Freelance Vs. Staff

[Kabbers]

So, I'm curious to all the interpreters out there. Which do you prefer? Freelance work or being a staff. There's advantages and disadvantages, and I've experienced both environments. For those of you who don't know the difference, here's a brief explanation:

Staff: Typically an 8+ hour day. You may have one or two assignments, maybe none at all (oh, and you can’t choose your own jobs. So if you’re stuck with government interpreting, peace!) If you do not have an assignment, typically you will go to an office where you can study up on vocabulary, receptive skills, etc. It is a steady income, but really not to hefty as far as salary is concerned. They do take out taxes for you though.


Freelance: It’s as flexible as they get. You pick your own jobs, you make your own schedule. Don’t wanna work on Fridays? K. Decline all work that is passed your way. Freelancers typically get paid more as well, sometimes double or triple the amount of a staff terp. Oh, and they get mileage too. But, you gotta do your own taxes, either yearly or quarterly, which can be a bummer.


So what's everyone's experiences with these two environments? Is one really better than the other?

 

[DDU]

blessed be

Interperters should work for free. This way to do good they don't have to travel to africa or some such place to earn angel wiings. God will bless them

 

[Reba]

Interperters should work for free. This way to do good they don't have to travel to africa or some such place to earn angel wiings. God will bless them

 

[Jiro]

So, I'm curious to all the interpreters out there. Which do you prefer? Freelance work or being a staff. There's advantages and disadvantages, and I've experienced both environments. For those of you who don't know the difference, here's a brief explanation:

Staff: Typically an 8+ hour day. You may have one or two assignments, maybe none at all (oh, and you can’t choose your own jobs. So if you’re stuck with government interpreting, peace!) If you do not have an assignment, typically you will go to an office where you can study up on vocabulary, receptive skills, etc. It is a steady income, but really not to hefty as far as salary is concerned. They do take out taxes for you though.


Freelance: It’s as flexible as they get. You pick your own jobs, you make your own schedule. Don’t wanna work on Fridays? K. Decline all work that is passed your way. Freelancers typically get paid more as well, sometimes double or triple the amount of a staff terp. Oh, and they get mileage too. But, you gotta do your own taxes, either yearly or quarterly, which can be a bummer.


So what's everyone's experiences with these two environments? Is one really better than the other?

with this current state of economy... staff (or a salary job).

 

[Reba]

So, I'm curious to all the interpreters out there. Which do you prefer? Freelance work or being a staff. There's advantages and disadvantages, and I've experienced both environments. For those of you who don't know the difference, here's a brief explanation:

Staff: Typically an 8+ hour day. You may have one or two assignments, maybe none at all (oh, and you can’t choose your own jobs. So if you’re stuck with government interpreting, peace!) If you do not have an assignment, typically you will go to an office where you can study up on vocabulary, receptive skills, etc. It is a steady income, but really not to hefty as far as salary is concerned. They do take out taxes for you though.


Freelance: It’s as flexible as they get. You pick your own jobs, you make your own schedule. Don’t wanna work on Fridays? K. Decline all work that is passed your way. Freelancers typically get paid more as well, sometimes double or triple the amount of a staff terp. Oh, and they get mileage too. But, you gotta do your own taxes, either yearly or quarterly, which can be a bummer.


So what's everyone's experiences with these two environments? Is one really better than the other?

I've never worked exclusively staff or freelance (private practice) but various combinations.

I used to work for a private interpreting agency. We worked all kinds of hours and days. Sometimes there was almost no work. My income went up and down, and was very irregular. I never knew what to expect. There were no benefits (no insurance, no retirement plan, no sick leave, no worker's comp, etc.) We weren't allowed to turn down more than two assignments per year. If the assignment was late at night, out of town, emotional, whatever, we were expected to fulfill it. When the agency closed, I had less than one week's notice.

The variety of experiences was good though. Some of the assignments were nerve-wracking and stressful.

Now I work as an independent contractor. A small amount of my work is "freelance" for other interpreters who need me occasionally. Most of my work is educational interpreter at a college. I have a contract with them but that doesn't guarantee work for me. If there are no deaf students, or the students withdraw, then I'm unemployed again. My income situation is still up and down, no guarantees, no benefits. I pay my own taxes.

I enjoy working in the academic setting, and the variety of students and subject matter.

I absolutely hate the commuting that's involved. (I had another close call last night but my Jeep took the grassy median OK, heh, heh.)

If you work freelance, you better have a GPS and dependable car. I often had 15 minutes to get to an assignment that was 30 minutes away. Aack!

 

[Jiro]

I absolutely hate the commuting that's involved. (I had another close call last night but my Jeep took the grassy median OK, heh, heh.)

was that the incident where you had a sudden broken window?

 

[Reba]

with this current state of economy... staff (or a salary job).

Staff jobs in my area are rare. The only staff jobs that I can think of here are in the public schools. Even then, if there are no deaf students that year in that school district then there are no jobs for the terps.

