Of Peanuts and Monkeys

Thanks to Twitter, we just heard about a like-minded movement/blog that is encouraging all linguists to stop working for, well, peanuts. We couldn't agree more: we could have written the blog ourselves! The tone of the blog is funny and straightforward: if you think you are getting paid too little, stop accepting those jobs. Of course, the realities of the marketplace are complex and challenging, and individual situations vary greatly. However, this is a message we cannot hear often enough: let's professionalize our profession by charging adequate and fair rates for our highly specialized services, by working with our colleagues, and by refusing to work under conditions that do not do our expertise and education justice.

The No Peanuts Statement of Principles includes:
  1. Don't lower your rates. Just don't do it.
  2. Stop panicking. There is enough work for all of us. And yes: there is enough work at livable rates, too.
  3. Take charge of the vendor/client relationship.
  4. Abusive working conditions? Don't take the job -- you run your own business, after all!
  5. Use online resources to research your potential clients.
  6. Boycott abusive clients.
We are grateful for the No Peanuts movement for keeping the ball rolling -- thank you! Check out the blog and endorse the movement.


4 comments:

No Peanuts! on May 31, 2010 at 8:24 AM said...

And we're grateful to you! Thanks. We've added your site to our "They're Talking about No Peanuts!" blogroll.

Anonymous said...

Great post and a perfect reminder right when I am rejoining the freelance world (with a focus on terminology services) after many years with American corporations. Thanks,
Barbara Inge Karsch

Esbart Eudald Coma on June 8, 2010 at 4:40 AM said...

Ten years ago I finished my studies of translation and interpretation but since now I haven't decided to settle up my own small business.
The only thing I have clear in my mind is that although I love my job, I work for money, so I don't want to break rates to get clients.
This is a way of understimating our job.
I just want to thank you for you book which it is helping me a lot and for this really interesting blog.
Thanks a lot for all your valuable work!
Marta

Anonymous said...

I'm very often reminded of this:
http://www.hulu.com/watch/13969/the-a-team-diamonds-n-dust?c=504:508

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