Strange contacts from guys - Watch out for them, girls. Thread poster: Yoon Lim
|
|---|
Yoon Lim 
South Korea
Local time: 12:46
Member (2014)
English to Korean
+ ...
Hello.
I have been working in this industry more than three years, accustomed to contacting many clients via e-mail and skype.
And my basic insight alarmed me, saying that some contacts from skype were strange.
Those guys always try to contact me by "Calling" in skype, even require "Video Chat."
From what I know, almost all clients don't call me when they can chat.
It's clearer and more simple.
No need to call me, not to mention vi... See more Hello.
I have been working in this industry more than three years, accustomed to contacting many clients via e-mail and skype.
And my basic insight alarmed me, saying that some contacts from skype were strange.
Those guys always try to contact me by "Calling" in skype, even require "Video Chat."
From what I know, almost all clients don't call me when they can chat.
It's clearer and more simple.
No need to call me, not to mention video chat! (I look really horrible when I work... wearing old pink pajama and sleepers...)
Most PMs and clients are busy. They don't "Call" for "no reason". They try to contact me first via email or skype "chatting" even when they are really urgent. (And I always try to reply them immediately within 5 minutes even when I was just about to sleep.)
I was asked to give my CV from those guys,
and my instinct said "You must not. They don't give you work. They are after your personal information."
I rejected giving my CV for the first time!
I am living--literally--on the other side of earth. What are they after? Am I overreacting?
And what should I do?
[Edited at 2014-03-30 17:05 GMT]
[Edited at 2014-03-30 17:05 GMT]
[Edited at 2014-03-31 05:35 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Oliver Walter
United Kingdom
Local time: 04:46
German to English
+ ...
| Perhaps do nothing | Mar 30, 2014 |
I have never had that same problem. First contact with me is usually by email, and occasionally by personal contact.
I have one experience of my CV being misused
(http://www.proz.com/forum/business_issues/259561-bad_translator_impersonates_a_good_one.html)
so I now have a very small one in my Proz profile.
If they... See more I have never had that same problem. First contact with me is usually by email, and occasionally by personal contact.
I have one experience of my CV being misused
(http://www.proz.com/forum/business_issues/259561-bad_translator_impersonates_a_good_one.html)
so I now have a very small one in my Proz profile.
If they call you with video (and you accept the call) you can turn off your video so they can't see you in your pink pyjamas (UK spelling!).
I don't think you are overreacting. Unfortunately, given the way the Internet is used, one's first reaction to any contact (email, perhaps Skype also) must be, not "Oh, person or company X wants to contact me", but "Do I believe this? Is it really what it seems to be?"
I can't give you more specific advice; lets hope somebody replies who had a similar experience and found the correct answer, although I suppose it may not always be the same. Perhaps your response to the caller could be: "I don't want this to be our first method of contact - send me an email." If they then appear disappointed and ask you why, just say "That's the way I work."
Oliver ▲ Collapse
| | | |
I don't know the standards in your culture, but I've never ever had anyone asked me to do a video chat. Skype, maybe, but not even talking, just typing. My picture was relevant once, but it was supposed to be an interpreting assignment where the translator was supposed to be somewhat good-looking, or rather not bad-looking, for promotional reasons. Once, ever.
[Edited at 2014-03-30 22:48 GMT]
| | | | Diana Obermeyer
United Kingdom
Local time: 04:46
Member (2013)
German to English
+ ...
| combination is odd | Mar 31, 2014 |
It's maybe difficult to follow, if you are used to working with agencies and established corporate clients. Video calls are rather unusual in that setting.
I have discussed projects via video call numerous times. A fair amount of my work comes from young start-ups. Quite often, my real-life business experience is just as important as my translation skills. They have some crazy bootstrapped venture, they need one go-to person. There is a lot of nervousness. They've never done this b... See more It's maybe difficult to follow, if you are used to working with agencies and established corporate clients. Video calls are rather unusual in that setting.
