| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | How to land that first "job" on Proz Thread poster: FoundInTrans
|
|---|
FoundInTrans
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:01
German to English
+ ...
Hi,
I've been a member for one week but I'm not getting much luck yet with any work despite having replied to more than a dozen assignments. I'm an experienced linguist and I'm a member of the Chartered Institute Of Linguists and have worked as a translator before but my experience level as far as ProZ is concerned is zero since I have no feedback.
One agency replied from a far off land, gave me a contract at very low rates but I was happy to do it to land my first job ... See more Hi,
I've been a member for one week but I'm not getting much luck yet with any work despite having replied to more than a dozen assignments. I'm an experienced linguist and I'm a member of the Chartered Institute Of Linguists and have worked as a translator before but my experience level as far as ProZ is concerned is zero since I have no feedback.
One agency replied from a far off land, gave me a contract at very low rates but I was happy to do it to land my first job but once I'd signed the contract they vanished. That's the closest I've got so far.
Can someone offer me any advice without treading on anyone's toes ? I work in the language pairs French/English, German/English so maybe replies outside of those language pairs would be preferable so I would not be in direct competition with any respondent.
What am I missing ?
Many Thanks,
Patrick ▲ Collapse
| | | | J.M. Hernegren 
Sweden
Local time: 04:01
Member (2012)
English to Swedish
+ ...
| Proofreading etc | Nov 8, 2012 |
Hi Patrick,
If getting some feedback is your priority now when you're starting off here on proz, you can look for a few proofreading jobs. The competition for those kind of jobs are usually much lower, and it might not be what you want to do, but you may still get some WWA (if the outsourcer is a nice chap). Otherwise, I think you should continue with answering to as many jobs you see. You are much more qualified than I was when I started here, and I still managed to find some rando... See more Hi Patrick,
If getting some feedback is your priority now when you're starting off here on proz, you can look for a few proofreading jobs. The competition for those kind of jobs are usually much lower, and it might not be what you want to do, but you may still get some WWA (if the outsourcer is a nice chap). Otherwise, I think you should continue with answering to as many jobs you see. You are much more qualified than I was when I started here, and I still managed to find some random small jobs, often from outsourcers with an LWA lower than average, because many of the more experienced translators probably stayed away from them. I didn't get alot of money, but I did get some WWA, which was what I mainly wanted at that point. Also look out for jobs with short deadlines, and answer them quickly.
On the other hand, you may just have had some bad luck up to this point, since I see alot of experienced and qualified translators, such as yourself, not even showing their WWA.
Best of luck,
Martin ▲ Collapse
| | | | Nikita Kobrin
Lithuania
Local time: 05:01
Member (2010)
English to Russian
+ ...
PatrickMcManus wrote:
I've been a member for one week but I'm not getting much luck yet with any work despite having replied to more than a dozen assignments. {...}
What am I missing ?
What is the most noticeable: patience. 
| | | | FoundInTrans
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:01
German to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thank you Martin that's helpful advice.
Patrick
| | |
|
|
|
| SEO and luck! | Nov 8, 2012 |
Hi Patrick, and welcome to the forums!
If you have not already done so, try looking at the webinars here - like meeting clients and expanding your business on Proz.com. (Maria Kopnitzky and Lucia Leszinsky)
http://www.proz.com/translator-training/format/webinar-presentations
Expand your profile in any way you can - have you any ho... See more Hi Patrick, and welcome to the forums!
If you have not already done so, try looking at the webinars here - like meeting clients and expanding your business on Proz.com. (Maria Kopnitzky and Lucia Leszinsky)
http://www.proz.com/translator-training/format/webinar-presentations
Expand your profile in any way you can - have you any hobbies you are passionate about and can talk about in all your languages?
Many hobbies are also lucrative international business and need translators! Add them and read up on them.
Get some WWAs - some outsourcers look for freelancers with a minimum number of WWAs. People need not add comments, but it looks better, of course, if they do say something positive as well.
Make sure you have checked and added as many working areas as you can. Jobs are not always highly specialised, and you can take on work 'for the general reader' in many subject areas if you have time to read up a bit and conscientiously look up the terminology as you go.
