| صفحات الموضوع: < [1 2 3] | Poll: What's the maximum acceptable number of words for a free translation test? ناشر الموضوع: ProZ.com Staff
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Trisha F 
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Local time: 17:32
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| And now I wonder... | Dec 8, 2010 |
Alexander Kondorsky wrote:
Test translation can be as long as it is required for employer to make his choice. The problem is not in the length of test translation but in the existence of swindlers who send out pieces of a project as test translations without any plans of employing anybody. Also I consider to be totally immoral the practice of some translation agencies which required their freelancers to do a test translation for each project. It's like, say, requiring factory workers to take a skill test each Monday to win the right to work until Friday.
I have been tested only twice. The first time I got a very short test translation, it was perhaps less than 50 words long but I was not qualified to do it because I was not familiar with the terminology. Sometimes both the translator and the potential client just need a couple of paragraphs to assess a project, really.
Now, the second test was fairly recent; two or three weeks ago as a matter of fact. I sent my CV to a local employment agency that was looking for an in-house Spanish translator, the company's name was never mentioned. I thought this was a very rare opportunity as in the city where I live there are not many Spanish speakers in general and it is not that common to see in-house positions advertised either.
The morning after I got an e-mail from a recruiter. She had sent me a test and stressed that it was very important that I finished it before 5 pm because the deadline was that evening. The text was not long but it was not that short either, I am not sure about the number of words but it was part of an AutoCAD type of software manual. I am not proficient in AutoCAD but I am not unfamiliar with it either as my sister studied architecture for a while and I also used several design-related software packages when I was in university.
I spent a few hours translating away, very carefully until I got a very good result. I could have finished the test much faster but I spent a long time proofreading it, after all, I wanted to get that job and give the best of impressions. I e-mailed the test before 5pm but did not get a reply. I phoned a few days later but I was told they had already found a translator. The day after my call I got an e-mail from the recruiter confirming this. I suppose she wouldn't have got back to me had I not called anyway. Now that I'm reading this thread I'm starting to wonder if that was a test or part of an actual project.
A week ago my housemate sent me a link to a job advertisement which is suspiciously similar to the position I had applied for. It's another employment agency though but they're looking for a Spanish translator and the software is exactly the same!
| | | | TFaulkner
الولايات المتحدة
Local time: 11:32
عضو (2010)
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| In some situations I would rather translate a test than provide samples of my work... | Dec 8, 2010 |
I find 450 words length tests to be unacceptable, and I would not do it unless it was for a well known company or in case I really wanted one particular job. Nonetheless, in some situations I would rather translate a test, regardless of its length, than provide samples of my work - which I might not be able to do due to NDA(s) I have signed.
My worst experience so far was with an agency that requested samples of my work: they interviewed me, acted as if they were really interested ... See more I find 450 words length tests to be unacceptable, and I would not do it unless it was for a well known company or in case I really wanted one particular job. Nonetheless, in some situations I would rather translate a test, regardless of its length, than provide samples of my work - which I might not be able to do due to NDA(s) I have signed.
My worst experience so far was with an agency that requested samples of my work: they interviewed me, acted as if they were really interested in hiring me, asked me to assess fellow translators' work samples, contacted me nonstop through Skype until "mysteriously disappearing". Not a single "thank you for you time", no reply to my emails, nothing. I would love to report them on the Blue Board, but because I have never "worked" for them, I cannot do it. I surely learned my lesson, and I hope nobody else goes through this.
[Edited at 2010-12-08 20:14 GMT]
[Edited at 2010-12-08 20:16 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | 450 is just ridiculous | Dec 8, 2010 |
but sometimes you get a couple of small tests with different topics. I don't mind that too much if it's to show my skills in different areas. However, I've only done that once or twice.
Editing tests, however, can be much longer...editing is different, you need more than a paragraph!
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I accepted some test translations, and the words were about 250/300, and I have to say most of them got me regular clients.
On the other side I also have to say, that "it may be considered as a waste of time", when you are busy with paid jobs... and a test translation may not get you to any point...
I also had the nice experience of being paid for a test; and also receiving a feedback is important.
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| Who has the time? | Dec 9, 2010 |
MariaSometti wrote:
Thing is, there is no respect towards our time lost on doing these things.
I am usually too pressed for time to do anything more than 100 words, and I only do that when there is a specific job in question; never for a database. I agree: let them Google me!
| | | | | report on blue board | Jan 31, 2011 |
neilmac wrote:
Not any more, ever since I got stung by a a couple of providers who approached me via proz. One of them, who dispùted the amount of words finally delivered after the "sample" became longer and longer, has a very good Blue Board rating so maybe my case was a one-off (I'm afraid I have very little patience when my integrity is called into question). The other putative client was from a country too far away to send the boys round so I put that down to experience also. Twice bitten, thrice shy.
My reaction when asked for these things nowadays tends to be "google me"...
Perhaps you could have report that (at least the first one ) in Blue Board, why not ?!
Thanks
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