questions related to get jobs here
Thread poster: JIAN LIU
JIAN LIU
JIAN LIU
China
Local time: 06:31
English to Chinese
Aug 1, 2020

I worked on UpWork as a freelancer. Recently I am considering to transfer to Proz. And I became a proz membership now. While I am trying on Proz. I got some questions, and really new some people to help out.
1, I noticed most of posted jobs require you send email to them or fill up their online forms. I have tried several, on the email that I sent to them, I put the following info: my CV,my working experience and the ability to do the project, but I did not get any response from them.
... See more
I worked on UpWork as a freelancer. Recently I am considering to transfer to Proz. And I became a proz membership now. While I am trying on Proz. I got some questions, and really new some people to help out.
1, I noticed most of posted jobs require you send email to them or fill up their online forms. I have tried several, on the email that I sent to them, I put the following info: my CV,my working experience and the ability to do the project, but I did not get any response from them. So I wonder what is the key to win the projects from the clients?
2, What are the keys to get the projects on Proz expect the ones I know, such as: the winning strategy from the tutorial video, become membership, get more kudoz.
3, Normally how long will it take for a new member to get the first job on Proz?
Thanks.
Collapse


 
Woodstock (X)
Woodstock (X)  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 23:31
German to English
+ ...
A lot of questions Aug 2, 2020

Hello,
Most - if not all - of those questions would be answered under the forum topic "Getting established", as they are asked many times by newcomers just about every week. This site offers many invaluable features for every type of translator as long as you are willing to explore and take advantage of the wealth of knowledge available to you, especially as a paying member. If you still have questions after that, feel free to come back and ask them.

Good luck!


Christine Andersen
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
 
Christine Andersen
Christine Andersen  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 23:31
Member (2003)
Danish to English
+ ...
Expand your profile and make yourself visible Aug 2, 2020

The jobs posted on the jobs board are not always the best jobs, and there is still strong competition to get them. (Though in my language pairs I have also seen very good outsourcers posting jobs, so don´t give up!)

It varies a lot according to the languages you work with, but the best jobs come from clients who find you in the directories or when searching for a translator. That means you need to give as much really detailed information as you can about the areas you work in.
... See more
The jobs posted on the jobs board are not always the best jobs, and there is still strong competition to get them. (Though in my language pairs I have also seen very good outsourcers posting jobs, so don´t give up!)

It varies a lot according to the languages you work with, but the best jobs come from clients who find you in the directories or when searching for a translator. That means you need to give as much really detailed information as you can about the areas you work in.

Think what you would search for if you were a client with the kind of jobs you like to do. Add all the keywords and variants you can think of in the keywords section - you could with advantage make that far more detailed.

In the ´about me´ section, add any details you can think of about yourself and any interests that you really know a lot about, even outside your main work fields. Many people's sports and hobbies are serious international business for others - and translations are needed!

Join in activities with other translators, real or virtual. Colleagues who cannot take on jobs themselves are often happy to help a good client by recommending someone else, for instance when the job requires a different language pair or a subject area they do not specialize in.

There too, you need to show precisely which fields you really specialize in.

Take part in KudoZ. If you earn points, you will come higher up in the directories that clients search in, although you need a lot of points to reach the top!
Even when you do not earn points, the way you answer and explain why you suggest your answers will draw attention to you and your knowledge.

This site is a huge network of colleagues and service providers, and you can succeed in finding the good jobs by linking up with the right people.
You could also look at the Blue Board and send CVs to some of the agencies and outsourcers there,
-- but check them on other sites too, and send a letter with each CV that is specifically to the agency and clearly not spam. Read comments carefully when you choose agencies! Some are very good at collecting top ratings for a first job, but they may not be the best agencies to work for in the long term.
If they have several translators who have worked for them repeatedly, as well as good ratings, then you can consider sending a CV.
Look at the languages they offer, of course! I find that smaller agencies that specialize in a particular subject field or group of languages are easier to work with than the big agencies that try to cover everything.

Your languages, subjects and market are very different from mine, so I can only give you general advice, but there are some ideas to start with. Keep trying, and the best of luck!
Collapse


Josephine Cassar
Jorge Payan
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Beata Baika
 
JIAN LIU
JIAN LIU
China
Local time: 06:31
English to Chinese
TOPIC STARTER
thanks for telling the forum: Getting established Aug 3, 2020

Woodstock wrote:

Hello,
Most - if not all - of those questions would be answered under the forum topic "Getting established", as they are asked many times by newcomers just about every week. This site offers many invaluable features for every type of translator as long as you are willing to explore and take advantage of the wealth of knowledge available to you, especially as a paying member. If you still have questions after that, feel free to come back and ask them.

Good luck!


Thanks for telling me the right forum that I should go to: Getting established.


 
JIAN LIU
JIAN LIU
China
Local time: 06:31
English to Chinese
TOPIC STARTER
thanks for sharing with me all these insights. Aug 3, 2020

Christine Andersen wrote:

The jobs posted on the jobs board are not always the best jobs, and there is still strong competition to get them. (Though in my language pairs I have also seen very good outsourcers posting jobs, so don´t give up!)

It varies a lot according to the languages you work with, but the best jobs come from clients who find you in the directories or when searching for a translator. That means you need to give as much really detailed information as you can about the areas you work in.

Think what you would search for if you were a client with the kind of jobs you like to do. Add all the keywords and variants you can think of in the keywords section - you could with advantage make that far more detailed.

In the ´about me´ section, add any details you can think of about yourself and any interests that you really know a lot about, even outside your main work fields. Many people's sports and hobbies are serious international business for others - and translations are needed!

Join in activities with other translators, real or virtual. Colleagues who cannot take on jobs themselves are often happy to help a good client by recommending someone else, for instance when the job requires a different language pair or a subject area they do not specialize in.

There too, you need to show precisely which fields you really specialize in.

Take part in KudoZ. If you earn points, you will come higher up in the directories that clients search in, although you need a lot of points to reach the top!
Even when you do not earn points, the way you answer and explain why you suggest your answers will draw attention to you and your knowledge.

This site is a huge network of colleagues and service providers, and you can succeed in finding the good jobs by linking up with the right people.
You could also look at the Blue Board and send CVs to some of the agencies and outsourcers there,
-- but check them on other sites too, and send a letter with each CV that is specifically to the agency and clearly not spam. Read comments carefully when you choose agencies! Some are very good at collecting top ratings for a first job, but they may not be the best agencies to work for in the long term.
If they have several translators who have worked for them repeatedly, as well as good ratings, then you can consider sending a CV.
Look at the languages they offer, of course! I find that smaller agencies that specialize in a particular subject field or group of languages are easier to work with than the big agencies that try to cover everything.

Your languages, subjects and market are very different from mine, so I can only give you general advice, but there are some ideas to start with. Keep trying, and the best of luck!


Thanks for sharing with me all these insights! It is precious. I will try all those suggestions that you wrote. Thanks!


 


To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator:


You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request »

questions related to get jobs here







Trados Studio 2022 Freelance
The leading translation software used by over 270,000 translators.

Designed with your feedback in mind, Trados Studio 2022 delivers an unrivalled, powerful desktop and cloud solution, empowering you to work in the most efficient and cost-effective way.

More info »
Wordfast Pro
Translation Memory Software for Any Platform

Exclusive discount for ProZ.com users! Save over 13% when purchasing Wordfast Pro through ProZ.com. Wordfast is the world's #1 provider of platform-independent Translation Memory software. Consistently ranked the most user-friendly and highest value

Buy now! »