It is better to be offered the job and say sorry, it's beyond my scope, than miss out on a job you could do.
In my experience that does not frighten clients away - they respect you for not taking on more than you can cope with.
Join in debates here and make yourself visible - not at any price, but with well-considered points that people will remember.
They will remember idiotic remarks too, and contributions hang on the Internet indefinitely, so they can be googled for better or worse!
Add keywords at the bottom of your profile - reports, the types of texts you translate, anything relevant, because those are picked up in searches.
Best of luck!
[Edited at 2012-11-08 10:12 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | |
Hello Patrick!
I'm also quite new on Proz.com and from my little experience I can say that it's difficult to get a job responding to posted jobs as there are too many applicants.
But there are other clients who search for translators via their profiles.
I have already got my first job from translation agency which contacted me directly (after 1,5 month of being the member of Proz). But I don't know yet if it will be a successful collaboration for both parts... See more Hello Patrick!
I'm also quite new on Proz.com and from my little experience I can say that it's difficult to get a job responding to posted jobs as there are too many applicants.
But there are other clients who search for translators via their profiles.
I have already got my first job from translation agency which contacted me directly (after 1,5 month of being the member of Proz). But I don't know yet if it will be a successful collaboration for both parts.
So make your profile visible, continue to apply for posted jobs and wait.
Good luck to you,
Jelena ▲ Collapse
| | | | | "Geduld, Geduld... er kommt!" | Nov 8, 2012 |
But enough about Adolf Hitler.
I too have only recently started applying for work on ProZ, as a result of losing a major client through (his) financial problems. "Lucky" first week, getting the first three jobs I applied for, since then a couple of small follow-up jobs but no more "hits".
I'm currently trying to build up a bit more credibility by getting a few KudoZ points, trying to participate in the site a bit more etc.
You have already had the best advice: Be... See more But enough about Adolf Hitler.
I too have only recently started applying for work on ProZ, as a result of losing a major client through (his) financial problems. "Lucky" first week, getting the first three jobs I applied for, since then a couple of small follow-up jobs but no more "hits".
I'm currently trying to build up a bit more credibility by getting a few KudoZ points, trying to participate in the site a bit more etc.
You have already had the best advice: Be patient and keep at it - the results will come!
Best wishes,
Steve ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tony M
France
Local time: 04:01
Member
French to English
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER
I think you are perhaps being a little optimistic to imagine that work is going to fall into your lap after just one week, Patrick!
It took me over 3 years to get established (albeit a long while ago now, before the ProZ network was this big!) — and in all the time I have been a member, I have rarely if ever obtained work directly through the jobs posting system.
Most of the work and customers I have obtained have come through other translators, passing on work or sub... See more I think you are perhaps being a little optimistic to imagine that work is going to fall into your lap after just one week, Patrick!
It took me over 3 years to get established (albeit a long while ago now, before the ProZ network was this big!) — and in all the time I have been a member, I have rarely if ever obtained work directly through the jobs posting system.
Most of the work and customers I have obtained have come through other translators, passing on work or subject areas they couldn't / didn't want to handle, and entirely as a result of the networking I do on KudoZ.
I have had a great deal of positive feedback concerning my KudoZ participations, and to me, this evidence of my contributing to the community at large has been the single biggest factor that has helped me get work over the last 10 years or so. Not only do other translators see my contributions, and can therefore judge from them my aptitudes (or not!) in certain fields; but also, do not labour under any delusions, many translation outsourcers keep their finger on the pulse of KudoZ, and on more than one occasion I have been solicited directly by agencies on the strength of that. But do be careful, it's a double-edged sword, and agencies do also use the quality of people's KudoZ contributions to 'weed them out' as well
I too started off accepting low-paid work just to earn something better than nothing; but I soon stopped that game, as I realized I was shooting myself in the foot.
For one thing, people who are prepared to work for unfairly low rates are doing a disservice to the industry as a whole, undercutting others, and putting downard pressure on rates overall.
Secondly, associating myself with these 'bargain basement' jobs (and/or agencies) is bad for my reputation!
Thirdly, my own self-esteem suffers — and I believe it's importnat not to overlook many psychological / emotional aspects in our often solitary existence as freelancers.
