Poll: Would you be okay with changing career / profession?
Лице кое објавува дискусија: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ПЕРСОНАЛ НА СТРАНИЦАТА
Dec 18, 2025

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Would you be okay with changing career / profession?".

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Andualem Taye
 
Lieven Malaise
Lieven Malaise  Identity Verified
Белгија
Local time: 10:10
Член (2020)
француски на холандски
+ ...
Yes Dec 18, 2025

Of course I would be okay with it. I hope to stay a translator as long as possible, but if I have to change I'll change. Imagine being stuck in a job to the extent that you can't imagine doing anything else. A recipe for profound unhappiness.

Iwona Budzynska MCIL
Claudio Machado Junior
Jorge Payan
Edwige Thomas
Andualem Taye
Philip Lees
ipv
 
Liena V.
Liena V.  Identity Verified
Летонија
Local time: 11:10
Член (2014)
француски на латвиски
+ ...
Other Dec 18, 2025

Generally speaking, sure, why not? I am not that attached to my current one to never imagine doing anything else and it is rather unlikely that I will make it to the retirement age with no change at all.
However, when looking at the options available to me and how attractive they would be in terms of income and flexibility I am used to, it becomes more complicated. I intend to continue for as long as possible and then we'll see.


Claudio Machado Junior
Maria Laura Curzi
Jorge Payan
Edwige Thomas
Philip Lees
 
Gregor Trebec
Gregor Trebec
Словенија
Local time: 10:10
англиски на словенечки
+ ...
been there, done that Dec 18, 2025

I was a bus driver once. Every beginning is tough, i must say.

Claudio Machado Junior
Maria Laura Curzi
 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Португалија
Local time: 09:10
Член (2007)
англиски на португалски
+ ...
No Dec 18, 2025

My career path has been rather varied. I did many different things before I started translating. Translation came to me in my late 30s. Nothing in my life has been easy, but I have always enjoyed working. I know I am capable of adapting, not least because I have managed to overcome the challenges that life has thrown my way, but I must say that it is too late to change careers. I say this without any trace of bitterness or unhappiness; I am content with where my life is at and with what I have a... See more
My career path has been rather varied. I did many different things before I started translating. Translation came to me in my late 30s. Nothing in my life has been easy, but I have always enjoyed working. I know I am capable of adapting, not least because I have managed to overcome the challenges that life has thrown my way, but I must say that it is too late to change careers. I say this without any trace of bitterness or unhappiness; I am content with where my life is at and with what I have achieved…Collapse


Claudio Machado Junior
Josephine Cassar
Jennifer Levey
Gina Centanni
Ana Vozone
Edwige Thomas
Philip Lees
 
Michał Szcześniewski
Michał Szcześniewski  Identity Verified
Полска
Local time: 10:10
англиски на полски
+ ...
Yes. Already did. Dec 18, 2025

Twice actually. No regrets:)

Maria Laura Curzi
Edwige Thomas
Philip Lees
Andualem Taye
 
Maria Laura Curzi
Maria Laura Curzi  Identity Verified
Аргентина
Local time: 05:10
англиски на шпански
+ ...
Same here Dec 18, 2025

Michał Szcześniewski wrote:

Twice actually. No regrets:)


Me too.
I studied two careers and worked in so many things while doing it, so I would have no problem changing.
Actually, it's kind of cool to be able to learn new stuff and skills.


Claudio Machado Junior
Edwige Thomas
Philip Lees
Daryo
 
Edwige Thomas
Edwige Thomas
Франција
Local time: 10:10
англиски на француски
+ ...
weird Dec 19, 2025

I would be more than okay with changing career as well, but I was wondering why the majority answered "No" in the poll, whereas all of you guys said "Yes" in the comment section.

Apart from the comment section, I don't get all those "Nos" to be honest. In our current times of AI, our profession is doomed anyway:)


ipv
The Shredder
P.L.F. Persi (X)
Maria Laura Curzi
 
Denis Fesik
Denis Fesik
Local time: 11:10
англиски на руски
+ ...
Cheap Dec 19, 2025

One thing that pisses me off about the profession to which I gave a good part of my life is how everyone views it as cheap and almost unnecessary in this day and age. And you can't explain anything to an outsider, whether it's a manager or a customer. I got really tired of trying to explain such things, in simple terms, to people who didn't give a ****. They'd turn their deaf ear to me talking about those nuances that decide everything. So, the management of my company probably thought it was pe... See more
One thing that pisses me off about the profession to which I gave a good part of my life is how everyone views it as cheap and almost unnecessary in this day and age. And you can't explain anything to an outsider, whether it's a manager or a customer. I got really tired of trying to explain such things, in simple terms, to people who didn't give a ****. They'd turn their deaf ear to me talking about those nuances that decide everything. So, the management of my company probably thought it was perfectly fine to keep my pay rate at the same level for over five years: I was too expensive for them at the time I first set that rate, and, as prices increased, my services became more and more affordable. And I'm the kind of guy who never asks for a pay rise. The rates currently vavailable to me as a new guy in my new profession are at least double what I was making as a translator/editor, and the job offer I accepted lately was way better than that. There's another aspect to it: isolation. I never attended a single corporate party because I didn't know a single one of my colleagues personally, work chats aside. Only the last year of my work really brought this to my attention: isolation was an actual burden that had been weighing down on me all the while. Certain little things just broke the camel's back. So, there may come a time when someone will need a translation with real value and won't be able to find an AI solution that can deliver that value. They'll look for someone who can do it but they won't find me. I don't think I'm coming backCollapse


The Shredder
P.L.F. Persi (X)
Matthias Brombach
Fabrice Ndie
Edwige Thomas
Maria Laura Curzi
Daryo
 
Got the t-shirt Dec 19, 2025

Denis Fesik wrote:

One thing that pisses me off about the profession to which I gave a good part of my life is how everyone views it as cheap and almost unnecessary in this day and age. And you can't explain anything to an outsider, whether it's a manager or a customer. I got really tired of trying to explain such things, in simple terms, to people who didn't give a ****. They'd turn their deaf ear to me talking about those nuances that decide everything.


I enjoyed that rant and agree with it wholeheartedly.

I would have been in the “no” camp as I hoped to ride things out for a few more years to retirement, but I’m now down to 20% of my previous workload, and this basically works out at two months of being busy and ten months of doing sod all, so I eventually bit the bullet and started to look for alternative work.

Luckily I’ve been able to leverage my transferable skills by deconstructing my legacy output. Instead of delivering words, I now deliver letters.


Fabrice Ndie
Matthias Brombach
P.L.F. Persi (X)
 
Post removed: This post was hidden by a moderator or staff member for the following reason: empty post
Daryo
Daryo
Local time: 09:10
српски на англиски
+ ...
I was curious to see how large is the proportion of those Dec 31, 2025

who answered "No" in the poll. All I got was:

Archived polls
Poll not found.
https://www.proz.com/polls/23053#:~:text=Search%20polls-,Archived%20polls,Poll%20not%20found.,-Try%20ProZ/Next

Has the problem of bugs been solved by declaring them domestic pets?

Anyway, as far as I'm
... See more
who answered "No" in the poll. All I got was:

Archived polls
Poll not found.
https://www.proz.com/polls/23053#:~:text=Search%20polls-,Archived%20polls,Poll%20not%20found.,-Try%20ProZ/Next

Has the problem of bugs been solved by declaring them domestic pets?

Anyway, as far as I'm concerned, after the first change of profession, one more or less ...

I still have one 'spare profession' - not yet practiced for money.
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Poll: Would you be okay with changing career / profession?






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