Poll: If you could switch to a new area of expertise overnight, would you?
थ्रेड पोस्टर: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
साइट कर्मचारी
Jun 10, 2025

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "If you could switch to a new area of expertise overnight, would you?".

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Lieven Malaise
Lieven Malaise  Identity Verified
Belgium
Local time: 19:48
सदस्य (2020)
French to Dutch
+ ...
No need or desire Jun 10, 2025

Since I accept, and have always accepted, work from basically all areas of expertise, I am liberated of the feeling of being stuck in some of those areas. Therefore I have no need or desire to switch "overnight" to new areas of expertise.

It's not necessarily the most easy road to follow in the beginning (although one might ask oneself if there is any such thing as an easy road for unexperienced or less experienced translators) since taking your first steps in new areas can be stres
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Since I accept, and have always accepted, work from basically all areas of expertise, I am liberated of the feeling of being stuck in some of those areas. Therefore I have no need or desire to switch "overnight" to new areas of expertise.

It's not necessarily the most easy road to follow in the beginning (although one might ask oneself if there is any such thing as an easy road for unexperienced or less experienced translators) since taking your first steps in new areas can be stressful (will I deliver? Will I pull it off?), but after all these years I can say it is ultimately very rewarding: stress because of uncertainty has become virtually inexistent, whatever the subject I'm presented with, and being able to translate in a lot of areas obviously increases your chances of survival in this business.
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Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 18:48
सदस्य (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Overnight?! Jun 10, 2025

If only I had more time I’d like to deepen my knowledge of certain areas, but not overnight. We all know that it’s not wise to prepare for a big test the night before…

Mario Chávez
Liena V.
Oscar Núñez Alfaro
Maria Laura Curzi
Philip Lees
Carla Selyer
 
Mario Chávez
Mario Chávez
United States
Local time: 13:48
English to Spanish
+ ...
Nothing worth doing starts overnight Jun 10, 2025

Maybe doing something overnight works well in novellas, videogames and B movies, but I haven't seen that in real life.

What teenager is writing these poll questions?


MC


Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Laura Curzi
Philip Lees
 
Liena V.
Liena V.  Identity Verified
Latvia
Local time: 20:48
सदस्य (2014)
French to Latvian
+ ...
No reason Jun 10, 2025

Nah, I'm good, no need for any switch, let alone overnight, I don't want to be searching for new clients again. I don't know any of those agencies that just send all kinds of stuff to the same few translators, all of my regulars are already specialised enough and I hardly ever receive any offers outside my usual fields of expertise.

 
Oscar Núñez Alfaro
Oscar Núñez Alfaro  Identity Verified
Costa Rica
Local time: 11:48
सदस्य (Oct 2026)
English to Spanish
+ ...
I would not! Jun 10, 2025

I love my areas of expertise. I would like to learn more of my specializations, reflect and share others my experience and knowledge.

 
Charlie Bavington
Charlie Bavington  Identity Verified
Local time: 18:48
French to English
absolutely Jun 10, 2025

Taking the question as a hypothetical, "if you could wave a magic wand & be endowed with new skills" type of question, rather than too literally, then yes. Perhaps as an international trade deal negotiator, or a more mundane insolvency practitioner.

Or perhaps the CEO of a privatised water company or an arms dealer, as pollution, conflict and war also seem to be growth areas at the moment.


Simon Turner
Ines Radionovas-Lagoutte, PhD
Philip Lees
Daryo
Siobhán Fulton
 


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Poll: If you could switch to a new area of expertise overnight, would you?






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