Poll: If you are not interested in a job offered to you by email, what do you do?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Jul 31, 2006

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "If you are not interested in a job offered to you by email, what do you do?".

This poll was originally submitted by Ramona Ali

View the poll here

A forum topic will appear each time a new poll
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "If you are not interested in a job offered to you by email, what do you do?".

This poll was originally submitted by Ramona Ali

View the poll here

A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For more information, see: http://proz.com/topic/33629
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Kevin Fulton
Kevin Fulton  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 01:02
German to English
Depends upon the type of e-mail Jul 31, 2006

If the e-mail is specifically addressed to me, I almost always reply.
However, if it is part of a mass mailing, or if the rate is insultingly low, I don't bother to respond.


 
Reed James
Reed James
Chile
Local time: 02:02
Member (2005)
Spanish to English
Depends on the client and the job Jul 31, 2006

Obviously if the client is a regular and I do not have the time or know-how to complete a particular job, I am going to answer right away explaining why I cannot accept it.

If it is an even slightly suspicious message from someone I have never heard from, I simply ignore it.

Reed


 
Mara Ballarini
Mara Ballarini  Identity Verified
Australia
Local time: 15:02
Member (2006)
English to Italian
+ ...
reply to decline it and refer it to a colleague Jul 31, 2006

reply to decline, in ANY case, and depending on the client, refer it to a colleague who might be interested in it.

 
Patricia Rosas
Patricia Rosas  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 22:02
Spanish to English
+ ...
In memoriam
reply and refer Jul 31, 2006

If the message is a mass mailing, I don't respond, but most offers are addressed to me solely, and I always respond even if I'm not interested.

I also think there's an important pay-off in trying to help the person to find another translator: This potential client is going to remember how helpful you have been and may return later with other projects or may refer others to you. On top of that, your colleague who takes the job will be grateful and may also return the favor in one
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If the message is a mass mailing, I don't respond, but most offers are addressed to me solely, and I always respond even if I'm not interested.

I also think there's an important pay-off in trying to help the person to find another translator: This potential client is going to remember how helpful you have been and may return later with other projects or may refer others to you. On top of that, your colleague who takes the job will be grateful and may also return the favor in one form or another in the future.

The bottom line is that I (almost) always see those messages as an opportunity to keep my name out there among those working in my field of specialization.
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Aurora Humarán (X)
Aurora Humarán (X)  Identity Verified
Argentina
Local time: 02:02
English to Spanish
+ ...
I always reply Jul 31, 2006

Depending on the offer, I just decline it or refer it.

Au

[Editado a las 2006-07-31 16:27]


 
Antonio Barros
Antonio Barros
Brazil
Local time: 02:02
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Availability Jul 31, 2006

If the offer is sent by an usual client, I inform next time I am available.
If the rate is insulting, I inform the outsourcer I do not accept jobs for rates lower than US$0.05 except for charitable purposes.
Greetings from Rio - BR
Antonio


 
Sarah Brenchley
Sarah Brenchley  Identity Verified
Local time: 06:02
Spanish to English
+ ...
Always reply Jul 31, 2006

Either to say yes, no, not available, price too low, etc. but that way everyone knows where they are.

 
Thomas Johansson
Thomas Johansson  Identity Verified
Peru
Local time: 00:02
English to Swedish
+ ...
depends Jul 31, 2006

If it is a regular client I often do it anyway if time permits and if it is one of the language combinations I have decided to concentrate on. Otherwise, I always reply and decline. If it is a rare language combination, I usually try to refer the person or agent in question to an online directory of freelance translators.

 
Dina Abdo
Dina Abdo  Identity Verified
Palestine
Local time: 07:02
Member (2005)
Arabic
+ ...
Reply, explains why and refers! Aug 1, 2006

I'd reply explaining why I decline the job. This should get the client back to me if it's a matter of field or busy timetable, or make the client forget about me ever again if it's a matter of an insulting rate, bad BB or unreasonable terms of cooperation.

In the first case, I'd refer the client to one or some of my colleagues, while I'll be avoiding future time-wasting researches and mail contacts in the second


 
pcovs
pcovs
Denmark
Local time: 06:02
English to Danish
Depends Aug 1, 2006

If it's a mass mailing, I never reply, unless I'm interested

If it's a mail specifically for me, I do my best to answer and decline and/or refer, but sometimes everything is simply going too fast, and job offers from here and there keep rolling in, and then I cannot guarantee that I reply to all. Especially during the summer holidays it's difficult to find time to reply to all, since there are such a vast number of of
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If it's a mass mailing, I never reply, unless I'm interested

If it's a mail specifically for me, I do my best to answer and decline and/or refer, but sometimes everything is simply going too fast, and job offers from here and there keep rolling in, and then I cannot guarantee that I reply to all. Especially during the summer holidays it's difficult to find time to reply to all, since there are such a vast number of offers rolling in every day!

I agree with Patricia that replying and/or refering can be very beneficial to yourself and your colleagues, but if replying means that I don't get any work done during the day, I must admit that my priorities lie with the job at hand.
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Poll: If you are not interested in a job offered to you by email, what do you do?






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