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Not a single job in the whole year - normal?
Thread poster: Batichtchev
Batichtchev
Batichtchev  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 06:50
English to Russian
Aug 10, 2018

Hi, folks!
Just of curiosity. A top notch translator with over 25 years of experience in the Translation Service of the United Nations. One year of paid membership on this site.
Not a single job.
I can live without freelancing. But doesn`t it look a bit weird?


Loay Al-Dakhlallah (X)
Morano El-Kholy
 
John Fossey
John Fossey  Identity Verified
Canada
Local time: 06:50
Member (2008)
French to English
+ ...
Marketing? Aug 10, 2018

Batichtchev wrote:

Hi, folks!
Just of curiosity. A top notch translator with over 25 years of experience in the Translation Service of the United Nations. One year of paid membership on this site.
Not a single job.
I can live without freelancing. But doesn`t it look a bit weird?


What are you doing to market your services? Do any potential clients know you exist?


Samantha Horton
José Henrique Lamensdorf
Loay Al-Dakhlallah (X)
Morano El-Kholy
 
Batichtchev
Batichtchev  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 06:50
English to Russian
TOPIC STARTER
Reply Aug 10, 2018

Replied to the job offers on this site. 20 or 30 times.
80% - Never replied me back.
20% - Sent me hundreds of pages. To be printed, filled out, scanned, attached and sent back. "For future considerations". Was done as requested. Never heard back after that too.


 
Carlos Maturana
Carlos Maturana  Identity Verified
Chile
Spanish to English
+ ...
Marketing strategy? Aug 10, 2018

Nowdays is not only a matter of expertise but to develop aditional skills.

Marketing strategies help us to be seen among the vast ocean of equally qualified professionals.

How much time do you devote to this?


Samantha Horton
Samuel Murray
 
Batichtchev
Batichtchev  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 06:50
English to Russian
TOPIC STARTER
Muchas gracias! Aug 10, 2018

Carlos Maturana wrote:

Nowdays is not only a matter of expertise but to develop aditional skills.

Marketing strategies help us to be seen among the vast ocean of equally qualified professionals.

How much time do you devote to this?


An excellent piece of advice - thank you!


Carlos Maturana
 
DZiW (X)
DZiW (X)
Ukraine
English to Russian
+ ...
Di-ver-si-fy Aug 10, 2018

IF you had not a single translation job AND you're still alive THEN it's probably ok, why?

Alexey, no disrespect, yet checking your 'resume':
... precis writing and proces verbal ...
Seriously? It's neither a professional CV (just check MS Word templates), nor it goes ok with "top notch translator", "over 25 years of experience", and "the United Nations", having very little to do with "One year of paid membership" and the rest.

If I were you, I'd consider (1) improving the image/references, (2) mastering other bread-winning activities, (3) implementing different methods and approaches, and (4) looking for other sources--not only in translation.

Cheers


Ricardo Suin
Jessica Noyes
Joana Araujo
Samantha Horton
B D Finch
Morano El-Kholy
 
Batichtchev
Batichtchev  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 06:50
English to Russian
TOPIC STARTER
You know better. Aug 10, 2018

DZiW wrote:

IF you had not a single translation job AND you're still alive THEN it's probably ok, why?

Alexey, no disrespect, yet checking your 'resume':
... precis writing and proces verbal ...
Seriously? It's neither a professional CV (just check MS Word templates), nor it goes ok with "top notch translator", "over 25 years of experience", and "the United Nations", having very little to do with "One year of paid membership" and the rest.

If I were you, I'd consider (1) improving the image/references, (2) mastering other bread-winning activities, (3) implementing different methods and approaches, and (4) looking for other sources--not only in translation.

Cheers


Will def do like you say, buddy.


 
Thayenga
Thayenga  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 11:50
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
Why? Aug 10, 2018

Batichtchev wrote:

Replied to the job offers on this site. 20 or 30 times.
80% - Never replied me back.
20% - Sent me hundreds of pages. To be printed, filled out, scanned, attached and sent back. "For future considerations". Was done as requested. Never heard back after that too.



Why did you fill out all these papers and returned them, knowing (or should have known) that this might only serve to "enlarge databases"? Before wasting time on such idle work, clarify everything else a forehand in emails.


 
Batichtchev
Batichtchev  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 06:50
English to Russian
TOPIC STARTER
Not any longer Aug 10, 2018

Thayenga wrote:

Batichtchev wrote:

Replied to the job offers on this site. 20 or 30 times.
80% - Never replied me back.
20% - Sent me hundreds of pages. To be printed, filled out, scanned, attached and sent back. "For future considerations". Was done as requested. Never heard back after that too.



Why did you fill out all these papers and returned them, knowing (or should have known) that this might only serve to "enlarge databases"? Before wasting time on such idle work, clarify everything else a forehand in emails.


It was in the beginning. When still was regarding the whole arrangement as a serious one. And also with having plenty of free time at hand. Now I just do not bother to respond.


