ProZ.com Translation Forums

Translation experience | It has been my experience

Adieu — Thu, 21 Jul 2022 13:38:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Translation experience
Poster: Adieu
Post title: It has been my experience

...that no one seriously believes most claims of experience anyway. Or educational attainment, for that matter.

There is an expectation that the person has SOME degree of familiarity with a field they claim experience or schooling in.

Applicants/bidders who claim relevant experience or education get tested. Applicants/bidders who don't either get low-balled then tested or are just ignored.

Diplomas or work experience typically aren't examined or believed.

About the only trusted credential or proof of experience outside of a trusted personal recommendation would be to be the named and published translator of a top textbook or other well-known literature in the field.

Translation experience | OK

Joakim Braun — Thu, 21 Jul 2022 13:08:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Translation experience
Poster: Joakim Braun
Post title: OK

[quote]Georgia Blerot wrote:

I've been translating on and off for the last 20 years in addition to being employed by various companies. I have recently switched to freelancing full-time as a translator. Do you think it would be unethical or misleading for me to say I have 20-years experience as a translator? [/quote]

No, that's fine. Non-translation experience makes you a better translator.

Translation experience | Many thanks

Georgia Blerot — Thu, 21 Jul 2022 12:46:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Translation experience
Poster: Georgia Blerot
Post title: Many thanks

Wow, thank you so much for these very encouraging and thoughtful replies. Now I need to get going and get my website online!

Translation experience | Given recent market conditions ...

Siobhán Fulton — Thu, 21 Jul 2022 12:13:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Translation experience
Poster: Siobhán Fulton
Post title: Given recent market conditions ...

many translators have been unwilling part-timers for a while. No need to go into detail.

Translation experience | Make an honest assessment of your knowledge, expertise, and skills

Vladimir Pochinov — Thu, 21 Jul 2022 12:12:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Translation experience
Poster: Vladimir Pochinov
Post title: Make an honest assessment of your knowledge, expertise, and skills

[quote]Anton Konashenok wrote:

You can probably judge the quality of this experience yourself. Even if you were translating only occasionally but routinely gained valuable knowledge and skills from it, it's an honest experience and you can report it as such. Conversely, someone who has been a full-time certified translator for 20 years but translated only birth certificates, college diplomas and the like - believe me, there are lots of translators wo do just that - may not be highly experienced at all. If you look through KudoZ answers here, you'll easily find some ProZ members providing totally irrelevant and downright wrong answers despite the 15-20 years of experience reported in their CVs. [/quote]

I know quite a few translators in Russia who state that they're legal translators. In fact, such a translator turns out to be a relative or a friend of a local notary public who translates personal documents, such as birth/marriage/death certificates, passports, driving permits, high school diplomas, university graduation certificates (bachelor's, master's), academic transcripts, etc. Basically, they have templates for these document types, and just add the client's details as required.

Over the years, several of such 'legal translators' did short paid legal translation tests for me, only to fail miserably.

As you may know, many banks and insurance companies use AI-based OCR software tools that can scan standard documents (invoices, insurance policies, medical records, loan applications) and fill in relevant forms automatically. So, I think Google Translate and DeepL Translate will replace them such 'legal translators' soon (and blockchain technology is likely to do the same with notary offices).

[Edited at 2022-07-21 12:14 GMT]

Translation experience | Judge your own experience

Anton Konashenok — Thu, 21 Jul 2022 11:31:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Translation experience
Poster: Anton Konashenok
Post title: Judge your own experience

You can probably judge the quality of this experience yourself. Even if you were translating only occasionally but routinely gained valuable knowledge and skills from it, it's an honest experience and you can report it as such. Conversely, someone who has been a full-time certified translator for 20 years but translated only birth certificates, college diplomas and the like - believe me, there are lots of translators who do just that - may not be highly experienced at all. If you look through KudoZ answers here, you'll easily find some ProZ members providing totally irrelevant and downright wrong answers despite the 15-20 years of experience reported in their CVs.

[Edited at 2022-07-21 11:39 GMT]

Translation experience | @Georgia

Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida — Thu, 21 Jul 2022 11:15:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Translation experience
Poster: Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Post title: @Georgia

There’s no rule. It’s entirely up to you what you include in your CV and how. In my case, I always say that I have been translating for over 30 years full-time + a few years part-time (it happens to be true)...

[Edited at 2022-07-21 11:16 GMT]

Translation experience | No ...

Rachel Waddington — Thu, 21 Jul 2022 11:04:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Translation experience
Poster: Rachel Waddington
Post title: No ...

... as long as it's clear that you haven't been translating full time. In your shoes I would also be focussing on real-world marketing experience because that is what will set you apart from most other translators out there. That, combined with your translation experience should be a great combination.

Translation experience

Georgia Blerot — Thu, 21 Jul 2022 01:25:00 +0000

Forum: Getting established
Topic: Translation experience
Poster: Georgia Blerot

I've been translating on and off for the last 20 years in addition to being employed by various companies. I have recently switched to freelancing full-time as a translator. Do you think it would be unethical or misleading for me to say I have 20-years experience as a translator?