Translation and freelancing

For those of us who work freelance, contracts of this nature don’t tend to be the norm. Even smaller scale contracts can be something of a rarity in the freelancing world. There are both advantages and disadvantages to this, of course. On the one hand, a contract-free existence means an exceptional degree of freedom in terms of working life. Freelancers can largely set their own hours and work from wherever they choose. On the flip side, having no contracts means having no real certainty around guaranteed work and income, with freelancers instead having to trust that their current sources of income won’t dry up – and to deal with the situation swiftly if and when they do. 

Freelancing is on the rise. As our tech gets smarter and globalisation makes the world a smaller place, working online from home (or wherever else you choose) has become easier and easier. Add to that the global exposure of job sites such as Upwork and Fiverr and it’s easy to see why freelancing holds such appeal – talented individuals can connect with clients around the world in order to sell their services.  

The translation industry already has a mature freelancing market, with well-established global networks (such as that managed by Tomedes, which we’ve spent a decade building up) serving clients around the world. It is networks such as these which enable international business to be conducted so smoothly, with everyone from individual organisations to the EU relying on their expertise. 

Final thoughts 

Are contracts such as those issued by the EU worth the hassle? Or do you prefer to work with smaller clients, with whom you can build up closer working relationships? You can leave a comment below to share your views