? If you’d like that? If no, then we can just stop right here. Do you have like website? Do you have like a profile on pros, his LinkedIn
Végh Fruzsina Judit
Profile and I have a Pro’s profile as well. I don’t know them by heart. I mean the address But I can like them to you if you want to and you can add we
Andrej Zito
And put it somewhere. Yeah. Okay. Wonderful. Okay. Thank you very much Fruzsina. Thank you and talk to you next time.
Végh Fruzsina Judit
Next time. Bye.
