ProZ.com Translation Forums

Initial experiences with agencies | Teaching

David Jones (X) — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 08:46:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Initial experiences with agencies
Poster: David Jones (X)
Post title: Teaching

English teaching

Initial experiences with agencies | Good luck

Baran Keki — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 08:06:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Initial experiences with agencies
Poster: Baran Keki
Post title: Good luck

[quote]David Jones wrote:

I wanted to revisit this question because I was bombarded with good advice for which I would like to say another big thank you to everyone. I have just sent my third invoice for a translation project and am feeling very happy and grateful for all of the support from this forum.

There was so much good advice shared and I just wish there was the time to implement it all as quickly as I'd like! I made a list and have been slowly working my way through it all whilst also slogging through the day job and translating on the side. At some point I promised myself I'd start running again... but that fell down the priority list...

Fingers crossed the work keeps flowing into 2021. [/quote]

What is your day job?

Initial experiences with agencies | Too much good advice for one sitting

David Jones (X) — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 03:07:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Initial experiences with agencies
Poster: David Jones (X)
Post title: Too much good advice for one sitting

I wanted to revisit this question because I was bombarded with good advice for which I would like to say another big thank you to everyone. I have just sent my third invoice for a translation project and am feeling very happy and grateful for all of the support from this forum.

There was so much good advice shared and I just wish there was the time to implement it all as quickly as I'd like! I made a list and have been slowly working my way through it all whilst also slogging through the day job and translating on the side. At some point I promised myself I'd start running again... but that fell down the priority list...

Fingers crossed the work keeps flowing into 2021.

Initial experiences with agencies | Impressions

The Shredder — Tue, 08 Dec 2020 13:19:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Initial experiences with agencies
Poster: The Shredder
Post title: Impressions

[quote]Lingua 5B wrote:
So yes, to add a human touch, it's nice to meet in person, it will certainly add a new dimension and layer to the collaboration. But it's not always a recipe for success when it comes to projects. [/quote]

I can certainly see why that might be your experience, 5B, but I did say you needed a sprinkling of social skills.

Initial experiences with agencies | Yes and no, partially agree.

Lingua 5B — Tue, 08 Dec 2020 12:19:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Initial experiences with agencies
Poster: Lingua 5B
Post title: Yes and no, partially agree.

[quote]Chris S wrote:
In a directory or an agency database, you are just another name. If you meet someone face to face, you are a person.[/quote]

That depends on type of client, type of project, industry etc. Meeting face to face is not always super relevant for translators, and it's a very high-paced industry. Fast projects, fast decisions, fast turnarounds.

Meeting face to face may be more relevant for interpreters, reporters, presenters, or any other "genres" where your performance is actually executed in person. If I am hiring a translator, I need to see their work, their samples, writing style. I also want to see their reactivity during the project, punctuality, conduct, ethics, approach to projects, etc. (which will entirely be carried out in writing). Seeing them is nice, but not as relevant.

As an example, I met some people in person, and they made a great impression (in person). However, during the project they failed miserably. And vice versa, some people I never met in person and we have been collaborating professionally for years, with great results and a feeling of accomplishment.

So yes, to add a human touch, it's nice to meet in person, it will certainly add a new dimension and layer to the collaboration. But it's not always a recipe for success when it comes to projects.

[Edited at 2020-12-08 12:44 GMT]

Initial experiences with agencies | Job

Rachel Waddington — Tue, 08 Dec 2020 09:49:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Initial experiences with agencies
Poster: Rachel Waddington
Post title: Job

Hi David,

Glad to hear you have a good job, that is a great position to be in. I'm wondering whether you could make more of your work experience in your profile and marketing documents. Real-world experience can be very valuable (even if it doesn't seem particularly high-flying). What is it you do, if you don't mind me asking?