I have discussed projects via video call numerous times. A fair amount of my work comes from young start-ups. Quite often, my real-life business experience is just as important as my translation skills. They have some crazy bootstrapped venture, they need one go-to person. There is a lot of nervousness. They've never done this before.
With the start-ups, I quite often work on the documents in both languages, so they will send me a draft in one language and we discuss each section, edit one language and then translate that. This is much easier to do in a spoken conversation and a video call helps to pick up nuances. Seeing someones face helps to create a more realistic atmosphere. A lot of them don't come from a business background, they haven't found a business brain to add to their team yet, they still need a business angel to be able to pay for a proper consultant to aid them. Quite often it is the first business plan they have ever written in their life, their first ever profile, their first service description. They need to know the person they are working with. They need that reassurance.
However, those that feel the need to find out who I am and if I "get" their project don't tend to be too interested in seeing an actual CV. I haven't come across that combination before.
One of my agencies also uses video calls a lot. They are not a translation agency as such though, but they offer their clients a much broader package and translation is only a small aspect of that. Sometimes this is to discuss existing projects, sometimes it is to get my input or opinion while they are still in the bidding process. I tend to view it as a friendly approach, as I find it easier than a regular phone call and less time consuming than an e-mail exchange. They are not particularly worried about finding me on my couch in lazy gear. They know I work from home, it's not really relevant. It's just about creating a more personal working working relationship, not about checking what I look like or how I dress.
Some people simply prefer a different type of communication. I have a strong dislike of the Skype chats and very rarely agree to participate in them, and only if I already know the client. So, if someone insists on chats, I simply don't work with them. I guess, that's sort of the same thing - if you have different preferences to the client, then a good working relationship will be difficult to maintain.
[Edited at 2014-03-31 03:50 GMT]
[Edited at 2014-03-31 03:53 GMT]
[Edited at 2014-03-31 05:38 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | |
|
|
|
Yoon Lim
South Korea
Local time: 12:46
Member (2014)
English to Korean
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Thank you all. | Mar 31, 2014 |
From your comments, it become really certain that they won't give me work.
They always try to call me when they found out I am online, asking things that are irrelevant to work. "What are you doing?" "What time is there?" "Why don't you turn on your cam?" "Don't you have a blog?"etc etc.
poor and cheapest lines I've ever heard.
Yes, they said they saw me on Proz.com and I found their profiles on here. Since the first weird contact took place right after I u... See more From your comments, it become really certain that they won't give me work.
They always try to call me when they found out I am online, asking things that are irrelevant to work. "What are you doing?" "What time is there?" "Why don't you turn on your cam?" "Don't you have a blog?"etc etc.
poor and cheapest lines I've ever heard.
Yes, they said they saw me on Proz.com and I found their profiles on here. Since the first weird contact took place right after I updated my profile, I thought "Is proz.com a date site?"
They have never given me work, and they will not.
I was a little bit uncertain whether I was overreacting or not, but I realized I should have banned them from the first. They are disgusting and they think they are chic. Like most girls, I like young and handsome men.
Thank you all. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Steven Segaert
Estonia
Local time: 06:46
Member (2012)
English to Dutch
+ ...
| Professional | Mar 31, 2014 |
Just one or two things - if it helps:
1) I have a different Skype account for business than I have for personal. That helps me to keep some of the nutters out.
2) Professional people don't just call you on Skype out of the blue. They check if you are ready to receive a call, or schedule a time. You could tell them that you will be better able to respond to whatever request they have if they put it in words first (using chat or mail). You can sugarcoat that a bit by add... See more Just one or two things - if it helps:
1) I have a different Skype account for business than I have for personal. That helps me to keep some of the nutters out.
2) Professional people don't just call you on Skype out of the blue. They check if you are ready to receive a call, or schedule a time. You could tell them that you will be better able to respond to whatever request they have if they put it in words first (using chat or mail). You can sugarcoat that a bit by adding that you can't take a call right now, because you are busy.
I'm afraid any means of easy communication is vulnerable to spam.
