| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Not a single job since I joined PROZ any ideas? Thread poster: Arturo Villasenor Garcia
|
|---|
Alex Lago 
Spain
Local time: 01:19
English to Spanish
+ ...
| I have been in proz two years and haven't received a single job | Nov 19, 2010 |
Hi
I am also in the EN>ES language pair and have been a Proz member for nearly 2 years and must admit I haven't received a single job through Proz, in fact about 2 months ago I stopped even applying for jobs.
However I would not think of stopping my Proz membership because of all the valuable information I have managed to acquire, the Forums are very helpful, Kudoz is also very good (asking and answering), the Blue Board is a very valuable asset and has helped me a few times, ... See more Hi
I am also in the EN>ES language pair and have been a Proz member for nearly 2 years and must admit I haven't received a single job through Proz, in fact about 2 months ago I stopped even applying for jobs.
However I would not think of stopping my Proz membership because of all the valuable information I have managed to acquire, the Forums are very helpful, Kudoz is also very good (asking and answering), the Blue Board is a very valuable asset and has helped me a few times, the translation agency directories let me find companies I can send CVs to, I have attended Powwows, etc, etc,. So all in all I think I've receive my money's worth. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Laurent KRAULAND (X)
France
Local time: 01:19
French to German
+ ...
| The competition on prices is already lost... | Nov 19, 2010 |
in fact it was lost even before it began.
veratek wrote:
Hi,
Maybe there's too much competition, or your rates are high compared to others. Maybe your type or length of experience or CV doesn't match the job qualifications as well as others. Have you tried submitting your CV directly to agencies?
Regards,
Vera
[Modifié le 2010-11-19 11:05 GMT]
| | | | Marina Soldati
Argentina
Local time: 20:19
Member (2005)
English to Spanish
+ ...
| My experience | Nov 19, 2010 |
It took me six months to get the first job through a bid (never heard of them again) and eight months before I got regular jobs.
In that time I participated in Kudoz as much as I could.
You won´t get regular clients throught the Job posting system, regular and good clients will find you through your Profile.
So, my advice:
- As others have said, be persistent and patient
- Participate in Kudoz, with well backed up answers
- Participate in the Forum sec... See more It took me six months to get the first job through a bid (never heard of them again) and eight months before I got regular jobs.
In that time I participated in Kudoz as much as I could.
You won´t get regular clients throught the Job posting system, regular and good clients will find you through your Profile.
So, my advice:
- As others have said, be persistent and patient
- Participate in Kudoz, with well backed up answers
- Participate in the Forum section of the site
Marina ▲ Collapse
| | | | JOHN PENNEY (X)
Local time: 20:19
Portuguese to English
+ ...
| AVILLAX´S DOLDRUMS | Nov 29, 2010 |
Dear Avillax: It would be good to hear whether you found any of our comments useful, or indeed, viable. And whether you are still workless!!! JOHN
| | |
|
|
|
JOHN PENNEY (X)
Local time: 20:19
Portuguese to English
+ ...
| WORKING WITH PRO-Z INTO YOUR OWN LANGUAGE | Nov 29, 2010 |
[quote]Alex Lago wrote:
"Hi
I am also in the EN>ES language pair and have been a Proz member for nearly 2 years and must admit I haven't received a single job through Proz, in fact about 2 months ago I stopped even applying for jobs.
However I would not think of stopping my Proz membership because of all the valuable information I have managed to acquire, the Forums are very helpful, Kudoz is also very good (asking and answering), the Blue Board is a very valuable asset and has helped me a few times, the translation agency directories let me find companies I can send CVs to, I have attended Powwows, etc, etc,. So all in all I think I've receive my money's worth".
I agree wholeheartedly with Alex Lago´s comments. I was also a fulltime member until a few years ago and spent valuable time applying for jobs, to no avail (often not even the courtesy of a reply). But the pow-wows, contacts with other translators out there through the Kudoz site etc , etc provided a lot of light relief and occasionally some valuable information. So I think if one can afford it, one should become a member.
One of the things that strikes me forcefully when looking through colleagues´ profiles (at least in the Spanish/Portuguese/English environment) is the large number of people who claim to translate into a language which is not their mother tongue. Unless they happen to be one of that rare breed of totally bi-cultural and bi-lingual translators I think this is a very dodgy proposition. I would never send a serious text for translation to someone who was not a genuine native speaker in the target language.What do you all think?
[Edited at 2010-11-29 16:53 GMT]
| | | | | doing not so good | Nov 29, 2010 |
Thank you all. Well, I've changed some stuff in my profile and I'm gonna keep bidding, but haven't quite found a single job yet, meaning I just can't depend on this. So right now I'm working as an English teacher, they pay me about $100 a month! here in Mexico. Cheap bastards indeed, if anyone needs help with translations or graphic design, just send me an email.
As you know, I have a BBA. Why am I not working as a BBA?, well I'm also a Gnostic missionary, and due to time commitment... See more Thank you all. Well, I've changed some stuff in my profile and I'm gonna keep bidding, but haven't quite found a single job yet, meaning I just can't depend on this. So right now I'm working as an English teacher, they pay me about $100 a month! here in Mexico. Cheap bastards indeed, if anyone needs help with translations or graphic design, just send me an email.
