A ProZ.com member account is required in order to use many features of the site. Creating an account at ProZ.com is known as "registration".

Review the login/registration FAQs: http://www.proz.com/faq/login_problems

Your Profile Page

Each ProZ.com member has a profile page. The profile is the central place to show information about a single member. Members can also edit most of their data by starting at their own profile page.

Most settings can be accessed from the "settings" profile tab (which is also reachable by selecting My ProZ.com->My Settings from the main menu). In many cases profile data can be edited by clicking a link next to the data where it is displayed in the profile page.

You can reach your own profile by clicking your name in the member info box, or by visiting this link: http://www.proz.com/pro

If you have a question regarding your profile page, please click the following profile FAQs link: http://www.proz.com/faq/profile

Controlling Your Name

A user may either have their 'username' or first and last name appear on their profile page. This name will be seen by the public. You may control your name by clicking on the "edit your profile" link from your profile page.

Choosing a Tagline

You may enter your tagline by clicking on the "edit your profile" link from your profile page. Enter one phrase (of up to 40 characters) that summarizes what makes you or your agency special. This line will appear in lists on the site. (Examples: "The fastest", "10 years in patents", "Also a lawyer") Don't enter language pairs and other basic information that appears elsewhere in your profile.

Uploading a Photo/Image

To upload your profile photo, start at your profile page. Click the link labeled "Edit your profile" in the center column. This will take you to your profile editing page. From the profile editing page, scroll down to the field labeled "Upload photo or image". Click the "browse" button next to this field, which will allow you to browse your computer's file system for the image you wish to upload.

After selecting the file you wish to upload, click the submit form at the bottom of your profile editing page to save your profile changes. In the future, if you decide to change your image/photo, all you have to do is repeat the instructions above and place your new photo/image link in the text box, and then click on submit, and you new image/photo will replace the old one. If you choose to delete a photo/image, and keep you profile blank. there is a delete check box on the "edit your profile" next to the "upload photo or image" textbox.

FYI: When you upload an image/photo, it may take between several minutes and a half hour for the files to be copied to all the web servers, and then seen on your profile page. Therefore, you may notice a blank where a photo should be, however, please give the upload at least thirty minutes, before submitting a support request.

Uploading a CV/Resume

To upload your CV/Resume, start at your profile page. Click the link labeled "Edit your profile" in the center column. This will take you to your profile editing page. From the profile editing page, scroll down to the field labeled "Upload Resume". Click the "browse" button next to this field, which will allow you to browse your computer's file system for the Resume/CV you wish to upload.

After selecting the file you wish to upload, click the submit form at the bottom of your profile editing page to save your profile changes. In the future, if you decide to change your CV/Resume, all you have to do is follow the instructions above and place your new CV/Resume in the box, and then click on submit. The new CV/Resume will replace the old one.

FYI: When you upload a CV/Resume, it may take between several minutes and a half hour for the files to be copied to all the web servers, and then seen on your profile page. Therefore, during this time, you may get a "page not found" when trying to view your new CV/Resume; however, please give it some time before submitting a support request. If you want to upload an updated version of your CV/Resume, just follow the same steps above and your new CV/Resume will replace the old one.

Declaring Your Working Language(s)

The site is organized according to language pairs. It is important that you indicate all of the language pairs you work in, carefully specifying the services and styles you offer in each. If you work in many pairs, it may take some time to enter all the data. However, this level of detail ensures that your experience will be best suited to your skills and interests.

Specifying Your Native Language(s)

You may declare your native language on the left side of your profile page. Once you declare a native language(s), they cannot be changed.

Your ProZ.com native language declaration, which looks like this will appear in various places throughout the site. The Native Speaker credential is a mark that signifies that a ProZ.com member is a native speaker of a given language.

A "capital-N" icon already appears on profile pages after you have declared your native language, and in a few months will appear throughout the site beside the names of members who have received the credential. It looks like this: ProZ.com Native Speaker: Russian

Mousing over the mark or clicking on it reveals additional information.

Platinum members with one native language are asked to simply declare that language. Go to your profile page, click on the link at the top to go into edit mode, and then click on "declare native language" from the middle of the right column.

FYI: Native language is only one factor that a client may consider when screening a translator or interpreter. It is usually not the most important factor.

Click here to view the Native Language FAQs: http://www.proz.com/faq/pns

Colored Icons

A blue and yellow ProZ.com Native Speaker icon () is used to represent native languages that are reasonably certain to be accurate. This includes native languages that have been confirmed by ProZ.com, and native languages reported by Platinum members who have sworn that they only have one native language (a native language cannot be changed once it is declared).

A black and gray ProZ.com Native Speaker icon () is used to represent native languages that have been reported, but not confirmed. This includes native languages reported by non-Platinum members, even when they only report a single native language. This is because it is possible that a non-Platinum member might create multiple profiles with a different single native language for each, to get around the requirement that multiple native languages must be confirmed.

Choosing Email Address(es)

In your profile, you are allowed to have a 'current' email address and a 'secondary' email address.

Your secondary email address is used to contact you if your primary address fails. If mail sent to your primary email address is returned by your mail provider, your primary address will be replaced with your secondary address, and your primary email will be disabled (will appear in red font).

In the future, if you'd like to change you primary or secondary email address, all you need to do is click on the "edit personal data" link and then paste your new email address in the desired email text box, and the new email address will replace the old one, after you have clicked "update" at the bottom of the page.

