| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: What is the most annoying part of the job-seeking process? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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| | Adnan Özdemir 
Türkiye
Local time: 19:00
Member (2007)
German to Turkish
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| :::: Most annoying ::::: Other: CV | Feb 8, 2011 |
CV
Customer/outsourcer demands CV and asks for a CV...
- Hi Adnan, please send your CV and references...
-Hi dear Outsourcer, You can visit my (aluminum Profile on Proz
Outsourcer - What?
Adnan - Yes you can visit my profile, there are all necessary informations about me
Online profile(s) = ... See more
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You find a job offer that suits your characteristics, you are perfectly fit for that job. You apply and then you find yourself in the middle of market, where you are bargaining your skills with the cutting-cost-policy of the company. You thought it was a simple "We need this-I can provide it"kind of relationship, NO, you become part of a desperate crowd, even though you are not desperate!
At the end: I find annoying, or better, I hate the approach of SOME outsourcers:
<... See more You find a job offer that suits your characteristics, you are perfectly fit for that job. You apply and then you find yourself in the middle of market, where you are bargaining your skills with the cutting-cost-policy of the company. You thought it was a simple "We need this-I can provide it"kind of relationship, NO, you become part of a desperate crowd, even though you are not desperate!
At the end: I find annoying, or better, I hate the approach of SOME outsourcers:
You want to work for nothing? NO, well I'll find someone else, cause at the end of the day, everybody who knows a bit of a foreign language and has a good dictionary can be a translator! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Interlangue (X)
Angola
Local time: 18:00
English to French
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Tendering for framework contracts (direct clients), which combines "several of the above" though not all.
I do not negociate rates and leave most of the the "job searching" to the agencies I work for - win-win deal.
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| cover letters | Feb 8, 2011 |
I have always hated doing that for any job. But at least when applying for translation jobs, you don't have to take 'personality tests' or any of that junk, and answer stupid job interview questions.
I also really don't like translating samples. It's a real nuisance especially if i'm busy!
| | | | | Among other things... | Feb 8, 2011 |
Getting all the stuff together, writing a nice personalized cover letter (well, crib it together) to convince them that you are the ideal person for the job, get your hopes up and BANG, the job advertisement has been closed, well ahead of the indicated time, while you have been writing...
| | | | | When agencies ignore the information I gave in the 1st place | Feb 8, 2011 |
I don't like when agencies ask me to take a test or fill in a 10 page form without confirming first that they're ok with the rates I gave them, and then, upon asking them the question, getting the answer : "oh, no ! this is too much for us"
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I replied "other" because I do not find anything in that process annoying. I get a lot of offers and seldom have to market myself.
If the question would have been what I find most annoying about the administration around translation I would say "when I client re-negotiates a deal you have made after you have delivered the job". Once a client whom I had worked for during a long period of time decided that my agreed rate whould be per target word instead of per source word which it h... See more I replied "other" because I do not find anything in that process annoying. I get a lot of offers and seldom have to market myself.
If the question would have been what I find most annoying about the administration around translation I would say "when I client re-negotiates a deal you have made after you have delivered the job". Once a client whom I had worked for during a long period of time decided that my agreed rate whould be per target word instead of per source word which it had always been before. This was a HUGE project so the diffence was great I was very frustrated. The same job was paid using PayPal instead of bank transfer which we had agreed upon, and as it was a very large project I lost a lot of money. I never accepted work from that client after that... ▲ Collapse
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Rebecca Garber
Local time: 12:00
Member (2005)
German to English
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| I replied negotiating rates... | Feb 8, 2011 |
which I do truly detest the most out of all of the possibilities.
However, annoying is something different: not in the loathing category.
The think I find most annoying is when agencies ignore basic information on my ProZ profile.
Specifically: we need this in Trados.
When I respond that I don't use Trados, they are always sooooo surprised. And stunned, as if I had tried to sneak something by them.
And my other pet peeve:
I tra... See more which I do truly detest the most out of all of the possibilities.
However, annoying is something different: not in the loathing category.
The think I find most annoying is when agencies ignore basic information on my ProZ profile.
Specifically: we need this in Trados.
When I respond that I don't use Trados, they are always sooooo surprised. And stunned, as if I had tried to sneak something by them.
And my other pet peeve:
I translate patents. Nice, technical texts, sometimes with pictures.
I don't translate the legal apparatus that accompanies them. I have no legal background, and I'm not looking to expand. Technical and my other niche, handwritten docs, pay well.