As you know, I have a BBA. Why am I not working as a BBA?, well I'm also a Gnostic missionary, and due to time commitments I just can't get full-time jobs, that's why the freelance deal was interesting, until I found out how hard it is. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Partner up with colleagues | Nov 30, 2010 |
As others commented here, I don't think ProZ is a proper source for getting clients due to many, many factors. A good option is to partner up with colleagues in your area. More experienced translators with a stable customer base who get large projects usually share them with other translators. Join local translator forums in your area to contact colleagues (ATIMAC, for example). You can meet actual people and participate in training, conferences, etc. Keep us posted. Good luck.
| | | | | PLUS... Use your full name | Nov 30, 2010 |
If I were a client, I wouldn't contact somebody who won't give their full name on a professional portal. Food for thought.
| | |
|
|
|
Neil Coffey
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:19
French to English
+ ...
| Couple of other points | Nov 30, 2010 |
A couple of other things occur to me:
- I confess I had no idea what a "BBA" was until I looked on the Internet. I wonder why you don't just call it a "business degree". I imagine there are some clients for who a "translator with a business degree" is more compelling than a "translator with some funny initials I don't understand". I think you could also make more of the fact that you've worked for real-life businesses-- without going on too much about things that aren't translation-... See more A couple of other things occur to me:
- I confess I had no idea what a "BBA" was until I looked on the Internet. I wonder why you don't just call it a "business degree". I imagine there are some clients for who a "translator with a business degree" is more compelling than a "translator with some funny initials I don't understand". I think you could also make more of the fact that you've worked for real-life businesses-- without going on too much about things that aren't translation-related (see below).
- a problem I see with your CV is that you "bang on" too much about things that are irrelevant to translation. Personally, I would really just say in one sentence something like "X years working full-time in commercial environments, covering areas including X, Y and Z". (For example, is "warehouse supervision" is so vitally relevant to translation...?)
- on similar lines, don't make your CV sound like you're a schoolboy applying for a job at a butcher's shop. Having a special section for "high school" just sounds childish. Delete that section, and maybe mention somewhere that you are "highly proficient in English due to having been brought up in Canada". Although there are parts of rural Mexico where going to high school is a special thing worth mentioning on your CV, you're not trying to market yourself to that type of client...
- your "areas of expertise" is too long. Mention a couple of areas that are truly your specialities and in which there is a genuine market for English>Spanish translations. Don't call something "miscellaneous" if it's a speciality... "Hobbies, art, movies and entertainment" sounds to me like "I like going to the cinema". Unless you actually have provable experience in film production, I'd just delete it. The subject may be close to your heart, but have you ever actually had a decently paid translation job in "spirituality & religion"...?
- don't tell people you know how to use Microsoft Word. That's not a special unique skill...
- don't tell people about skills that are "basic"
- be careful, as a non-native speaker of English, about marketing yourself Spanish>English translator. Many businesses that are going to pay proper money for translations will be looking for native speakers of the target language, and marketing yourself as a translator into your non-native language may mark you as a "non-serious" translator. Businesses prepared to accept non-native speakers of the target language, may well be those that just get random employees to do their translations (however dreadfully) internally and will only outsource if the price is fairly cheap. So you may well hurt your image for not much extra money. ▲ Collapse
| | | | B D Finch
France
Local time: 01:19
French to English
+ ...
| No magic solution | Dec 1, 2010 |
I would agree with everything that Neil writes. I would add that the fact somebody would like to get work as a translator doesn't necessarily mean that they should get job offers and that ProZ is failing if they don't. Likewise, a member could improve their profile in the ways suggested but the areas where it needs improvement may suggest that they have problems with expressing themselves in one or both of their languages. If a potential employer notices that and chooses a profile that demonst... See more I would agree with everything that Neil writes. I would add that the fact somebody would like to get work as a translator doesn't necessarily mean that they should get job offers and that ProZ is failing if they don't. Likewise, a member could improve their profile in the ways suggested but the areas where it needs improvement may suggest that they have problems with expressing themselves in one or both of their languages. If a potential employer notices that and chooses a profile that demonstrates better language skills, that is their prerogative.
A translator has to be a fluent and skilled writer in their target language. Preferably, they should have some specific translation training and professional qualification. Knowing two or more languages well is only the starting point; it does not in itself mean that someone is a good translator. Offering to translate into a language that is not the mother tongue of the would-be translator is something that should deter potential employers, particularly if the profile indicates a less than perfect fluency of expression in that language. If I were looking for a translator to translate English to French and a French mother-tongue candidate sent me a profile written in English and containing some errors and examples of poor use of English, that would not necessarily put me off. However, if they also offered to translate from French to English, then I would not even consider using them because this would demonstrate that they lacked professional judgement with regard to their own abilities.
[Edited at 2010-12-01 08:59 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 16:19
English to German
+ ...
In memoriam | Graphic design? Why didn't you say so? This is excellent! | Dec 1, 2010 |
avillax wrote:
if anyone needs help with translations or graphic design, just send me an email.
Why don't you mention that on your profile page???
Here is how I found my first client:
A few days after I signed up with Proz.com I noticed a job offer. Actually, not a "job" - they were looking for a translator who 1.) is experienced in marketing, especially Direct Marketing, and 2.) was able to provide the translation in its original layout. We were the perfect match. We agreed on a flat fee of USD 300 / piece. I did about 130 pieces of those mailers in the first year. You get the idea.
If you do have any additional skills that are such a beautiful and perfect add-on to translation - advertise them!
I wish you all the best!!
| | | | | Pages in topic: < [1 2] | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Not a single job since I joined PROZ any ideas? | Anycount & Translation Office 3000 | Translation Office 3000
Translation Office 3000 is an advanced accounting tool for freelance translators and small agencies. TO3000 easily and seamlessly integrates with the business life of professional freelance translators.
More info » |
| | Trados Business Manager Lite | Create customer quotes and invoices from within Trados Studio
Trados Business Manager Lite helps to simplify and speed up some of the daily tasks, such as invoicing and reporting, associated with running your freelance translation business.
More info » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
Translation news
