| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3 4 5] > | Agencies that post projects on Proz when you are on their books and they are happy with your work Thread poster: Jon Berger
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Dan Lucas 
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:17
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
| Perhaps the agencies are doing what their clients want? | Feb 12, 2021 |
Jon Berger wrote:
Obviously, the agencies don't care, as long as they can make a quick buck and the staff responsible for the disasters can get out from under to a better paying job somewhere else before the SHHTF.
I suggest that some - most? - end clients don't think they need a great translation and that agencies of the kind you describe cater to such clients. Sometimes good enough is good enough.
Dan
[Edited at 2021-02-12 20:35 GMT]
| | | | Jon Berger
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:17
German to English
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TOPIC STARTER
[Edited at 2021-02-12 22:11 GMT]
| | | | Dan Lucas
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:17
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
| Non-homogeneity | Feb 12, 2021 |
Jon Berger wrote:
In any case, if you are right and quality doesn't matter any more,
I don't think it's that black and white. It's not that quality doesn't matter. It's that, like most markets, translation is segmented, so that the level of quality required varies according to the needs of the customer.
A super-luxury saloon costing £150,000 or more may have the best occupant safety features on the market. It's a simple fact that most people make do with a vehicle costing £30,000 or less. Are such vehicles less safe? Probably, but if the customer doesn't have the money, what else can they do? As they do in any other market, they make a series of compromises, with budget being an important factor. There is a market for luxury vehicles, but it's not very large.
While I may come over as a pop-eyed adherent of market Darwinism, I share many of your frustrations, not least because I don't consider my own current streak of modest success to be immune to change. It's not much fun always to be worrying about where your next order is coming from, I know. Believe me, I know. From my personal experience, all I can say is that (unless you are engaged in the public sector or a highly unionised profession), working as an employee is likely just as precarious. Cold comfort, I'm sure. It's an insecure world, and always has been. It's not going to get any easier.
Dan
| | | | Jon Berger
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:17
German to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
[Edited at 2021-02-12 22:12 GMT]
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| It works both ways | Feb 12, 2021 |
I have seen this occasionally, that an agency I regularly work(ed) for posted a job here that I probably could do for them. It did not worry me much, though. I am free to decline jobs an agency offers me (and I do that often), and the agency is free to choose if they want me or rather someone else. The agency might attempt to get something done for a lower rate that I ask - and I might attempt to find better paid jobs.
One possible reason might be that there are many PMs at the agen... See more I have seen this occasionally, that an agency I regularly work(ed) for posted a job here that I probably could do for them. It did not worry me much, though. I am free to decline jobs an agency offers me (and I do that often), and the agency is free to choose if they want me or rather someone else. The agency might attempt to get something done for a lower rate that I ask - and I might attempt to find better paid jobs.
One possible reason might be that there are many PMs at the agency and only some of them know you and your work, while others do it their own way, for whatever reason. Or they simply want to make sure they have a backup or two in case you are not available. It is always said that a freelance translator should not depend too much on one agency - and this works both ways, too: an agency might want to avoid working with one freelancer only and becoming dependent on him or her.
PM relations are key for the freelance translator. When you worked with a certain PM for a few years, you should be able to assess the relation to this PM, and there should be a PM or two who you simply could ask what is going on, just as a normal question, without any accusing undertones. This will probably help you much more than poring over it in your mind or asking others who are uninvolved.
If you have no such relation to a PM, you still could simply go ahead and offer your services for the newly posted project. At least you can point out your good working history with them. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Poster’s remorse? | Feb 13, 2021 |
Jon, if you do come back at all, I just wanted to say I wish you best of luck with your work and with your health.
I have also felt that frustration and dismay at some of the things previously sound agencies suddenly lower themselves to. But there are still plenty of good fish in the sea. Tight lines!
| | | | Jon Berger
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:17
German to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Thank you for your kind words | Feb 13, 2021 |
In fact, a lot of agencies seem to be fighting for survival and the way they deal with their translators probably reflects that - not that it's really an excuse. In my opinion, the twin pressures of AI and globalisation are making the translation work environment increasingly difficult; and even unviable for many freelancers working in common languages and fields. This trend looks set to continue and, unfortunately, worsen.