Rachel

Initial experiences with agencies | Thank you all very much

David Jones (X) — Tue, 08 Dec 2020 06:39:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Initial experiences with agencies
Poster: David Jones (X)
Post title: Thank you all very much

Folks, that was so much useful information. Thank you all for sharing your experiences.
I'm in a really good position right now, I have a really decent job that I'm not in a rush to leave, but I am planning my next step so hearing that this could take a few more years to set up is very useful.

Initial experiences with agencies | Never give up

Mohamad Alayoubi — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 19:34:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Initial experiences with agencies
Poster: Mohamad Alayoubi
Post title: Never give up

I am not the most experienced translator in the world , but one thing for certain , never give up , i was asking here on proz how can i find jobs , now i can't find time for myself from the amount of work i have , my advice is keep applying for any agency that stumble upon you and register in all translation site jobs available , and you will eventually get your chance .

Initial experiences with agencies | Stay top of mind with the PM you signed on with

Heike Holthaus — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 14:42:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Initial experiences with agencies
Poster: Heike Holthaus
Post title: Stay top of mind with the PM you signed on with

Send them a Christmas Card and/or New Years card, for example. When you get accepted by an agency send a Thank You note in the mail and tell them that you are looking forward to working with them. You could even include a small gift. Are there any Chinese holidays you can "use" for that purpose?

Check in once in a while "I have some I availability next week (or: ...coming up)"

Connect on LinkedIn, if possible.

When I started out, I signed up with an agency and I sent we work every so often. It took 1.5 years until it "clicked". They are now my favorite agency to work with and they send me regular work.

Initial experiences with agencies | Conveying a professional image

Peter Shortall — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 11:54:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Initial experiences with agencies
Poster: Peter Shortall
Post title: Conveying a professional image

[quote]Tom in London wrote:

Also: although some might like the "Tin Tin" graphic you have used, I think a photo of YOU would be better.

[/quote]

Hear, hear. If you're not keen to put a photo of yourself on your profile, then I think it's fine to put something that represents your chosen field (you'll notice that this is the approach I've taken!), but the image you've got at the moment does look to me like something a kid would choose. A good photo probably won't increase the amount of work that's likely to come your way in itself, but a bad photo can hurt you by putting people off.

Also, if you're going to put your CV online (and it's debatable as to whether that's a good idea, as has already been pointed out), I would personally treat that as a formal document and try to avoid chatty language such as "worked lots with", because again, it may suggest immaturity in some people's eyes.

Initial experiences with agencies | Visit fairs

Matthias Brombach — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 11:28:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Initial experiences with agencies
Poster: Matthias Brombach
Post title: Visit fairs

There must be plenty of industrial fairs in Taiwan. There you could meet companies which strive to export their products abroad and would need a native speaker like you, who is living nearby of them and who speaks Chinese too! What a great opportunity. I wish I had it.

Initial experiences with agencies | Network

The Shredder — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 10:54:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Initial experiences with agencies
Poster: The Shredder
Post title: Network

While sitting in a room full of translators whingeing about low rates and unappreciative agencies is the stuff of my nightmares and I couldn’t possibly bring myself to do it, I would recommend it to any new translators who have a sprinkling of social skills and a reasonable grasp of personal hygiene.

In a directory or an agency database, you are just another name. If you meet someone face to face, you are a person.

Despite my aversion to networking and talking about myself, and even talking to most other people at all, the bulk of my work over the past 25 years has come directly or indirectly from some kind of personal contact or connection.

Initial experiences with agencies | I hope not

Tom in London — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 10:47:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Initial experiences with agencies
Poster: Tom in London
Post title: I hope not

[quote]Antoine Wicquart wrote:

.... paid work will eventually fall off. (Or at least I hope so). [/quote]

I think you meant "unpaid work will eventually fall off"

Initial experiences with agencies | Some ideas...

Antoine Wicquart — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 10:07:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Initial experiences with agencies
Poster: Antoine Wicquart
Post title: Some ideas...