I would suggest signing up with as many (carefully-picked) agencies as you can, if they have some sort of 'registration form', now you have the time to fill it in! Look for the number of translation sort of 'co-operatives' that exist; I belong to BeTranslated, and have found it immensely valuable.
Also, as someone else has suggested, sometimes proofing is a good way of getting "a foot in the door" — paradoxically, this vitally important final quality control 'safety net' seems to be perceived by many agencies as relatively uimportant, something they are prepared to entrust to a beginner! be that as it may, since it generally attracts lower rates (again, a short-sighted economy IMHO), perhaps they feel it is a lower risk investment; as a matter of principle, having got wise to the ploy whereby translation agencies use dirt cheap 3rd world translators then get me to 'correct' (i.e. in fact re-translate) it cheaply, such that the two rates amount to less than my proper translation rate to start with, I do not generally accept proof-reading work alone unless agencies also give me some translation work (a bit like not using the tumble-dryers in a launderette if yoiu aren't using the washing-machines!) However, when starting out, I did find that offering to tackle some proof-reading work as a way for us to "get to know each other" certainly paid dividends.
On the subject of rates, I have found a psychological technique that has helped me no end. Instead of grovelling on hands and knees "Yes, please, gi' 's a job at any rate, however low!", I state from the outset that my rate is X (= self-esteem); but that I am prepared to offer an 'introductory discount' of Y% in order to establish a business relationship with you as a new customer.
No doubt everyone sees through this, but it does have two important effects:
1) It is good for my own pride, not undervaluing my work (after all, if I myself undervalue it, how can I expect the customer to do otherwise?)
2) It establishes immediately what my proper rate should be; not only does this make the customer feel they are 'special' and 'getting a good deal', but more importantly, it makes it much easier to impose my rate later on. Having once started out a relationship at one rate, it is a really uphill sturggle to try and increase it later. In the same way, a 'settlement discount' can be a way of offering a reduced rate, as long as payment is prompt; this can be useful in a number of ways. I actually had one customer who beat me down on my normal rate, so I agreed to a settlement discount; but they paid late, and hence at the end of the day ended up paying my 'proper' rate after all. If that isn't silly, I don't know what is!
[Edited at 2012-11-08 12:15 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | |
|
|
|
| Most work comes through the directory and direct profile contact | Nov 8, 2012 |
Hi Patrick,
Thank you for investing in ProZ.com membership. Let me see if I can add anything to the good advice given here so far.
Bear in mind that most of the client contact that happens on the site does not happen via posted jobs, but rather through directory searches and direct profile contact. This is the kind of contact where the potential clients come to you. Membership and a strong profile are the main keys to that. Membership will give you visibility, but you h... See more Hi Patrick,
Thank you for investing in ProZ.com membership. Let me see if I can add anything to the good advice given here so far.
Bear in mind that most of the client contact that happens on the site does not happen via posted jobs, but rather through directory searches and direct profile contact. This is the kind of contact where the potential clients come to you. Membership and a strong profile are the main keys to that. Membership will give you visibility, but you have to make sure you are showing what you have to offer with that visibility. There is a link at the top of your profile to "Force visitor view", which will show you what a visitor to your profile will see. Why would a client contact you? Why are you the right person for a given project in your area(s) of specialization? are good questions to ask when you are looking at that visitor view.
Ways of improving your profile and your online presence in general, along with some other "winning strategies" can be found in the site guidance center, which is under the "About" menu tab or at this link: http://www.proz.com/guidance-center
You may also find some useful information in this year's State of the industry report for freelance translators. You'll find this under the "Education" menu tab, at "Translation industry reports".
With the issue of feedback, note that you can request and receive WWA entries and Project History feedback from clients regardless of whether the contact was made here on ProZ.com.
Good luck!
Jared ▲ Collapse
| | | | Recep Kurt
Türkiye
Local time: 05:01
Member (2011)
English to Turkish
+ ...
Hello Patrick,
Don't worry about not getting any of the jobs posted here;
I have been a member for a year and a half and I got one or two bids awarded to me so far.
The outsourcers will find you, don't worry.
I see you have posted a link to your website- would advise you to take care of the "under construction" signs there and "beef up" both your ProZ profile and your site with info about your background/experience.
