Her name is Lena Lolligan (yes, seriously), and of all the freelancers I’ve come across she is the quirkiest talker, but with the most bite. She is indeed a true-blue freelancer, and why do I say so? Because she can be found mostly in the Netherlands and Australia, and what’s a freelancer if he/she can’t move around freely while doing work, right?
I’m posting the interview in its complete, unedited form, as I’m sure you’ll enjoy – and appreciate – everything Lena she has to say.
Please share with us some tidbits of personal information. What’s it like to be you?
I’m somewhat of a globe trotter and bounce from place to place with my four year old son, who happens to be a genius and is also way cooler than other people’s kids. I’m engaged to the perfect man, and for reasons yet to be determined he doesn’t find me incredibly annoying. I’m currently working on becoming a psychologist, although I don’t plan to work in the field. It’s mainly out of interest, and possibly for world domination through mass mind control. I’m into ethics debates and I think “Roseanne” was a brilliant show. You know you secretly loved it too, fess up.
Tell us what your typical day is like.
Hectic. There’s a lot of juggling involved and it’s often full of big changes on short notice. But since most of the changes are by choice and happen by way of me eating some sushi and suddenly deciding I’d like to go to eastern Europe, which clearly makes perfect sense to sane people, they’re generally welcome changes.
How long have you been a freelancer?
It’s hard to say, there was no clear beginning. I sort of gradually fell into it smalltime in high school, but I’ve been doing it fulltime for roughly the last 6 years.
What was your first impression of freelancing? What were your thoughts later on once you discovered what it was truly all about?
My first thoughts were “Sweet! I get to make money while sitting at home.” My later thoughts were “Sweet! I get to make money while sitting at home and the novelty of it still hasn’t worn off.”
Is there a particular reason you tried freelancing? How and when did you start, and what was your first assignment like?
My first few assignments came from teachers and a vice principal in high school, and involved minor assistance with a few bits of international communication. It wasn’t very noteworthy and I had no idea I’d end up making a career of it, but that’s what got the ball rolling.
What has it been like since then? Do you regret the “path” you’ve taken?
Not in the slightest. I think I’m incredibly lucky that my work allows me so much freedom and variety, that it introduced me to countless people I otherwise never would have met, and experiences I otherwise never would have had. And, let’s be honest – the money is a delicious perk too.
Did you always want to be a freelancer? Why or why not?
I’d never considered it until it happened, but in hindsight I’d probably have dismissed it as nonsense. Taking people’s money for reading a chunk of text and then repeating it in another language? And I don’t even need to be wearing pants while doing it? Pull the other one, why don’t you.
Are you a full-time freelancer? How else do you earn?
I earn exclusively from freelancing, and occasionally by winning a bet with a friend on topics like “No, I’m SURE the girl on Roseanne that plays DJ’s girlfriend isn’t Mel Gibson’s daughter in What Women Want. Wanna BET??”. Because I’m always right. They have yet to learn this. Poor little optimists.
Tell us about a positive experience you had as a freelancer.
A Dutch lady once asked me to translate a personal letter she’d written to the man her daughter had eloped with in America. Family ties had steadily been dissolving since her daughter left, and she was desperate to restore them. It was less of a literal translation and more in the vein of ghost writing, she wanted a lot of input from me regarding how she should word certain things to get her meaning across. It worked beyond all expectations and she was the most grateful and satisfied client I’ve ever had. We still keep in touch socially. It’s far from the highest paying job I’ve ever done financially, but it’s definitely one of the most rewarding uses for a skill that bridges gaps in communication.
Tell us about a negative experience. How did you deal with it?
Scammers! The internet’s full of them. “Halo ai am want to ask u plz can u giv sample of ur work coz if ur gud then we hire u 4 ongoing wrk k thx”. Then they pass you some information their client expected *them* to translate, and to keep confidential. Confidential as in, not handed out to strangers on the internet. So I sort of kind of uh. Contacted the client (his name was on the supposed “sample test”), had a little chat with that kind gentleman, and I’m pretty sure that particular scammer lost some business that day. A small (and morally dubious) victory, but it’s better than nothing.
Generally speaking, how would you characterize your working relationship with your clients?
I’ve had the good fortune of working with some incredible people. The regular customers in particular tend to become acquaintances rather than just clients. There’s an understanding of expectations and limitations there that’s often not as easily achieved with a new one-time-only client.