[Edited at 2021-02-13 09:02 GMT]
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If they are looking for a certain rate, then it's easier to post here than to write individually to 30 translators. Or they are just crap at their job... 
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Heinrich Pesch
Finland
Local time: 21:17
Member (2003)
Finnish to German
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It's up to them what they do. Recently there was a job offer on proz and I noticed this guy had given me a job for the same kind of work 5 years ago. I sent my quote without mentioning the previous job. But the guy recognised me and wrote that I had done a job for the same end-customer before and was given the job.
I would be offended though if this had happened with a customer I had worked with very recently. This hasn't happened as far as I can remember.
| | | | | Contact the PM | Feb 14, 2021 |
I have occasionally seen ads from some of my regular clients. In two cases that I remember at the moment, I contacted the PMs and immediately won the projects by reminding them of our other work together. I don't really know why they didn't come to me first, but they both seemed very happy when I contacted them about the advertised projects. There was also no attempt to lower my rates.
| | | | | Multiple possibilities | Feb 15, 2021 |
- scouting for new talent
- scouting for cheaper talent
- scouting for new and cheaper talent
- seeking to increase numbers of freelancers on their books
- seeking to increase numbers of freelancers on their books to improve their chances of bidding successfully
- more efficient way of attracting the attention of those who are available (I ignore mailshots from agencies contacting me through ProZ)
| | | | Jon Berger
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:17
German to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
[Edited at 2021-02-15 23:27 GMT]
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| Another possibility | Feb 16, 2021 |
Nikki Scott-Despaigne wrote:
- scouting for new talent
- scouting for cheaper talent
- scouting for new and cheaper talent
- seeking to increase numbers of freelancers on their books
- seeking to increase numbers of freelancers on their books to improve their chances of bidding successfully
- more efficient way of attracting the attention of those who are available (I ignore mailshots from agencies contacting me through ProZ)
Unfortunately, another possibility is that they are late payers so they do not want x translator to have several outstanding invoices so they scout around for new unsuspecting translators if they do not already have a BB entry. Sad but true as it happened to me lately and I decided that was another reason. Why else would they post a job and the choose someone who has already worked for them and been happy with?
| | | | Adieu
Ukrainian to English
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| Generic "rates" | Feb 17, 2021 |
[quote]David GAY wrote:
Jon Berger wrote: If you knew how low my rates are, you would be shocked.
[Edited at 2021-02-12 19:57 GMT] In this case, I think you should mention your rates on your profile. It might be an asset.
....aren't really a thing.
Unless you translate 15 pages of medical or legalese text for the same pricing as 2000 pages of grannies getting focus grouped about appliances.
In which case, you're either getting shafted on the finesse work or never ever getting the easy stuff.
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[quote]Adieu wrote:
David GAY wrote: Jon Berger wrote: If you knew how low my rates are, you would be shocked.
[Edited at 2021-02-12 19:57 GMT] In this case, I think you should mention your rates on your profile. It might be an asset. ....aren't really a thing. Unless you translate 15 pages of medical or legalese text for the same pricing as 2000 pages of grannies getting focus grouped about appliances. In which case, you're either getting shafted on the finesse work or never ever getting the easy stuff.
It seems that the OP is specialized in legal and financial translation and does not translate anything
Anyway when you register in a company's database, they ask for your base rate, which is often the best rate you can offer. You cannot say that the source text is difficult and ask for a specific price for each project. That's why they ask you to register in their database with a base rate. It makes sense because it must be considered as an average rate for all the projects they'll give you. For the sake of convenience, LSPs ask for one rate. They don't ask for a quote for each task if you're their regular provider.
[Modifié le 2021-02-18 00:50 GMT]
[Modifié le 2021-02-18 00:50 GMT]
[Modifié le 2021-02-18 00:53 GMT]
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