I am sure suitable outsources will contact ... See more Hello Patrick,
Don't worry about not getting any of the jobs posted here;
I have been a member for a year and a half and I got one or two bids awarded to me so far.
The outsourcers will find you, don't worry.
I see you have posted a link to your website- would advise you to take care of the "under construction" signs there and "beef up" both your ProZ profile and your site with info about your background/experience.
I am sure suitable outsources will contact you, just give it some time... ▲ Collapse
| | | | FoundInTrans
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:01
German to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Thank you everybody | Nov 8, 2012 |
for your kind advice.
Patrick
| | | | | Marketing, marketing, marketing | Nov 8, 2012 |
Hi Patrick,
Welcome to Proz. Without knowing how you word your bids, the first piece of advice that I would however give you, is to never underestimate the importance of marketing yourself and your skills. We sometimes tend to be modest when it comes to talking positively about ourselves, but there is nothing wrong with being forthright and confident about what you have to offer.
In your reply line to outsourcers, make sure that you are more visible than the other 20 bi... See more Hi Patrick,
Welcome to Proz. Without knowing how you word your bids, the first piece of advice that I would however give you, is to never underestimate the importance of marketing yourself and your skills. We sometimes tend to be modest when it comes to talking positively about ourselves, but there is nothing wrong with being forthright and confident about what you have to offer.
In your reply line to outsourcers, make sure that you are more visible than the other 20 bidders at first glance. Pitch your skills, expertise and abilities with confidence - a subject line that reads "NATIVE English speaking translator with 20 years TECHNICAL experience and XYZ CERTIFICATION" will grab my and certainly other people's attention over one which reads "Application" or something of that nature. Follow that up with an excellent cover letter stating why you are THE person for the assignment in question. Attach a testimonial or two which you have been able to successfully sollicit from a couple of your satisfied customers. This adds to credibility.
Despite being pretty new to Proz myself, my experience with the response rate is quite different. At the beginning I did get most of my assignments by bidding on projects posted here. After you have built up a steady clientelle, the need for responding to post will no longer be as great, but at the beginning is in fact your best bet.
Bear in mind that the profession we are in is a feast and famine one. The fact that one receives 0% feedback in one week is no reason to dismay, because the following week could be the 100% feedback week. Keep at it and consistently think of strategies to improve your chances of attracting the desired attention; many such strategies have already been mentioned here.
Lastly, I would recommend that low rates never be used as a selling point. Just be reasonable with your expectation and worthwhile customers will know how to appreciate this.
Best of luck - Kopf hoch! ▲ Collapse
| | |
|
|
|
Jeff Whittaker
United States
Local time: 22:01
Spanish to English
+ ...
Haven't got one in 12 years (rates too low, always rush, bad payment history, etc.)!
Lots of contacts from my profile though.
PatrickMcManus wrote:
I've been a member for one week but I'm not getting much luck yet with any work despite having replied to more than a dozen assignments.
Patrick
[Edited at 2012-11-08 16:24 GMT]
| | | |
Wonderful reply; real, actual, factual, true, and effective!
Thank you Tony for telling how really things are in order to start in ProZ.com in a proper way (down to earth) and not to dream with too much hope, but with the "right" amount of hope based on reality.
Useful debate, thank you all!