I am also trying to get started as a translator right now. It is indeed quite hard to find the first jobs, but here are some ideas about what one can do to settle as a translator. Feel free to fill in the holes in my list if you have any other advice to share with us newbies:

[list]
[*] Work on your Proz and Linkedin profiles. From what I found out, these are the two websites which stand out for us translators.
[*] Answer to Kudoz questions on Proz. I just realised how much it affects your visibility. And it is quite educational and fun to do.
[*] Work on your email-templates. At best you should have a personal approach with every agency/business you would like to take contact with, but having a general frame at hand saves time.
[*] Take part at some online trainings about entrepreneurship or translation topics or even areas you would like to specialise in later. Some of them might even be for free (like the ones organized by governmental agencies in the country I currently live in).
[*] Work as a volunteer. For TED, for Amnesty international, for Translators without borders etc. You can use the published work in your portfolio and ask for references.
[*] Download the free version of translation/subtitling/[...] softwares and test them out (for your volunteer work for instance).
[*] Create a website and/or a blog - It is how I will personally keep my Linkedin active, I am working on my first blog article today :)
[/list]

And of course keep looking for new customers in the Blue board and on Linkedin.
By keeping a good state of mind and training continuously, paid work will eventually come. (Or at least I hope so).

[Edited at 2020-12-07 11:33 GMT]

Initial experiences with agencies | Passive marketing

Peter Shortall — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 09:35:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Initial experiences with agencies
Poster: Peter Shortall
Post title: Passive marketing

Your experience so far is absolutely normal. The reason why this happens is that demand for translations tends to be unpredictable. You never know who will need what translated, or when. Until someone out there decides they need something translated, all agencies can do is sit, wait and get ready by registering freelancers. Most of them won't have work coming in all the time in all languages, or in all subjects. So you need to be on the books of a great many agencies before the volume of work that trickles through to you becomes substantial. A handful of them is nowhere near enough, I'm afraid, but take heart: it looks like you're already doing a lot of the right things. You just have to be prepared for the fact that starting a career takes time, but then so do most things that are worthwhile. Expect the process to take months or maybe even a year, rather than days or weeks.

The process of building up a client base works in two ways: you find clients (active marketing), or they find you (passive marketing). In my case, most of my clients find me. Once, during a quiet spell at the dawn of my career, I sent my CV off to dozens of outsourcers in a short space of time. I got hardly any replies and hardly any work that way. What worked for me was making myself visible here on ProZ and in the directories of two translators' associations in the UK. If I were you, I would think about joining similar associations and try to get listed in their directories. It's sometimes possible to join associations even in countries where you don't live.

[Edited at 2020-12-07 09:40 GMT]

Initial experiences with agencies | When do agencies most need new translators?

Sheila Wilson — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 09:17:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Initial experiences with agencies
Poster: Sheila Wilson
Post title: When do agencies most need new translators?

We have one of the best periods coming up. Christmas and the New Year is when many established translators in some areas of the world prefer to turn down jobs and stay available for their families. It's a perfect time for newcomers to take up the slack. It may not apply to the part of the world you're in, but most agencies have translators around the world. If you're going to be available right through the holiday period, why not tell them?

Initial experiences with agencies | Don´t publish your CV

Matthias Brombach — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 09:13:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Initial experiences with agencies
Poster: Matthias Brombach
Post title: Don´t publish your CV

[quote]David Jones wrote:

Of course, I am currently working on Kudoz points [/quote]

Even some KudoZ-points will considerably raise your visibility. And I would not publish my CV and at least not as an MS Word file, because we have some well-known scammers here, who constantly crawl through the profiles to steal CVs and create fake applications or profiles under your name. Good luck and I´m looking forward to translating more English documentaries from China into German, which were translated by a native speaker of English, and then perhaps by you. The demand is huge.