We’ve all had our share of “growing pains” when we first started out. Have you ever committed a freelancing faux pas? What was it?
Free work. It took a while to get the hang of the idea that this person that’s asking you to do them a favor in this informal setting that looks nothing like an office is, in fact, a client and not just a stranger in need of assistance. It’s difficult and awkward to ask for money at the best of times, and when you’re starting out and have no clear idea of what your work is actually worth, it’s downright embarrassing to have to pop that question.
What do you think should be a freelancer’s best virtue?
Severe insomnia. Other than that, it’s a tie between honesty and flexibility.
What do you think could possibly be a client’s worst trait?
An enormous ego. But that would apply to everyone (except me), so I’ll go with a lack of understanding as to what the work he’s requesting involves. Or maybe being uncommunicative. There’s a long list of contenders for this title.
For you, what is the best thing about freelancing? The worst thing?
Freelancing allows you to enjoy your work, whether it’s by setting hours that work for you or by avoiding wasting half your life on a commute and being trapped in a cubicle. It’s usually much more involved than being just one little cog in a giant machine, you get a sense that your work matters, and a fairly clear view of the part it plays in the whole operation. It provides you with a sense of control and purpose that doesn’t feature in most jobs. On the flipside, all this personal involvement and pride in your work also comes with an extra steamy helping of stress when things aren’t going as smoothly as you’d like. That’s when your local bank employee can just say “Not my problem, let the boys in administration deal with this mess, I’m clocking out” while you’re stuck troubleshooting until 4 in the morning.
I like to think that “For every level of success, there is an equal level of stress behind it.” Do you practice any particular technique for fighting burnout? What do you like to do in your spare time?
I’m engaged to a man that can tell – without prompting! – that I’m not feeling my best, and his super x-ray vision ensures that he knows exactly what the problem is and how he can lift my spirits before I even get the opportunity to mutter a swearword. Not that this is often necessary, since he can also make me laugh on command in no-time flat and uses this skill to keep me from even reaching the boiling point to begin with. I’d recommend you all get one of these, except he’s mine and you can’t have him.
In your trade, what is the biggest issue and what can you say about it?
Unqualified competitors. Folks who, regardless of their level of skill in either language, believe that just being raised in a household that speaks one language while living in a country that speaks another is enough to qualify you for linguistic wizardry. You’d think they’d pose no real threat to the professionals, but given that clients only hire a translator to deal with languages the clients don’t themselves understand, they often have no idea how to determine a provider’s actual skill or even the quality of their finished product. It tends to give the profession a bad name, and wreaks havoc on rates – no, $1,50 per hour is not a wage a professional lives off, I don’t care what little Bobby Broken English tells you. These shoddy translations can cause untold damage to a client’s business with the slightest miscommunication. It’s simply disrespectful to both “colleagues” and clients to dabble in a trade that’s taken seriously by its pros, and can mean gambling with the client’s livelihood. Which is morally a-OK if you’re a stockbroker, I guess.
Let’s speculate about the future. How do you envision the freelancing profession 10 years from now?
With a flux capacitor. I can only imagine the applications of the internet will keep on multiplying and come to include types of work that would have seemed impossible to do without being on site. I hear even doctors are now able to do house calls from the comfort of their own ADSL lines. Here’s to hoping the vast numbers of freelancers that pop up during the growth spurt will be mainly made up of qualified people. And maybe less Dutch potential clients that, for some reason, think they have to address me in English when sending me a message, despite the fact that they’re hiring me *because I speak both English and Dutch and they themselves do not*. That would be nice.
Hopefully, you can still recall how it was like to be the “new guy”. Have you any advice for would-be freelancers?
Have a backup source of income that allows you to comfortably be very selective about the work you accept and the prices you charge. Being desperate gets you nowhere but exploited, not to mention bored with the material. Choosing projects because they’re interesting and can teach you something is just about the only reason I can think of that makes it acceptable to drop your rates drastically.
For those of us who are already into freelancing, what words of wisdom and tips for survival can you give?
Energy drinks are your friend.
How about a short message for clients/buyers out there?
Engrish.com – that’s what happens when you hire based on price.
Finally, just for fun: have you a favorite quote/video/cartoon pertaining to freelancers and freelancing?
Want to know more about Lena Lolligan?
oDesk Profile: https://www.odesk.com/users/Translator_~~123f9104d1b66487
Email: lena_lolligan@live.com.au
I just loved this! Excellent!