| Páginas sobre el tema: < [1 2] | Getting experience & volunteering Autor de la hebra: Layla de Chabot
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Layla de Chabot 
Francia
Local time: 22:02
inglés al francés
PERSONA QUE INICIÓ LA HEBRA | What about quality control? | Apr 8, 2011 |
Sheila Wilson wrote:
2. I wonder whether having your work checked by another translator isn't actually giving the wrong impression, particularly having regard to the very low rates you advertise - you seem to place very little value on your work, assuming you are paying for proofreading services, and if you don't value it then why should the client?
For me that is Quality Control, not a question of being unsure of my work. I don't pay for proofreading services, as the senior translator is a relative.
You find my rates are very low ?! 0.08 euro per source word isn't that low I think, judging by what we see on the market and considering I have little experience as a translator.
[Edited at 2011-04-08 21:45 GMT]
| | | | | Playing Devil's Advocate | Apr 9, 2011 |
Layla de Chabot wrote:
For me that is Quality Control, not a question of being unsure of my work. I don't pay for proofreading services, as the senior translator is a relative.
In that case you are very lucky to have them around. Obviously QC is a very important part of our job.
You find my rates are very low ?! 0.08 euro per source word isn't that low I think, judging by what we see on the market and considering I have little experience as a translator.
[Edited at 2011-04-08 21:45 GMT]
Well, it's the reverse of my pair so I'm not an expert on market rates, but I live in the same country and pay the same taxes etc. and I would say that En-Fr rates need to take account of the fact that you will nearly always end up with a translation that is longer than the source text. You say 8ct, but on your website you show 7ct for "general" translations. I wonder how many people want to pay more for their "easy" translation.
As far as "little experience" is concerned, it's the finished product that people are paying for and if everything is being checked by someone who IS experienced, why should the client pay less? Perhaps you should add 2ct and hand it over to your checker.
The thing is, you've convinced me but are you convincing potential clients? Marketing is all about the message, after all.
| | | | Layla de Chabot
Francia
Local time: 22:02
inglés al francés
PERSONA QUE INICIÓ LA HEBRA
I think what potential employers want to hear is "I've done jobs which are very similar to this one".
I find it hard to believe that marketing plays such an important role, judging by the CVs and websites of some experienced translators. I am not minimising marketing, but I really think experience is all.
And this goes back to my first question : how do we get experience, apart from volunteering?
[Edited at 2011-04-09 16:24 GMT]
| | | | | Repositioning | Apr 9, 2011 |
Hi Layla,
My hunch is that you need to reposition yourself. I've looked at your website and your CV, and in your fields of expertise - hydrology and environment - you are no beginner: you have graduate degrees and 8 years of experience under your belt.
That strength is not being leveraged on your website; in fact, you don't even mention your consulting track record (if you did and I missed it, it is not visible enough!). Moreover, by saying "general" and scientific tran... See more Hi Layla,
My hunch is that you need to reposition yourself. I've looked at your website and your CV, and in your fields of expertise - hydrology and environment - you are no beginner: you have graduate degrees and 8 years of experience under your belt.
That strength is not being leveraged on your website; in fact, you don't even mention your consulting track record (if you did and I missed it, it is not visible enough!). Moreover, by saying "general" and scientific translations, you are weakening your expertise. Scratch the "general"!
In your list of services, scientific documents come last. Would a visitor to your website remember that or would he/she just recall the first bits - websites, CVs and emails? (On the web, the upper left hand corner of the web page is the one that catches the eye the most > make good use of it).
The rates your propose (and personally, I don't quot a rate without seeing the document and knowing all the project's parameters) also weaken the positioning of your expertise. And please don't go by the rates offered on Proz. There is not ONE market but a zillion markets and niches. You can take a look at the SFT (www.sft.fr) annual survey to see how broad the span is. Relatedly, I would recommend you take the SFT's workshop on starting up and developing a clientele. It is offered regularly in different parts of France.
Sure, perhaps you are starting out as a freelance translator. But how can you seduce clients and gain their trust when you yourself are minimizing or occulting your strongest assets and talents?
I have a hunch you will do just fine in this profession. You just need to believe in your skills and expertise and convey that confidence and passion to your clients and in your marketing materials!
Go for it
Patricia ▲ Collapse
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