Reporting experience in CV
Thread poster: Roberta Cocchi
Roberta Cocchi
Roberta Cocchi  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 11:27
Member (2009)
English to Italian
+ ...
Mar 21, 2018

Dear all,
I have worked as an interpreter and translation for a number of prestigious companies through translation agencies. I think including such clients in my CV could improve my professional image and encourage potential clients to get in touch with me; however, I'm not sure I can include the names of the companies in my CV, since I have worked for them through translation agencies...what's your advice to this regard?
Roberta


 
Valérie Ourset
Valérie Ourset
Spain
Local time: 11:27
English to French
+ ...
I would contact them first Mar 21, 2018

Hello,
If you had good contact with them, I would contact them first to know if it is OK to mention them on your CV. This is what should be done before mentioning registered company names on any support. This is my humble opinion but more experienced translators may not agree..
Valérie.


 
Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 10:27
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
Mentioning end clients Mar 21, 2018

Valérie Ourset wrote:
If you had good contact with them, I would contact them first to know if it is OK to mention them on your CV.

I think Roberta is referring to end clients, and of course they've never heard of her.

You've never had any sort of contractual relationship with your client's clients, Roberta. Your only relationships have been with the agencies. You could ask if they are willing to appear on your CV, but I don't see how you can list anything else, though plenty do. Can you even be 100% sure that the agency's client was the big name mentioned in the text? Just because the text is about "the biggest drinks producer" doesn't mean they asked for it to be translated. Competitors, news agencies, courts, customers, pressure groups - they could all have an interest in a translation.


 
ATIL KAYHAN
ATIL KAYHAN  Identity Verified
Türkiye
Local time: 13:27
Member (2007)
Turkish to English
+ ...
Achievements Mar 21, 2018

I used my liberty to take a look at your ProZ profile and thus your CV. My first suggestion is that you should use action verbs in past tense when you explain your achievements. For example,

"Interpreting from Italian to English and vice versa the depositions of Italian and foreign witnesses and the questions of attorneys. Checking and correcting the translation by the counterpart’s interpreter"

The above expression is rather dull and/or idle. This would be
... See more
I used my liberty to take a look at your ProZ profile and thus your CV. My first suggestion is that you should use action verbs in past tense when you explain your achievements. For example,

"Interpreting from Italian to English and vice versa the depositions of Italian and foreign witnesses and the questions of attorneys. Checking and correcting the translation by the counterpart’s interpreter"

The above expression is rather dull and/or idle. This would be much better if it went,

"Interpreted from Italian to English and vice versa the depositions of Italian and foreign witnesses and the questions of attorneys. Checked and corrected the translation by the counterpart’s interpreter."

Now they sound like real achievements. You should put all your achievements in past tense like above.

Also, I see that you put all the company names there. Maybe, just maybe, you can be selective in choosing company names for your CV. More achievements and less company names might sound better sometimes.
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DZiW (X)
DZiW (X)
Ukraine
English to Russian
+ ...
No CV Mar 22, 2018

Hello Roberta--Although it's just my subjective opinion, but are you really sure the CV is the best approach to show oneself as a language specialist? There're namely thousands of such applicants...

Now I mostly work as an interpreter with direct clients (including HRs), and informally they often nag about hundreds unfeatured 'spammers', whereas it's only good recommendation from a real person what matters. Shortly, they prefer to hear something good about you from their people, pre
... See more
Hello Roberta--Although it's just my subjective opinion, but are you really sure the CV is the best approach to show oneself as a language specialist? There're namely thousands of such applicants...

Now I mostly work as an interpreter with direct clients (including HRs), and informally they often nag about hundreds unfeatured 'spammers', whereas it's only good recommendation from a real person what matters. Shortly, they prefer to hear something good about you from their people, preferably a partner, a colleague, or an officer..