 

[Reba]

was that the incident where you had a sudden broken window?

No, last night. I was driving home at night on a busy multi-lane road (not interstate highway but commercial area). I was in the far left lane, when the SUV in front of me suddenly bounced up in the air. No brake lights but the bounce indicated to me a sudden stop. So I braked, and drove over onto the grassy median. As I slowly passed the SUV, I saw the other vehicle that the SUV had rear ended. Ouch!

I could have stopped in time without going on the grass but I didn't want to be rear ended by a driver behind me who might not be as attentive.

That stretch of road is notorious for frequent accidents, including fatalities. It's the road that my college is on, so I have to go that way every time.

My other accidents/incidents coming home from the college were the broken window, an exploded valve stem, and rear ending by a truck when I stopped for a red light.

The close calls are countless. One of my favorites was dodging a cement truck who failed to yield to me. One of my students was in a car behind me and witnessed it. Later, he texted me and said, "How did you do that? I thought for sure he hit you!"

I dodge moving objects pretty good for an old lady.

 

[Jiro]

Staff jobs in my area are rare. The only staff jobs that I can think of here are in the public schools. Even then, if there are no deaf students that year in that school district then there are no jobs for the terps.

yea.... and also some government functions like courthouse, hospital, etc. (unless a certain certification is required for that). Pretty much depends on where you live.

 

[Jiro]

No, last night. I was driving home at night on a busy multi-lane road (not interstate highway but commercial area). I was in the far left lane, when the SUV in front of me suddenly bounced up in the air. No brake lights but the bounce indicated to me a sudden stop. So I braked, and drove over onto the grassy median. As I slowly passed the SUV, I saw the other vehicle that the SUV had rear ended. Ouch!

I could have stopped in time without going on the grass but I didn't want to be rear ended by a driver behind me who might not be as attentive.

That stretch of road is notorious for frequent accidents, including fatalities. It's the road that my college is on, so I have to go that way every time.

My other accidents/incidents coming home from the college were the broken window, an exploded valve stem, and rear ending by a truck when I stopped for a red light.

The close calls are countless. One of my favorites was dodging a cement truck who failed to yield to me. One of my students was in a car behind me and witnessed it. Later, he texted me and said, "How did you do that? I thought for sure he hit you!"

I dodge moving objects pretty good for an old lady.

sounds like what I had to deal with on Turnpike everyday in the past. these people.... :roll:

 

[Banjo]

I've had plenty of close calls. *knock the wood*

 

[Reba]

yea.... and also some government functions like courthouse, hospital, etc. (unless a certain certification is required for that). Pretty much depends on where you live.

The court houses and hospitals here don't have staff positions for terps.

Court interpreting requires additional certification. Most of our state's court qualified terps travel to each city as needed.

Yes, it depends on the location.

 

[Jiro]

depending on where you live, it's good idea to have another source of income from different field. Freelancing, regardless of occupation, is tough. very tough unless you have an excellent reputation with handful of high-value clients.

 

[Jiro]

The court houses and hospitals here don't have staff positions for terps.

Court interpreting requires additional certification. Most of our state's court qualified terps travel to each city as needed.

Yes, it depends on the location.

not surprising. I take it that there's not many deafies in your area. My friend who is a doctor at the busiest hospital in Bronx has a couple of terps as staff so I taught her a few basic signs.

 

[Reba]

depending on where you live, it's good idea to have another source of income from different field. Freelancing, regardless of occupation, is tough. very tough unless you have an excellent reputation with handful of high-value clients.

The problem is, I can't take on another job because I have to be available for any interpreting assignments. I have to be able to drop everything and go to an assignment.

I won the bid for the state contract (for five years) at the college where I work but that doesn't guarantee me work there. If there are no students, there is no work. I never know if or how much work I will have until the first day of school for each semester.

I do some lawn care work for extra money but that's not much.

In the summer, I also have to compete with public school terps for freelance work.

Sometimes I travel over 100 miles, one way, for assignments. Other terps I know fly to other states for assignments.

 

[Reba]

not surprising. I take it that there's not many deafies in your area. My friend who is a doctor at the busiest hospital in Bronx has a couple of terps as staff so I taught her a few basic signs.

Probably only a few hundred in this area.

 

[Jiro]

Sometimes I travel over 100 miles, one way, for assignments. Other terps I know fly to other states for assignments.

yep... when I took a summer class at Columbia.. the CART reporter was from CT. Poor lady... she drove 2 hrs.

 

[Jaja]

Upon entering the Interpreting field, I only did freelance work. For the past fourteen years I have been a staff interpreter in a community agency and I love it! The stability of the job and the fantastic opportunity to get to know such a great community is worth the 9 to 5 hours. I do have the ability to deny some assignments only because there are three of us working full time as staff. There is no way I would consider being a freelancer again.