| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Translation student's bad experience - advice requested Thread poster: Bianca Jacobsohn
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| I suspect most "pro bono" work is a scam - unless done directly for the NGO in question | Jun 16, 2005 |
I've done work, via agencies, for several humanitarian organisations. It has always been paid fully, at the normal rate.
In other words, all the NGOs I've worked for have fully expected to pay for any outsourced translation work.
Also, I can hardly imagine an NGO asking an agency to manage pro bono work for them. The offer would have to come from the agency, in which case the normal rule on not giving out clients' names would be counterproductive.
... See more I've done work, via agencies, for several humanitarian organisations. It has always been paid fully, at the normal rate.
In other words, all the NGOs I've worked for have fully expected to pay for any outsourced translation work.
Also, I can hardly imagine an NGO asking an agency to manage pro bono work for them. The offer would have to come from the agency, in which case the normal rule on not giving out clients' names would be counterproductive.
So no, I can't see it being anything but a scam.
If you really want to work for free, I think you really should volunteer directly.
gad wrote:
I would say that it was not necessary for you to ask TWICE for the name of the company. It probably wasn't necessary for you to even ask at all. However, I would certainly agree that the reaction was rathere harsh. There's nothing you can do now but try to learn from it, meaning that first of all, there is no reason for you to ask the name of the client, especially since if you do then you might run into someone who unfortunately turns unprofessional and nasty.;)
This is, of course, the general, primary, essential and golden rule of working with agencies.
It's none of your business, and actually you don't WANT to know who the client is because if you know, you might find your hands tied (ethically, if not legally) if you want to work for them directly later.
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| | | | | You do want to know the name of the NGO and rightly so | Jun 28, 2005 |
I would say that it was not necessary for you to ask TWICE for the name of the company. It probably wasn't necessary for you to even ask at all. ------------
This is, of course, the general, primary, essential and golden rule of working with agencies.
It's none of your business, and actually you don't WANT to know who the client is because if you know, you might find your hands tied (ethically, if not legally) if you want to work for them directly later.
Why not ask for the name of the end client?
I think that if you do a FREE translation you have every right in the world to know who the translation is for.
Secondly, most of the (paid) translations I do for agencies are for well-known end clients. Of course the text mentions their name (in a license agreement or a technical manual for instance). I often check their websites for terminology. If a translation agency contacts me they tell me: "we have a manual to be translated on this and that for company soandso." Then I know what to expect! And of course I am bound by contract not to contact them directly, nor would a multinational company be interested to work directly with just one freelancer.
But that is not the point - I do not see what is wrong about knowing who the end client is!
Anjo
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