If I buy plantinum membership, could I get jobs? Thread poster: Issac
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Dear friends, as i am a new Chinese entrant to Proz.com, I don't know whether should I believe the website and pay for the membership. Could I get the job profitable enough to justify my membership fee? Or, in another word, How could I be convinced of the fairness of Proz.com's operation? Do they play fair game?
Thank you for your tips.
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Ralf Lemster 
Germany
Local time: 16:23
English to German
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| Not a matter of a single job, but certainly fair play | Nov 27, 2005 |
Hi Issac,
Welcome to ProZ.com.
Dear friends, as i am a new Chinese entrant to Proz.com, I don't know whether should I believe the website and pay for the membership. Could I get the job profitable enough to justify my membership fee?
It's probably unlikely that you will recoup the membership fee with a single job - although that's possible, of course. Numerous members who have gone Platinum are happy about their investment, though. Don't just think of it in terms of 'catching a job', though: you're investing in a site that holds much more than that.
Or, in another word, How could I be convinced of the fairness of Proz.com's operation? Do they play fair game?
As far as I'm concerned, definitely yes. You may want to check the message by Henry Dotterer, founder of ProZ.com.
Best regards,
Ralf
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Susy Ordaz
Local time: 15:23
Portuguese to English
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| It´s the risk you might want to take. | Nov 27, 2005 |
I too am a new member to this site. I have found this site to be one of the best sites for professional translators. However you ask a very pertinent question to which there is no specific answer. You might just obtain clients that will reference you on more than one job so that would be beneficial and I´m guessing that there is a high need for Chinese translators. In my case I don´t have the need to go Platinum because of my workload but it might be a VERY positive thing for you.
Good l... See more I too am a new member to this site. I have found this site to be one of the best sites for professional translators. However you ask a very pertinent question to which there is no specific answer. You might just obtain clients that will reference you on more than one job so that would be beneficial and I´m guessing that there is a high need for Chinese translators. In my case I don´t have the need to go Platinum because of my workload but it might be a VERY positive thing for you.
Good luck and welcome!
Issac wrote:
Dear friends, as i am a new Chinese entrant to Proz.com, I don't know whether should I believe the website and pay for the membership. Could I get the job profitable enough to justify my membership fee? Or, in another word, How could I be convinced of the fairness of Proz.com's operation? Do they play fair game?
Thank you for your tips. ▲ Collapse
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| Eighty-six percent report return on investment | Nov 27, 2005 |
From responses to surveys:
- 86% of members report earning a return on their platinum investment
- The average platinum member meets a client once every three months. This is four times the rate of non-platinums.
I recommend you ask a platinum member and then give it a try.
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Chinoise
Local time: 11:23
English to Chinese
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Dear Issac, as a long-time platinum member, I can reassure you that you will get many more jobs than expected by going platinum and answering KudoZ questions.
Issac wrote:
Dear friends, as i am a new Chinese entrant to Proz.com, I don't know whether should I believe the website and pay for the membership. Could I get the job profitable enough to justify my membership fee? Or, in another word, How could I be convinced of the fairness of Proz.com's operation? Do they play fair game?
Thank you for your tips.
[Edited at 2005-11-27 23:30]
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Hipyan Nopri
Indonesia
Local time: 21:23
Member (2005)
English to Indonesian
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| Certainly, yes. | Nov 28, 2005 |
Dear Isaac, actually your question is much the same as that on my mind when I first visited the site.
I posted my profile at Proz.com in June 2005, sought for various information on the rule of the game, and then decided to go platinum in September. Of course, this information finding is quite expensive in the context of Indonesia and China alike, but it should be noted that 'profit demands sacrifice.'
When I was non-paying member, I had no job from both national and international ... See more Dear Isaac, actually your question is much the same as that on my mind when I first visited the site.
I posted my profile at Proz.com in June 2005, sought for various information on the rule of the game, and then decided to go platinum in September. Of course, this information finding is quite expensive in the context of Indonesia and China alike, but it should be noted that 'profit demands sacrifice.'
When I was non-paying member, I had no job from both national and international clients. After going platinum, I am receiving many inquiries and get several international and national jobs. The first two national projects have recovered my Platinum fee. The trend is quite pleasant.
[Edited at 2005-11-30 08:39] ▲ Collapse
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| No - you cannot buy jobs | Nov 28, 2005 |
It needs more than buying a Platinum membership to get jobs.
1 You should fill in your profile.
Givin the outsourcer some information about you will improve your chances to get a job.
2 Participate in the Kudoz section.
This will allow you to move up in the Proz-Kudoz hierarchy and you will be more visible to potential customers.
