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How can I state my experience as proofreader in my CV?
Thread poster: Luciana F (X)
Luciana F (X)
Luciana F (X)
Argentina
English to Spanish
May 5, 2011

How can I state my experience as proofreader in my CV?

Hello,

I’m fairly new in the profession and recently I started proofreading and editing press releases for an agency.

I want to update my CV and I’m not sure how to add that information to it.

And also, how is the best way to calculate the rate?

Thanks in advance.
 
Yael Katz
Yael Katz  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 08:24
English to German
+ ...
Charge by the hour May 6, 2011

I have seen many job posts that offer proofreading rates as half the word price of a translation. However, you could end up having to make so many changes or actually re-translate entire passages that a word rate simply does not pay off. Therefore, I strongly recommend charging by the hour. This requires a little experience as to how many pages you can read per hour but you'll get an idea quickly. This chart gives you an overview of hourly and pe... See more
I have seen many job posts that offer proofreading rates as half the word price of a translation. However, you could end up having to make so many changes or actually re-translate entire passages that a word rate simply does not pay off. Therefore, I strongly recommend charging by the hour. This requires a little experience as to how many pages you can read per hour but you'll get an idea quickly. This chart gives you an overview of hourly and per word rates in the community: http://search.proz.com/employers/rates.

I have listed proofreading projects on my CV by giving either the word or page count as well as a general description of the text (no confidential details of the project, of course!). e. g. proofreading/editing, business letter, English into German, 350 words.
However, I am still looking for a good sample of a translators CV because I'm not sure if I should list every single project or just provide a word count on a certain topic or field. Suggestions welcome!

Hope this helps! ▲ Collapse
 
Luciana F (X)
Luciana F (X)
Argentina
English to Spanish
TOPIC STARTER
Should I state them as different projects or altogether? May 6, 2011

Thank you Yael! That's been really helpful.

I have the same question. Should I state them as different projects or altogether?

As regards the rates, I think it may depend upon the kind of text. For example, I am proofreading/editing press releases. They’re short and pretty similar most of the times, so I can deliver them quite fast. In that case, for me, it is better to charge by the word count.
 
Yael Katz
Yael Katz  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 08:24
English to German
+ ...
A matter of experience May 10, 2011

As for the CV, I think the more projects one accumulates during his/her career the better it might be to summarize the word count and maybe list the four or five biggest projects for each field. It certainly always makes sense to highlight and be specific about those projects that are relevant for a current job offer or new client.

Regarding rates: If you have worked for this client before and know that their texts are of a steady quality and their payment is prompt and reliable, t... See more
As for the CV, I think the more projects one accumulates during his/her career the better it might be to summarize the word count and maybe list the four or five biggest projects for each field. It certainly always makes sense to highlight and be specific about those projects that are relevant for a current job offer or new client.

Regarding rates: If you have worked for this client before and know that their texts are of a steady quality and their payment is prompt and reliable, there's no need to change the rate system. I would, however, strongly recommend charging by the hour for texts that display major problems (or simply not accept them). This requires thorough review of the entire text before accepting the assignment! I'm just pointing this out because I've learned my lesson!

Either way, good luck for your future assignments!

[Edited at 2011-05-10 04:36 GMT]

[Edited at 2011-05-10 04:37 GMT] ▲ Collapse
 
Ian Harrison (X)
Ian Harrison (X)  Identity Verified
Local time: 09:24
Spanish to English
helpful May 11, 2011

Your responses were very helpful to me Yael, thank you!
 


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How can I state my experience as proofreader in my CV?







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