Ever wondered why people even volunteer? Is this not a time-consuming past-time that leads to additional work? Unpaid efforts, really?
No, not at all!
Well, there is no immediate financial gain but there are a number of reasons that motivate and inspire translators and interpreters from all around the world to take on this very rewarding and enjoyable job. Most advantages will pay off in the long-term, so expect to be in for pleasant surprise.
From my experience, some of the most beneficial aspects of volunteering with ProZ Pro Bono are:
Skills
You have the opportunity to hone your skill set.
You can improve your translation skills by working on various kinds of texts. ProZ Pro Bono uses modern software tools to support a quick and easy workflow. After finishing your translation, there is always a review step. This quality measure is conducted by an experienced translator to ensure that the work is high standard. This does not only apply to accuracy, spelling, vocabulary choice and grammar but also includes the right presentation according to the client’s needs. You can get suggestions from peer translators in your language pair and optimise your translations in terms of cultural norms and expectations in the source and target markets. Working together is brilliant for your organisational and interpersonal skills. You will need to plan your workload and collaborate with the Proz Pro Bono team. With the variety of voluntary jobs available at Proz Pro Bono, you can even learn marketing skills, help with social media posts and much more. This supports your continuous personal development and is a brilliant investment in your future at no extra costs.
2 Networking
You get to meet new people, lovely people by the way.
This involves colleagues, fellow translators and potential clients. Regular online meetings provide a great way to network and exchange innovative ideas with peers. This connection strengthens the bond between translators and interpreters of different languages. You can even become an ambassador and contact potential clients in your country so that new collaborations with them can thrive.
3 Purpose
You are able to help where it is needed most.
Non-profit organisations, no matter where they are in the world, depend on funding and voluntary translations are a fantastic way to support them. Many of these organisations struggle with having enough money to exist. For example, organisations that support environmental or social causes may suffer from the adverse effects of current affairs. Your help is vital for their continuous success and the work they do. Surely, mentioning this will give you the edge on your CV.
4 Recognition
You get seen and recognised for your hard work.
You can choose to feature on a world-wide map of volunteer translators. You can introduce yourself on the website. Include a photo and potential clients can see the friendly face behind the usually so alone at home and well hidden translator behind a screen. You are part of the wonderful achievement statistics that showcase all the amazing voluntary work done so far. Your name will be in a list of translators and people can see how much work you have done as a ProZ Pro Bono volunteer. Moreover, I had the pleasure of being part of a promotional video for ProZ Pro Bono recently. Recording this was a great experience. It seems everyone involved is famous now – a shooting star in the ProZ Pro Bono volunteer sky so to say to get a bit poetic.
5 Fun!
Last but not least, volunteering is fun!
You can enjoy the fact that you did something amazing for the greater good and potentially helped someone. Is there a better thing to do and to be happy about in this world of all sorts of challenges nowadays? In my opinion, volunteering with ProZ Pro Bono is time well spent.
Why not give it a try? See you inside the programme.
Wonderful to read! Never have I ever thought of much of this while volunteering. Thanks Antje.
This is absolutely brillliant, Antje! Pro Bono summarized in its essence and beauty! Loved it! Thank you for the inspiration and motivation!
Purpose. Recognition. Fun. Skills. Networking. Proz Pro Bono summarized! For me, the “Purpose” is the best. Maybe I cannot help everyone i the world, but I can help some ONE in need. Thank you, Antje, for a beautiful writ.
Volunteering is indeed the best way to keep one's time well managed with what matters the most.
I got the privilege to be part of Proz Pro bono volunteers and can't wait to have my first contribution issued out. Thank you for this epic article that depicts the benefits of volunteering.