[Bearbeitet am 2020-12-07 10:42 GMT]

Initial experiences with agencies | @David

Samuel Murray — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 08:49:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Initial experiences with agencies
Poster: Samuel Murray
Post title: @David

[quote]David Jones wrote:
I've done a few tests for agencies and been accepted now by two agencies and in the two weeks since I signed contracts with them, I've heard nothing. [/quote]

The fact that you signed contracts with them and did test translations for them simply makes it simpler and faster for them to hire you when they need to. Signing a contract or doing a test translation is not an indication that the agency has a job for you any time soon. Since you are just starting out, doing a lot of free test translations isn't going to harm you, but later, when you have become a busy translator, you should consider doing a free test translation only if the client had indicated that there is a job waiting for you if you pass it.

What you need to do now is to visit the [url= [url removed] ]Blue Board[/url] and contact (and register with) as many agencies as you can. Around 10-20% of those that you contact, will reply, and 10-20% of those that reply, will send you work, and 10-20% of those that send you work once, will send you more work. These percentages were made up on the spot, but they're also accurate. Oh, and 10-20% of test translations that you pass will lead to an actual job.

Initial experiences with agencies | China

Elena Feriani — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 08:09:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Initial experiences with agencies
Poster: Elena Feriani
Post title: China

I think you're already doing all you can do.
I started in 2017 and I started getting a steady income in 2018.
For your language pair, there is a lot of work in China :). You should look into Chinese businesses and agencies.
The Chinese "Amazon" for example is now translating their website and they hire freelancers directly. Also, I get a lot of work from US and UK agencies that have Chinese offices and clients. They translate all their Chinese material into English first and then use the English version for most languages. So yeah, I believe Chinese-English is a good language pair at the moment.

Initial experiences with agencies | Grumpy grumpers

Mervyn Henderson (X) — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 07:55:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Initial experiences with agencies
Poster: Mervyn Henderson (X)
Post title: Grumpy grumpers

I am one of the grumpy old farts to whom Chris refers. You will notice, for example that I refrained from ending that first sentence with a preposition. That gives you some idea of the kind of man I am, because ending a sentence with a preposition is a practice up with which I will not put. You will meet many more of us here- hard-core, embittered, uncompromising pedants seeking unwary, carefree victims on which to vent our respective spleens - so have a care when you choose your words, young man. You will notice, for example, that I used the word "so" in that last sentence after the proper fashion. And it cannot be any other way.

And the agencies did not pass you over at the beginning of using ProZ [sic] because of you lol. How could they possibly hear you laughing out loud?

Initial experiences with agencies | Lol

The Shredder — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 07:39:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Initial experiences with agencies
Poster: The Shredder
Post title: Lol

Dude, you’re now at the bottom of a very long list of approved freelancers. They may never use you at all. They’ll continue to use their favourites wherever possible, and you’ll only get a sniff when all of them are busy.

Just keep going with more and more agencies and eventually you will get a job and a chance to move yourself straight to the top of the list by demonstrating your brilliance.

In the meantime you just have to keep plugging away...

PS There are some grumpy old farts on here who go ballistic when you young folks come on here starting posts with “So” and maybe even splitting infinitives. Such shocking modern behaviour will not be tolerated. You’ve been warned!

Initial experiences with agencies

David Jones (X) — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 07:19:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Initial experiences with agencies
Poster: David Jones (X)

Hi folks,

So I'm still super early into my translation journey and have no frame of reference for my experiences in this field yet. I've done a few tests for agencies and been accepted now by two agencies and in the two weeks since I signed contracts with them... I've heard nothing. I've got logins to their systems and have told them my availability etc etc.

What did other people experience at the beginning of using Proz? Is this normal? What is possibly going on inside these agencies? Was it me lol?

Of course, I am currently working on Kudoz points, contacting more agencies when jobs come up, looking into professional training for using CATs and attending Proz trainings / watching videos online. But any thoughts on what I could be getting on with in the meantime will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks folks :)