So, if it's about a local company, then why don't you try (say, via LinkedIn and other social media) to organize an informal meeting with someone from the company to get a REAL reference?
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Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 10:27
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
It could well be different for interpreters Mar 22, 2018

DZiW wrote:
Now I mostly work as an interpreter with direct clients (including HRs), and informally they often nag about hundreds unfeatured 'spammers'


if it's about a local company, then why don't you try (say, via LinkedIn and other social media) to organize an informal meeting with someone from the company to get a REAL reference?

I'm sure no company likes spammers, so the use of cold-calling CVs has to be handled in a very careful and personalised manner. But whereas a face-to-face interpreter has mainly local clients, most translators could never get to meet the majority of their clients. I, for example, send invoices to around 20 different countries every year, and I think three of them to date have been addressed to a client based in Spain! I agree that personal recommendations are the best way possible to get new clients though.

Of course, preparing a CV listing every job you've ever had in your life, with your language skills way down near the end ( ) and sending it to hundreds of agencies with a standard "Dear Sirs" letter is most certainly going to be a waste of time. But preparing a highly tailored marketing document - let's call it a CV, just for the sake of using a term that most people are familiar with - and sending it to targeted potential clients along with an equally tailored introductory letter can bring a very reasonable ROI. Some agencies are known to reply months later so even silence doesn't necessarily mean failure. But the main use I put mine to is to provide an easy-to-read summary of facts for already-interested potential clients. They've either found their way to my profile here or they're likely to be interested in my quote for their posted job. A good CV/whatever is worth its weight in gold then.


 
DZiW (X)
DZiW (X)
Ukraine
English to Russian
+ ...
yet still Mar 23, 2018

Dear Sheila, you're talking, but I'd like to ventilate certain points:

1) informal meetings aren't specific to interpreters or translators only;
2) mostly people prefer CVs, watering the chances;
3) it makes more sense to contact direct clients (if possible), not middlemen; and
4) a decent portfolio works better than CV+cover letter.

If it may work too, then why not?


 
Marcella Marino
Marcella Marino  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 11:27
Member (2016)
English to Italian
+ ...
Ask first Mar 23, 2018

Hi Roberta,

as Sheila pointed out, your client's clients do not know you directly. They just know the translation agency that worked for them, of course behind it there is a single translator, but they don't know him/her. Therefore, I would ask the translation agencies you worked for if they agree that you mention them first and then some of their major customers on your CV.
For interpreting tasks it is a bit different, as in those cases you know your customers directly and th
... See more
Hi Roberta,

as Sheila pointed out, your client's clients do not know you directly. They just know the translation agency that worked for them, of course behind it there is a single translator, but they don't know him/her. Therefore, I would ask the translation agencies you worked for if they agree that you mention them first and then some of their major customers on your CV.
For interpreting tasks it is a bit different, as in those cases you know your customers directly and the process of asking for a reference or if you can quote them on your CV should be much easier. Anyway I would ask them to be mentioned.

Just my personal opinion.
Hope to help!

Kind regards,
Marcella
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Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 10:27
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
A portfolio can be difficult Mar 24, 2018

DZiW wrote:
1) informal meetings aren't specific to interpreters or translators only;
2) mostly people prefer CVs, watering the chances;
3) it makes more sense to contact direct clients (if possible), not middlemen; and
4) a decent portfolio works better than CV+cover letter.

I don't disagree with the first three points, and a decent portfolio is a good thing to have too. However, when you're working on confidential documents most of the time, a portfolio often simply isn't possible. Also, how much use are samples of past translations to clients who only know one of the languages? Great for agencies; great for direct clients who know a bit of the other language - or know someone who does. But many clients order a professional translation simply because they don't know the other languages, so how are they to judge the quality of the translation? On the other hand, if you can produce a really strong CV - in their language - that sets out loads of experience and has some items they can verify (links, testimonials...), then they may well be satisfied.

There isn't a one-size-fit-all rule to marketing, more's the pity. We all just need to do whatever best suits our personal circumstances and our potential clients.


 


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Reporting experience in CV







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