Poll: Does your ProZ.com profile accurately represent you as a professional? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Does your ProZ.com profile accurately represent you as a professional?".
View the poll results »
| | | | Suzan Hamer 
Netherlands
Local time: 16:53
English
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| I certainly hope so. | May 11, 2010 |
I've put a lot of time and thought into it. It evolved over time and now I'm happy with it. As others have recommended doing in other forums, I have used my profile as a website. I have a link to it in my email signature and the address is on my business card.
I've also used my profile for what I've heard others refer to as "client education". Like many other ProZians, it really annoys me to be asked to "proofread" a text (and to be offered proofreading rates) when it really needs e... See more I've put a lot of time and thought into it. It evolved over time and now I'm happy with it. As others have recommended doing in other forums, I have used my profile as a website. I have a link to it in my email signature and the address is on my business card.
I've also used my profile for what I've heard others refer to as "client education". Like many other ProZians, it really annoys me to be asked to "proofread" a text (and to be offered proofreading rates) when it really needs editing or even rewriting. So on my profile, I've explained the difference between proofreading and editing, and the different types of editing.
I've also placed my (ever-growing) collection of favorite quotations on my personal page.
Of course, if anybody has any comments or suggestions, I'd be happy to hear them.
[Edited at 2010-05-11 10:12 GMT]
[Edited at 2010-05-11 11:38 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | IreneP
Greece
Local time: 17:53
English to Greek
| Too much time | May 11, 2010 |
I too put a lot of time working on my profile.
I think it's OK now.
| | | | Simon Bruni
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:53
Member (2009)
Spanish to English
| Clarity and immediacy | May 11, 2010 |
Suzan Hamer wrote:
Of course, if anybody has any comments or suggestions, I'd be happy to hear them.
Too much information in my view, Suzan. Clarity and immediacy are what it's about if you ask me. Outsourcers must trawl through a large volume of profiles, CVs etc. I'm sure they will probably want quick one-or-two-glance access to the information they need in order to make a quick decision. This is just my personal opinion; I don't actually have much outsourcing experience!
I've tried to get around this with some bullet points at the top of the About Me section outlining my main attributes so outsourcers can then decide whether they want to read further or not, rather than having to wade through large amounts of text to find what they're after.
Perhaps some outsourcing Prozians can offer some better-qualified input...
[Edited at 2010-05-11 14:34 GMT]
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neilmac
Spain
Local time: 16:53
Spanish to English
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It limits my scope. I had to narrow down the number of fields I have worked/am willing to work in.
I find the "specialization" options too restrictive, and often find myself precluded from applying for jobs advertised that I feel quite capable of taking on, simply because I have not cited a specific thematic area in my profile.
If you google me you will see pages of published works that I have collaborated on. Most of these are in animal science and fertilization tech... See more It limits my scope. I had to narrow down the number of fields I have worked/am willing to work in.
I find the "specialization" options too restrictive, and often find myself precluded from applying for jobs advertised that I feel quite capable of taking on, simply because I have not cited a specific thematic area in my profile.
If you google me you will see pages of published works that I have collaborated on. Most of these are in animal science and fertilization techniques. However, I also do work in several other areas (EDI, legal, technical, medical, pharma, forestry, engineering marketing, ... etc) and my clients are happy with the results. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Suzan Hamer
Netherlands
Local time: 16:53
English
+ ...
| Thanks, Simon. | May 11, 2010 |
Simon Bruni wrote: Suzan Hamer wrote:
Of course, if anybody has any comments or suggestions, I'd be happy to hear them. Too much information in my view, Suzan. Clarity and immediacy are what it's about if you ask me. Outsourcers must trawl through a large volume of profiles, CVs etc. I'm sure they will probably want quick one-or-two-glance access to the information they need in order to make a quick decision. This is just my personal opinion; I don't actually have much outsourcing experience!
You may be right.
I thought about that, so I explained what I do right away in the second paragraph. I figure if anyone's interested in the proofreading / editing stuff they can read further. If not, they don't have to. All outsourcers need to do is read the first bit and perhaps check out my CV on the CV tab.
Maybe I'll have alternate profiles, one short and sweet, and this one, and alternate between them... Or perhaps I'll change the first bit. Using your bullet approach. Apparently something's working though, because I've gotten quite a bit of work through this profile.
Thanks for taking the time to comment, Simon.
| | | | Theo Bernards (X)
France
Local time: 16:53
English to Dutch
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| As accurately as could be achieved in a reasonable time span | May 11, 2010 |
ProZ.com Staff wrote: This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Does your ProZ.com profile accurately represent you as a professional?". View the poll results »
As accurately as could be achieved in a reasonable time span, is my answer. Once in a while I revisit and amend my profiles on various websites, but that is about it because I prefer to spend my time either translating or actively getting orders. Seems much more beneficial to me than filling my profile, which is a more passive marketing instrument. As soon as the credo "Good things come to those who sit and wait" becomes the norm I will start spending more time on perfecting profiles.
[Edited at 2010-05-11 18:23 GMT]
| | | | Laureana Pavon
Uruguay
Local time: 11:53
Member (2007)
English to Spanish
+ ...
MODERATOR | Disagree completely | May 11, 2010 |
Theo Bernards wrote:
As soon as the credo "Good things come to those who sit and wait" becomes the norm I will start spending more time on perfecting profiles.
This statement is completely at odds with my personal experience.
I've been a full time freelance translator since 1992, way back when the Internet didn't even exist, and I'm not a "wait and see" type of person. I have all sorts of clients, both locally and abroad, who I initially contacted through more "active" marketing strategies.
That said, I also have many excellent clients that have contacted me both through my profile and my website, two things into which I've put much thought. In fact, I now find that my two main sources of new clients are referrals from happy customers and my ProZ profile and personal website.
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| Suzan, it's fine! | May 12, 2010 |
It reflects who you are, and that's what the whole exercise is about. People accuse me of being wordy, but I put a lot of thought into what I say and I want it out there.
Also, I greatly appreciate your crusade to clear up the misunderstanding about proofreading.
| | | | | Both my Proz profile and my website need more work | May 12, 2010 |
I'd like to spend more time on both of them--and I hope to do so.
| | | | Suzan Hamer
Netherlands
Local time: 16:53
English
+ ...
Muriel Vasconcellos wrote:
It reflects who you are, and that's what the whole exercise is about. People accuse me of being wordy, but I put a lot of thought into what I say and I want it out there.
Also, I greatly appreciate your crusade to clear up the misunderstanding about proofreading.
very much, Muriel. (I wouldn't call it a crusade . . . merely an attempt.)
| | | | | I believe it does. But... | May 14, 2010 |
neilmac wrote:
It limits my scope. I had to narrow down the number of fields I have worked/am willing to work in.
I find the "specialization" options too restrictive, and often find myself precluded from applying for jobs advertised that I feel quite capable of taking on, simply because I have not cited a specific thematic area in my profile.
If you google me you will see pages of published works that I have collaborated on. Most of these are in animal science and fertilization techniques. However, I also do work in several other areas (EDI, legal, technical, medical, pharma, forestry, engineering marketing, ... etc) and my clients are happy with the results.
It did take a lot of time to complete, and occasionally I go back and retouch, add, streamline, etc. I am quite satisfied that it reflects fairly well my professional image. However, I have to side with Neilmac, because I very often work outside of my fields of expertise, or specialization if you will, and if I dare to quote on some such job post, the qualification info comes out blatantly in red "none matching job" - and I rather suspect that this will put off the prospective outsourcer very quickly.
But all in all, I consider my profile page to be a nice, convenient marketing tool.
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