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Poll: Do you keep record of all the projects you've worked on?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Dec 11, 2017

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you keep record of all the projects you've worked on?".

This poll was originally submitted by Carla Lopes. View the poll results »



 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 16:22
Spanish to English
+ ...
Other Dec 11, 2017

Rather than "keeping a record", I simply take ages to remember to delete anything or tidy up my files, so most of my stuff is probably lying around somewhere.

 
Christine Andersen
Christine Andersen  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 16:22
Member (2003)
Danish to English
+ ...
Same here Dec 11, 2017

neilmac wrote:

Rather than "keeping a record", I simply take ages to remember to delete anything or tidy up my files, so most of my stuff is probably lying around somewhere.


It depends what you mean by records.
I keep a worksheet and note the progress of each job, when it is ordered, delivered and invoiced, and I have worksheets going back to when I started translating! These proved invaluable when I applied to become a Chartered Linguist, and the CIoL wanted records of my work for three years back. I'm not sure they ask for so much detail now, but it was convincing.

I also record rates on the worksheets, and I have a list of invoices going back more than ten years. My husband keeps printouts of all my invoices for at least five years, and until he runs out of space after that - and he records my accounts and tax returns. So there are quite a lot of records of formalities.

I also archive many of my translations for future reference, although of course, I delete files if asked to, or if they are particularly confidential.

I do not keep statistics about how many (thousand/million) words I have translated, as I regard them as fairly meaningless, on the level of 'how long is a piece of string?'


 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 15:22
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Yes Dec 11, 2017

My earlier work is kept on CDs and on my external memory (I suppose I still have a stash of floppy disks hidden around somewhere). For the last 10 years, I’ve also been keeping a very basic diary (hard copy) with date, my reference number, my client project number, title of the document, language pair, number of words, deadline, invoice number, date of payment…

 
Muriel Vasconcellos
Muriel Vasconcellos  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 08:22
Member (2003)
Spanish to English
+ ...
Yes Dec 11, 2017

I keep an Excel file each year with detailed information about each assignment. They go back to when I first started to use Excel about 16 years ago.

I also keep the translations unless the client asks me to destroy them.

Back in 2002-2003 I translated three large volumes that contained detailed descriptions of several hundred diseases. Those translations have been valuable references because the information is well organized--and of course, searchable.


 
Christopher Schröder
Christopher Schröder
United Kingdom
Member (2011)
Swedish to English
+ ...
Well obviously not Dec 11, 2017

Why would I do that? Do I really want to help the Revenue sniff out all my offshore accounts?

Bad tax planning, innit.


 
Alexandra Villeminey
Alexandra Villeminey  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 16:22
Member (2010)
Spanish to German
+ ...
It's all in my emails Dec 11, 2017

No, I delete all files and if it happens that I have to access them again I can find the final files in my outgoing emails.

 
Elena Mordenti
Elena Mordenti  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 16:22
German to Italian
+ ...
Yes Dec 11, 2017

I keep all files or a part of them relating to a project. Sometimes it's useful remind me the 9 years of work.

 
Tina Vonhof (X)
Tina Vonhof (X)
Canada
Local time: 09:22
Dutch to English
+ ...
Yes, everything Dec 11, 2017

I have all my past translations and invoices backed up on a USB. I keep only the current year and the previous one on my PC. On more than one occasion I have been able to help a client by sending a copy of their translation or an updated certification declaration.

 
Ivana UK
Ivana UK  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:22
Member (2005)
Italian to English
+ ...
What a strange question Dec 11, 2017

Of course we keep records!

 
Claudia Aguero
Claudia Aguero  Identity Verified
Costa Rica
Local time: 09:22
Spanish to English
+ ...
Yes Dec 11, 2017

I have all my translations since 2000 and some before that time. I also have them in three external hard disks and in two email accounts. Since my computers and external backups have been stolen twice, I learned to keep backups in different parts of my house.
My invoices go back to 2002, when I began to deliver printed invoices. (In Costa Rica, we have to print invoices.) This help me remember how much I charged for several projects I have to do every year.
As for my accounting recor
... See more
I have all my translations since 2000 and some before that time. I also have them in three external hard disks and in two email accounts. Since my computers and external backups have been stolen twice, I learned to keep backups in different parts of my house.
My invoices go back to 2002, when I began to deliver printed invoices. (In Costa Rica, we have to print invoices.) This help me remember how much I charged for several projects I have to do every year.
As for my accounting records and tax returns, I have all of them (since 1996) somewhere in my warehouse. I must keep them for some years, but don't remember how many.
Collapse


 
Maxi Schwarz
Maxi Schwarz  Identity Verified
Local time: 10:22
German to English
+ ...
What is meant by "keeping a record"? Dec 11, 2017

Is this like some kind of external list? We have e-mail correspondence, the actual work we did, and then paid and unpaid invoices.

 
Rebecca Garber
Rebecca Garber  Identity Verified
Local time: 11:22
Member (2005)
German to English
+ ...
Yes Dec 11, 2017

Those would be my accounting and tax records.

In addition: I keep the original file, the txml, and the finished file, sorted by client. The computer tags the dates.

If you're asking whether I keep additional notes about my projects, the answer is no.


 
Mario Freitas
Mario Freitas  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 12:22
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Yes, in detail since 2010 Dec 12, 2017

I have detailed records, files and TM of all my projects since 2010.
Before that, I didn't have much work, translation was a sporadical "extra", and didn't make a lot of difference in my routine or income, so I had a very small deal of control over the jobs.


 
Hege Jakobsen Lepri
Hege Jakobsen Lepri  Identity Verified
Norway
Local time: 16:22
Member (2002)
English to Norwegian
+ ...
I have cummulative translation memories and invoicing information Dec 12, 2017

But I try to get rid of the actual translations after 5-10 years (usually closer to 10 than 5 because I have no real routine for deleting files)

 
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Poll: Do you keep record of all the projects you've worked on?






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