ProZ.com Translation Forums

Poll: If a job I were interested in required me to provide references, I would: | only agency references

Zea_Mays — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 18:14:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: If a job I were interested in required me to provide references, I would:
Poster: Zea_Mays
Post title: only agency references

I only ask for and provide references from/to agencies, never from/to private direct clients or even colleagues (=competitors).

Poll: If a job I were interested in required me to provide references, I would: | Provide references

Samuel Murray — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 15:29:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: If a job I were interested in required me to provide references, I would:
Poster: Samuel Murray
Post title: Provide references

[quote]ProZ.com Staff wrote:
If a job I were interested in required me to provide references, I would... [/quote]
For freelance translators, providing references is a fairly standard part of applying for a job. One should always have two or three references ready to supply as soon as anyone asks. I regard asking for references as akin to asking for a résumé. If a client asks you for a résumé and you're unsure whether to supply one, then you don't quite understand how this works.

Added: the references that I supply are from fellow translators, not clients.

[Edited at 2026-01-23 15:31 GMT]

Poll: If a job I were interested in required me to provide references, I would: | i would...

Gregor Trebec — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 13:33:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: If a job I were interested in required me to provide references, I would:
Poster: Gregor Trebec
Post title: i would...

I have quoted such jobs anyway and described my past projects. If they trust such reference good...

Poll: If a job I were interested in required me to provide references, I would: | Refer to my WWAs, and I am a Chartered Linguist

Christine Andersen — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 11:24:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: If a job I were interested in required me to provide references, I would:
Poster: Christine Andersen
Post title: Refer to my WWAs, and I am a Chartered Linguist

I do not ask clients to give references to potential competitors.

Some have been so kind as to give me a WWA on my Proz.com profile, and I am a Chartered Linguist. That means that two clients sent references to the CIoL - and not to other clients - when I applied for chartered status.

Otherwise I refer to NDAs and point out that the prospective client would not want me to tell their competitors I was working for them. (They may guess, because it's a small world, but that is another matter.)

The alternative is to offer to translate a couple of hundred words for them, so they can see how I handle their texts. This does not take much longer in practice than administration of communications about references, which I woluld have to do for free anyway.

[Edited at 2026-01-23 11:25 GMT]

Poll: If a job I were interested in required me to provide references, I would: | Other

Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 08:54:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: If a job I were interested in required me to provide references, I would:
Poster: Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Post title: Other

If I’m really interested, I’d apply saying that I can’t supply references as I’m covered by NDAs and I’d attach my CV with my Proz profile…

Poll: If a job I were interested in required me to provide references, I would:

ProZ.com Staff — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 08:10:05 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: If a job I were interested in required me to provide references, I would:
Poster: ProZ.com Staff

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "If a job I were interested in required me to provide references, I would:".

View the poll results »