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!