Beeing a Platinum member helps, but I doubt it that it will make a difference if the above mentioned contributions ar... See more It needs more than buying a Platinum membership to get jobs.
1 You should fill in your profile.
Givin the outsourcer some information about you will improve your chances to get a job.
2 Participate in the Kudoz section.
This will allow you to move up in the Proz-Kudoz hierarchy and you will be more visible to potential customers.
Beeing a Platinum member helps, but I doubt it that it will make a difference if the above mentioned contributions are missing. ▲ Collapse
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| Don't pay for jobs, pay for marketing! | Nov 28, 2005 |
This is a question we all asked ourselves when we were new to ProZ. Since I've been platinum, I squeezed some pretty nice things out of my platinum membership.
Yes, it is true, platinum will improve your chances of finding clients. When I became platinum, I suddenly got literally showered with work. I just could not believe it. It really gave a nice boost to my career.
However, it is not enough to just go platinum, and, on the other hand, as others said before me, plati... See more This is a question we all asked ourselves when we were new to ProZ. Since I've been platinum, I squeezed some pretty nice things out of my platinum membership.
Yes, it is true, platinum will improve your chances of finding clients. When I became platinum, I suddenly got literally showered with work. I just could not believe it. It really gave a nice boost to my career.
However, it is not enough to just go platinum, and, on the other hand, as others said before me, platinum is not just bait for clients, it is so much more than that.
First, you have to make sure you have a nice profile. For now, as you are new, don't worry about the KudoZ, they will get into the picture later. Make sure you report your native language and that you describe your services in a simple but efficient way. Let the potential clients know what you are offering them and why it is worth it to give you work. Another thing: specialize! Even if you are able to translate many different types of documents in many different fields, try to focus on what you like best and what you are better at. Your profile is much the same thing as a shopwindow. Treat it that way (even if you are not platinum yet). Being platinum will give you access to the BlueBoard so that you always know if you are dealing with real professionals who are nice to work with, and whether they pay their translators on time. By being platinum, you get a free website, and, for a few bucks, you can even buy a domain name. Having a website up on the internet is like having a whole series of shopwindows. For me, these are the two main "perks" of platinum, but there are others.
The bottom line is, you shouldn't think of a platinum membership as a thing that attracts work. You also have to be able to do the job you promise you will do and make the client happy. In the end, you want clients that will come back time after time, and this will happen not because you are platinum, but because you proved that you are good at what you do. Think of it as a ticket giving you access to a community. It's really being part of this community that ends up paying off, whether you are platinum or not.
Regardless, just the fact that you coughed up the money to be platinum demonstrates that you are serious about your profession, and that can go a long way. The other thing is, when you quote on jobs, your profile will be among the first ones in the list of people having quoted. You get exposure, which is nice.
So, is it worth it? Sure, it is. Can you put in some time and effort to make it worthwhile? You are the only one who can tell.
Take it from a platinum member: it is worth every penny! ▲ Collapse
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Judy Rojas
Chile
Local time: 10:23
Spanish to English
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Dear Isaac:
I think everyone above has given you valid advice. Having said that, please keep in mind that upgrading to a Platinum membership not only will result in more opportunities to get more jobs, but also will give you some added benefits:
1. Use of the Blue Board. This is an extremely valuable tool. You can check an outsourcer’s relationship with other translators before accepting a job. Your own colleagues will grade how they feel about the outsourcer. Do th... See more Dear Isaac:
I think everyone above has given you valid advice. Having said that, please keep in mind that upgrading to a Platinum membership not only will result in more opportunities to get more jobs, but also will give you some added benefits:
1. Use of the Blue Board. This is an extremely valuable tool. You can check an outsourcer’s relationship with other translators before accepting a job. Your own colleagues will grade how they feel about the outsourcer. Do they answer your queries promptly. Do they pay on time. Etc. And if the outsourcer is not listed, you can list the outsourcer and request comments from the Proz community. Just avoiding one bad payer can cover your membership costs. It has for me!
2. You can bid on jobs before others. Many outsourcers are requesting that their bids be shown only to Platinum members for a certain period. By the time others bid, the job will probably has been placed.
Lastly, it is important for you to consider that the only way this site will keep growing and continue being a place were outsourcers and translators meet, is by you contributing a small amount of money to keep it running. Like any community, the Proz community needs your active involvement to grow and prosper. This means participating in the forums. Helping other colleagues to repay the help you get.
I’m positive you will not regret becoming a Platinum member. As I have said it plenty of times in Pow Wows and translator’s meetings, the founding corner of my company was the first job I got through Proz.
Regards,
Ricardo ▲ Collapse
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