In my days, kids made prank calls to random numbers in the phone book. Today, they have the internet to play around with. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tony M
France
Local time: 05:46
Member
French to English
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER | Have you reported this? | Mar 31, 2014 |
Yoon Lim wrote:
Yes, they said they saw me on Proz.com and I found their profiles on here.
If these unwelcome contacts are coming from actual profiles on ProZ.com, you should report these people to site staff, if you haven't already done so. I don't think it is very good for the image of the site if people are using it for this kind of contact.
| | | | jyuan_us
United States
Local time: 23:46
Member (2005)
English to Chinese
+ ...
| I had 1 female translator asking me to open my cam | Mar 31, 2014 |
Yoon Lim wrote:
From your comments, it become really certain that they won't give me work.
They always try to call me when they found out I am online, asking things that are irrelevant to work. "What are you doing?" "What time is there?" "Why don't you turn on your cam?" "Don't you have a blog?"etc etc.
poor and cheapest lines I've ever heard.
Yes, they said they saw me on Proz.com and I found their profiles on here. Since the first weird contact took place right after I updated my profile, I thought "Is proz.com a date site?"
They have never given me work, and they will not.
I was a little bit uncertain whether I was overreacting or not, but I realized I should have banned them from the first. They are disgusting and they think they are chic. Like most girls, I like young and handsome men.
Thank you all.
She had translated several documents for me, and one day she asked me to open my cam. It was not during a business chat. She just wanted to see me. I still don't understand what she was trying to get.
[Edited at 2014-03-31 09:18 GMT]
| | |
|
|
|
jyuan_us
United States
Local time: 23:46
Member (2005)
English to Chinese
+ ...
| What is the reason to report this kind of thing? | Mar 31, 2014 |
Tony M wrote: Yoon Lim wrote:
Yes, they said they saw me on Proz.com and I found their profiles on here. If these unwelcome contacts are coming from actual profiles on ProZ.com, you should report these people to site staff, if you haven't already done so. I don't think it is very good for the image of the site if people are using it for this kind of contact.
What is wrong with their behavior? Is that violating any Proz rule? I don't think so.
| | | | Tony M
France
Local time: 05:46
Member
French to English
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER | May not be any specific rule, but... | Mar 31, 2014 |
jyuan_us wrote:
What is wrong with their behavior? Is that violating any Proz rule? I don't think so.
Well, no, there may not be any specific rule about this — I hardly think it was a scenario envisaged when the rules were being drawn up!
However, this sort of behaviour is hardly to be encouraged; at the very least, it amounts to a form of sexual harassment, and at worst, it might lead on to more serious things. I would venture to suggest that site staff ought at least to be made aware of the profiles doing this, so that they can be monitored; it is possible, for example, that what may seem like an isolated incident here could in fact be part of a campaign of such activities...
| | | | nrichy (X)
France
Local time: 05:46
French to Dutch
+ ...
| Professional | Mar 31, 2014 |
Steven Segaert wrote:
2) Professional people don't just call you on Skype out of the blue. (...)
I'm afraid any means of easy communication is vulnerable to spam.
In my days, kids made prank calls to random numbers in the phone book. Today, they have the internet to play around with.
As a girl, I would not offer Skype or my private phone number as the first options to be called, just because of this risk of sexual harassment. Have a different cell phone for your business calls. Decent agencies first send you a mail or have a concrete proposal for you. In short, present yourself as a business, not as a private person who does translations. And nowadays, as we have dating sites, for some people the distinction between escort girls and interpretation or translation is not very clear.
[Edited at 2014-03-31 08:52 GMT]
| | | | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Strange contacts from guys - Watch out for them, girls. | CafeTran Espresso | You've never met a CAT tool this clever!
Translate faster & easier, using a sophisticated CAT tool built by a translator / developer.
Accept jobs from clients who use Trados, MemoQ, Wordfast & major CAT tools.
Download and start using CafeTran Espresso -- for free
Buy now! » |
| | 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 » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
Translation news
