Off topic: Experience of proz.com Thread poster: Ayshe Murat
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Ayshe Murat
Türkiye
Local time: 12:43
English to Turkish
Hi, I am new at proz.com as a online translator. I have applied some of posted jobs. But i didn't receive any offer of those jobs. Can you share your experience about getting job offers, how do you persuade the employer and negotiate the job? And, how do you prepare your CV, etc.?
Could you give me idea or share your experience about getting job on proz.com?
Thanks
| | | | | being newbie in Proz.com | Oct 11, 2021 |
Hi Ayshemu.
I'm also new here but regarding the question you asked. You may browse job (anything) that you think you are capable of and try sending email or apply to the person advertised the job. I did that and now I just wait for their reply. Maybe you just have to wait while still applying more jobs. Being active in the forum may be a good idea to get the job. Who knows?
| | | | Paul O'Brien 
Argentina
Local time: 06:43
Member (2007)
Italian to English
+ ...
Hi, what you refer to as the "employer" is basically a moonlighter looking to make a fast buck on your back. Hence high quality at a very low rate. Proz.com is now the platform not for professional translators, but for fly-by-night agencies (or individuals) who want you to accept about 2 cents per word (if you're lucky). Since there are hundreds if not thousands of people from around the world ready to take absolutely anything in order to work, then agencies are even going as low as one cent per... See more Hi, what you refer to as the "employer" is basically a moonlighter looking to make a fast buck on your back. Hence high quality at a very low rate. Proz.com is now the platform not for professional translators, but for fly-by-night agencies (or individuals) who want you to accept about 2 cents per word (if you're lucky). Since there are hundreds if not thousands of people from around the world ready to take absolutely anything in order to work, then agencies are even going as low as one cent per word. They say they want mother tongues, but I know for a fact that they accept anyone, and then try getting a mother tongue to clean up the mess at rock-bottom rates. So, that's why you can't get a job, my friend: you are up against unqualified translators who accept one cent. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:43
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Paul O'Brien wrote:
Hi, what you refer to as the "employer" is basically a moonlighter looking to make a fast buck on your back. Hence high quality at a very low rate. Proz.com is now the platform not for professional translators, but for fly-by-night agencies (or individuals) who want you to accept about 2 cents per word (if you're lucky). Since there are hundreds if not thousands of people from around the world ready to take absolutely anything in order to work, then agencies are even going as low as one cent per word. They say they want mother tongues, but I know for a fact that they accept anyone, and then try getting a mother tongue to clean up the mess at rock-bottom rates. So, that's why you can't get a job, my friend: you are up against unqualified translators who accept one cent.
What Paul says is all true: by its nature an open website like Proz, with a global reach, is bound to attract "the lowest of the low" in large numbers. But that - fortunately -is not the only function of Proz.com. Think of it as you might think of Twitter: it attracts an enormous amount of time-wasting rubbish but if you use it carefully and selectively, it can be a rewarding and useful tool.
In the case of Proz: if you specialise in a particular field, and you make sure to have a really good profile on Proz, over time and with perseverance you may find that occasionally, agencies of quality, and direct clients too, will use the Proz platform to seek out a translator who offers your specific skills. This has been happening to me on a regular basis for some years now. Not every day; not every week; not even every month; but when these enquries come they are specific to me and no-one else, and they almost always lead to a very good business relationship and interesting, well-paid work.
[Edited at 2021-10-11 09:22 GMT]
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Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:43
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Kartini Rahmatillah wrote:
Being active in the forum may be a good idea to get the job. Who knows?
Yes. Agencies read these forums. By reading your posts (on all topics) they can form a picture of what sort of person you are, your attitudes, what you care about, whether or not you are a good translator, etc. If they like you, they'll hire you!
[Edited at 2021-10-11 09:59 GMT]
| | | | Kay Denney
France
Local time: 11:43
French to English
I get the impression that to get a job you need to offer rock-bottom prices. The only times I've got jobs here is when I've quoted pretty low, while also having solid experience in the field.
Oh and the people coming here to find someone to translate a text are in the very vast majority not employers, and we translators are not their employees either. They are clients and we are service providers.
[Edited at 2021-10-11 09:49 GMT]
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 11:43
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
Ayshemu wrote:
I am new at ProZ.com as an online translator. I have applied some of posted jobs. But I didn't receive any offer of those jobs.
Most jobs that ProZ.com users/members get via ProZ.com, are from clients who visited the translators' profile pages after doing a search for translators. So, make your profile page as beautiful as possible. Also, visit the Blue Board and find agencies that you want to work for, and contact them directly (e.g. visit their web site). You are unlikely to get any of the posted jobs (there are simply too many other translators bidding for those jobs).
[1] https://www.proz.com/translator-directory/
[2] https://www.proz.com/blueboard
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These days I rarely quote on jobs because posters are looking for the cheapest translator, which I’m not. I must say though that since 2007 (when I became a Proz member) some of my regulars have come to me via Proz from direct inquiries and that’s how I got my highest-paying customer (a well-known human rights institution).
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