However, since patents appear as a subset of legal (why?), I get projects from PM involving such legal texts. When I point out that I am a technical translator, not a legal translator, I am constantly told that the text is mostly technical, and that the legal is something that anyone can do. ?!?!?! ▲ Collapse
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 18:00
Spanish to English
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| All of the above | Feb 8, 2011 |
In fact this morning I had to turn down an agency who were "very interested" in my CV but were bidding for a project tender where they have to submit "certified references" of the translator's previous work in the area, since I don't have the time (or inclination) to start collating references from my clients past or present.
Ho hum, it's their loss...
| | | | Henry Hinds
United States
Local time: 10:00
English to Spanish
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In memoriam
Fortunately I never have to seek work, work has always found me! Even though it would be nice to be retired, well, it's not going to happen. But then I'm always happier having a certain amount of work to do, so I can have the best of both worlds, the working world and living the life of a retired man.
| | | | | Negotiating payment terms | Feb 8, 2011 |
Rates are either negotiable, i.e. the client may raise theirs in view of what I have to offer. However I have so fat only ONE client willing to change their standard payment term.
Just as I need some time to actually DO the job, I think that two weeks - regardless of the size of the job, get more people if needed - is ample time for the agency to check what I've delivered, let the end client do the same, get paid, and pay me. Anything beyond that will turn me into a zero-interest mo... See more Rates are either negotiable, i.e. the client may raise theirs in view of what I have to offer. However I have so fat only ONE client willing to change their standard payment term.
Just as I need some time to actually DO the job, I think that two weeks - regardless of the size of the job, get more people if needed - is ample time for the agency to check what I've delivered, let the end client do the same, get paid, and pay me. Anything beyond that will turn me into a zero-interest money lending institution.
Very few clients - though they exist - respond via PayPal immediately, as soon as they get my delivery with invoice. Most won't budge, saying that they'll only be able to pay in 30 days, on the last day of next month, on the 5th day of the second month, and so on. In high demand seasons like now, I let them borrow money elsewhere, and remain a translator.
What really makes me mad are those jobs labeled "URGENT - We need 4,000 words translated within the next 16 hours", and yet they state right away that payment will be in 60 days. Who is in a rush, if anyone? ▲ Collapse
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Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 09:00
English to German
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In memoriam
Why???? Clients can find me through my profile page only (I don't have a website) - this profile pages contains BB comments for my company, my BB comments for my clients and WWAs. Why on earth do I still have to prove that I am a translator?
I am providing quite a lot of references for other translators and therefore I know how those little, useless questionnaires that are so eagerly sent by agencies look like.
What a nuisance and what a waste of time for all parties.
| | | | Allison Wright (X)
Portugal
Local time: 17:00
| I do not like posts with the "contact directly" request. | Feb 8, 2011 |
I much prefer the "Submit quote" option. Surely the latter results in more uniform responses for the poster? I also do not like having to direct the poster to my profile in my covering e-mail, and fiddle around trying to cobble together something which may make me stand out as the most appropriate candidate for the job.
As for references, I agree with other posters. What on earth for? Besides the LWA, I would have thought my accreditation to a FIT-affiliated institute would be r... See more I much prefer the "Submit quote" option. Surely the latter results in more uniform responses for the poster? I also do not like having to direct the poster to my profile in my covering e-mail, and fiddle around trying to cobble together something which may make me stand out as the most appropriate candidate for the job.
As for references, I agree with other posters. What on earth for? Besides the LWA, I would have thought my accreditation to a FIT-affiliated institute would be reference enough; that, and the fact that after 22 years, I am still translating!
Because I spent much of my working life in the corporate world/private sector (working tirelessly at night and on weekends on freelance translations) , the references I have pertain to that work, and nothing concrete pertaining to translation, and I cannot trace those who would give me a translation recommendation. Since posters rarely ask for a *translation-related* reference, perhaps one day in a fit of pique I might scan and send one that says what a good administration manager, or whatever, I was!
[Edited at 2011-02-08 21:29 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Spending 45 minutes of my life writing a good cover letter that will never get any answer is adorable indeed.
| | | | | Pages in topic: [1 2] > | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Poll: What is the most annoying part of the job-seeking process? | Anycount & Translation Office 3000 | Translation Office 3000
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| | Trados Business Manager Lite | Create customer quotes and invoices from within Trados Studio
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