Tony M wrote: I think you are perhaps being a little optimistic to imagine that work is going to fall into your lap after just one week, Patrick! It took me over 3 years to get established (albeit a long while ago now, before the ProZ network was this big!) — and in all the time I have been a member, I have rarely if ever obtained work directly through the jobs posting system. Most of the work and customers I have obtained have come through other translators, passing on work or subject areas they couldn't / didn't want to handle, and entirely as a result of the networking I do on KudoZ. I have had a great deal of positive feedback concerning my KudoZ participations, and to me, this evidence of my contributing to the community at large has been the single biggest factor that has helped me get work over the last 10 years or so. Not only do other translators see my contributions, and can therefore judge from them my aptitudes (or not!) in certain fields; but also, do not labour under any delusions, many translation outsourcers keep their finger on the pulse of KudoZ, and on more than one occasion I have been solicited directly by agencies on the strength of that. But do be careful, it's a double-edged sword, and agencies do also use the quality of people's KudoZ contributions to 'weed them out' as well I too started off accepting low-paid work just to earn something better than nothing; but I soon stopped that game, as I realized I was shooting myself in the foot. For one thing, people who are prepared to work for unfairly low rates are doing a disservice to the industry as a whole, undercutting others, and putting downard pressure on rates overall. Secondly, associating myself with these 'bargain basement' jobs (and/or agencies) is bad for my reputation! Thirdly, my own self-esteem suffers — and I believe it's importnat not to overlook many psychological / emotional aspects in our often solitary existence as freelancers. I would suggest signing up with as many (carefully-picked) agencies as you can, if they have some sort of 'registration form', now you have the time to fill it in! Look for the number of translation sort of 'co-operatives' that exist; I belong to BeTranslated, and have found it immensely valuable. Also, as someone else has suggested, sometimes proofing is a good way of getting "a foot in the door" — paradoxically, this vitally important final quality control 'safety net' seems to be perceived by many agencies as relatively uimportant, something they are prepared to entrust to a beginner! be that as it may, since it generally attracts lower rates (again, a short-sighted economy IMHO), perhaps they feel it is a lower risk investment; as a matter of principle, having got wise to the ploy whereby translation agencies use dirt cheap 3rd world translators then get me to 'correct' (i.e. in fact re-translate) it cheaply, such that the two rates amount to less than my proper translation rate to start with, I do not generally accept proof-reading work alone unless agencies also give me some translation work (a bit like not using the tumble-dryers in a launderette if yoiu aren't using the washing-machines!) However, when starting out, I did find that offering to tackle some proof-reading work as a way for us to "get to know each other" certainly paid dividends. On the subject of rates, I have found a psychological technique that has helped me no end. Instead of grovelling on hands and knees "Yes, please, gi' 's a job at any rate, however low!", I state from the outset that my rate is X (= self-esteem); but that I am prepared to offer an 'introductory discount' of Y% in order to establish a business relationship with you as a new customer. No doubt everyone sees through this, but it does have two important effects: 1) It is good for my own pride, not undervaluing my work (after all, if I myself undervalue it, how can I expect the customer to do otherwise?) 2) It establishes immediately what my proper rate should be; not only does this make the customer feel they are 'special' and 'getting a good deal', but more importantly, it makes it much easier to impose my rate later on. Having once started out a relationship at one rate, it is a really uphill sturggle to try and increase it later. In the same way, a 'settlement discount' can be a way of offering a reduced rate, as long as payment is prompt; this can be useful in a number of ways. I actually had one customer who beat me down on my normal rate, so I agreed to a settlement discount; but they paid late, and hence at the end of the day ended up paying my 'proper' rate after all. If that isn't silly, I don't know what is! [Edited at 2012-11-08 12:15 GMT]
| | | | | Only a matter of time... | Nov 10, 2012 |
PatrickMcManus wrote:
Hi,
I've been a member for one week but I'm not getting much luck yet with any work despite having replied to more than a dozen assignments.
Patrick
Wow, a whole week! 
In a nutshell and off the cuff, I'd advise:
- Don't apply for jobs posted on the site. Don't even read them. That's not where real translators want to go.
- Show your expertise in the Kudoz arena by asking and answering Qs and by communicating with others - then the jobs will find you!
(but it'll take more than a week!)
In Kudoz, contributors so openly show their strengths and weaknesses, qualify and disqualify themselves, often unknowingly. Some outsourcers familiar with Kudoz know how to find good people (whether they're paying members or not, or have a silly P badge).
Cilian (one outsourcer of many)
| | | | | Pages in topic: [1 2] > | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » How to land that first "job" on Proz | TM-Town | Manage your TMs and Terms ... and boost your translation business
Are you ready for something fresh in the industry? TM-Town is a unique new site for you -- the freelance translator -- to store, manage and share translation memories (TMs) and glossaries...and potentially meet new clients on the basis of your prior work.
More info » |
| | Trados Business Manager Lite | Create customer quotes and invoices from within Trados Studio
Trados Business Manager Lite helps to simplify and speed up some of the daily tasks, such as invoicing and reporting, associated with running your freelance translation business.
More info » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