FYI: When a support request is sent in to add/change/get an email address, for security and privacy purposes, the asker will have to be cleared by some security questions.

Click on the following link to view the Email FAQs: http://www.proz.com/faq/mail

Determining Your Rates

Review the rates FAQs to understand completely why it is important to enter your rates: http://www.proz.com/faq/rates

Report your rates by clicking the "Enter your rates" link on your profile page, or by selecting "Rates" from the settings tab.

Note that you can only enter rates for your "working" languages (those show in your profile).

Edit the rates you have set for one language. (Note that this is only possible within a short grace period. Afterwards, your rate information cannot be changed for 3 months.)

Rates are entered from the profile page, which specify a rate range of a minimum charge per word, hour, instant job, and target

Filling in Your Background and Experience

Enter info about you or your agency's background and experience.

FYI: Areas IX and X on your profile page are where most of your profile information will be entered. If you hope to establish new relationships with clients and colleagues via ProZ.com, it is very important that you enter detailed information here. Also, use HTML to add appeal by using Gianfranco Manca's tutorial.

Areas of Expertise/Specialization

On the bottom left of your profile page there is a link titled "edit expertise" under the title "Expertise". (Also, you can edit your specialties under the "setting tab" under the title "fields of expertise" from your profile page.) Click on "edit expertise", which will allow you to edit your working, interests, specialties, and general fields.

Enter info about you or your agency's areas of specialization.

FYI: You are only allowed to enter up to 10 specialties, 30 working fields, and for now, all of the general fields you like (however only up to 5 general fields will be appear on your profile page). Areas XI and X on your profile page are where most of your profile information will be entered. If you hope to establish new relationships with clients and colleagues via ProZ.com, it is very important that you enter detailed information here.

To view the Fields of Expertise FAQs, click on the following link: http://www.proz.com/faq/fields

Listing Your Credentials/Memberships

This section is where you may report any professional credentials, certifications or accreditations you have earned from recognized authorities. The accuracy of the information you provide may be confirmed by site staff.

FYI: By default, credentials are only listed, not verified.

Click here to learn how to get your credentials verified: http://www.proz.com/faq/credentials

Keywords

You may also enter keywords that relate to your expertise, capabilities, services, etc. (Clients are able to search by keyword.) The more keywords you enter, the better your chances of coming up in a search... but you may want to make sure that you don't appear to be spreading yourself too thin; clients will be able to view your entire list of keywords. Separate keywords with commas, and do not include spaces after commas. The keyword search will NOT be case-sensitive. Example: biology, pc, html, contract law, children's books, paris, copywriting, etc.

Software

Use this section to indicate the software needs you are capable of supporting.

Click here to view the Software FAQs: http://www.proz.com/?sp=cat/tools

Glossaries

Click on the "enter terms" link under the glossary heading left of your profile page to enter your personal glossaries.

Note: When you enter in your own glossary terms, you receive browniz points!

Click here to view the Glossary FAQ: http://www.proz.com/faq/glossaries

Wallet

When you add money to your ProZ.com Wallet, the money remains yours. You may withdraw any or all of your funds at any time. Note that transfer fees do apply to some methods of withdrawal.

• Credit Card Online

• Check Or Money Order

• Wire Transfer

• Wire Transfer Euro

• Paypal

You need at least $25.00 to withdraw from your wallet.

FYI: Presently, you can't accept payments from outsourcers through your wallet.

Click here to view the Wallet FAQs: http://www.proz.com/faq/wallet

ID Verified

ProZ.com staff members, moderators and other volunteers have undertaken a program to confirm the identity of interested site users. A checkmark appearing in a member's profile signifies that the identity of the person may have been verified. Clicking on the checkmark will provide more information. Access to this information may prove useful in assessing risk when forming new online relationships.

Click here to learn how to get your ID Verfied: http://www.proz.com/faq/qa

Personal Page

The “Personal Tab” can be found on the "My ProZ.com" home page . This feature allows you to create a personal web page by entering free-form HTML. Use your personal page to showcase your artwork, hobbies, and other information that would be out of place on your professional profile page.

Click on the following link to view the Personal Page FAQs: http://www.proz.com/faq/profile#prof_personaltab

ProZ.com IM

You will be allowed to use the ProZ.com IM by clicking on the "edit instant message data" link on your profile page.

Features Available Only To Platinum Members

Plat-Facts

• Platinum members are 4 times more likely to meet a client than a non-paying member.
• Platinum members meet on average 1 new client every 3 months.
• Nearly half of all Platinum members receive a positive return on their investment within 3 months.

Availability Button (Platinum Members Only)

If you are immediately available for new projects, make sure your availability indicator shows that in the directory by reporting your availability regularly.

The availability indicator is a small icon that indicates whether a member is immediately available for new work. It appears in member profiles and directory listings. It displays one of three colors to indicate a member's availability:

Immediately available for new projects
Not immediately available for new projects
Availability not reported

Click the availability indicator icon in your member info box in the upper left of each page. A popup window will appear that allows you to set your availability.

Since the availability indicator shows immediate availability, it should be changed when your availability changes. To keep availability information current, the system generally only retains it for one day. You must refresh your availability indicator within that time or it will change back to a gray color (unreported). Refresh your availability indicator by setting it again.

For convenience, platinum members are only required to refresh their availability indicators once per week. However, all members are encouraged to update their availability indicator whenever their availability changes.

To view the Availability FAQs, click on the following link: http://www.proz.com/faq/availability

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