 
Katalin Szilárd
Katalin Szilárd  Identity Verified
Hungary
Local time: 11:50
English to Hungarian
+ ...
"The truth is out there" Aug 10, 2018

Batichtchev wrote:

Hi, folks!
Just of curiosity. A top notch translator with over 25 years of experience in the Translation Service of the United Nations. One year of paid membership on this site.
Not a single job.
I can live without freelancing. But doesn`t it look a bit weird?


A likely reason for this issue:

Clients need to register and to be logged in on normal proz.com to contact someone, and if they use proz mobile then either they have to have a business membership or the translator must be a plus subscriber. Basically there are "pay tolls" ("tall toll walls") built between clients and translators, and this was done for a long time without the knowledge of translators. Now we know it and we're waiting for proz to break down these "walls" for good.

https://www.proz.com/forum/prozcom_directory/326140-proz_find™_search_tool_alpha_speed_improvement_search_by_location_improved-page3.html#2745274

[Edited at 2018-08-10 08:36 GMT]


Tom in London
Nikki Scott-Despaigne
José Henrique Lamensdorf
 
Batichtchev
Batichtchev  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 06:50
English to Russian
TOPIC STARTER
Very possible Aug 10, 2018

Katalin Szilárd wrote:

Batichtchev wrote:

Hi, folks!
Just of curiosity. A top notch translator with over 25 years of experience in the Translation Service of the United Nations. One year of paid membership on this site.
Not a single job.
I can live without freelancing. But doesn`t it look a bit weird?


A likely reason for this issue:

Clients need to register and to be logged in on normal proz.com to contact someone, and if they use proz mobile then either they have to have business membership or the translator must be a plus subscriber. Basically there are "pay tolls" ("tall toll walls") built between clients and translators, and this was done for a long time without the knowledge of translators. Now we know it and we're waiting for proz to break down these "walls" for good.

https://www.proz.com/forum/prozcom_directory/326140-proz_find™_search_tool_alpha_speed_improvement_search_by_location_improved-page3.html#2745274


I suspected something of this kind. Sad.


 
Yuri Radcev
Yuri Radcev  Identity Verified
Local time: 13:50
English to Russian
+ ...
Rates? Aug 10, 2018

Not too high, I hope?))

 
Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 10:50
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
Your "About me" text is damaging Aug 10, 2018

I think maybe your profile has a lot to do with the problem. By saying you're retired, you're effectively telling people to go away and leave you in peace. Why not change it to say that you spent nn years at the UN and now you're freelancing? And move some of the information from your CV to that section too so it stands out the moment they look at your profile. Your CV should be a list of facts, not a bio. So it needs to give details of subject areas and volumes translated, other skills, CAT too... See more
I think maybe your profile has a lot to do with the problem. By saying you're retired, you're effectively telling people to go away and leave you in peace. Why not change it to say that you spent nn years at the UN and now you're freelancing? And move some of the information from your CV to that section too so it stands out the moment they look at your profile. Your CV should be a list of facts, not a bio. So it needs to give details of subject areas and volumes translated, other skills, CAT tools and other IT knowledge ...

But on this site and similar ones you need to be active with your time, not just your money. If you go to the Site Guidance Centre you'll find information on how to get the site to work for you. You should attend the free "Meeting Clients" webinar and find out how to improve your position in the directory. Buying membership has leap-frogged you to a far better position, but you still need to work to get on the first page. Most of the good jobs here never get posted publicly. Instead, potential clients use the directory to find potential suppliers, or they issue private job postings.

There's a vast amount of information on this site about every aspect of translating and freelancing. And you have a good amount of free time. So, happy reading .
Collapse


Josephine Cassar
Ivana Kahle
sam@fr-uk
Angie Garbarino
Ricardo Suin
Yolanda Broad
Jessica Noyes
 
Christopher Schröder
Christopher Schröder
United Kingdom
Member (2011)
Swedish to English
+ ...
Yes and no Aug 10, 2018

No jobs through ProZ is not surprising if you are fussy and/or pricey.

I am both, and I've never had work through ProZ. Could've done all kinds of crappy jobs for peanuts though.

You just have to decide what level you want to operate at.


sam@fr-uk
Mirko Mainardi
Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Jean Chao
Oleksandr Ivanov
neilmac
B D Finch
 
Katalin Szilárd
Katalin Szilárd  Identity Verified
Hungary
Local time: 11:50
English to Hungarian
+ ...
Check in the forums how many translators asked the same question recently Aug 10, 2018

Batichtchev wrote:

I suspected something of this kind. Sad.


I have seen so many questions & answers here why translators don't get jobs since a while through this site (they are members, top notch etc.) and the given answers most of the time referred to blaming the translator.
I have talked with many top translators who were experiencing the same since a few years now saying "I'm not a subscriber any more because I didn't get visitors and so clients didn't write me..."
It has nothing to do with rates, their marketing strategies, their profiles etc....
These people are not new in translation and they spent a lot of time and money on their marketing strategies.

Those walls should be "broken" what I mentioned in my previous post ...


Tom in London
Morano El-Kholy
 
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