how to contact agencies and find initial work
Thread poster: Peter Kovacik
Peter Kovacik
Peter Kovacik  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 08:20
Arabic to English
Aug 13, 2018

I would like to get in contact with translation agencies and begin working as a translator, but I am not sure how to get in contact with those agencies. Is there a directory that I can use or should I just make an internet search? How many agencies should I contact?

Any tips would be appreciated.


Mr. Thanadech Promthanachap
 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 14:20
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
@Peter Aug 13, 2018

Peter Kovacik wrote:
Is there a directory that I can use or should I just make an internet search?


https://www.proz.com/translation-companies
https://www.proz.com/blueboard
http://www.translationdirectory.com/jobs.htm#04
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/WPPF/info
http://www.paymentpractices.net/

Also see https://traceytranslations.co.uk/translation-portals/, for example.

How many agencies should I contact?


All of them (well, all of those that seem to fit your offering).

Contact agencies individually after you checked them out and decided whether or not you offer what they require. Many agencies have online forms that you can fill in instead of sending them an e-mail.



[Edited at 2018-08-14 08:37 GMT]


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Peter Kovacik
Peter Kovacik  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 08:20
Arabic to English
TOPIC STARTER
updating profile Aug 14, 2018

Thank you for the helpful comments Samuel.

I also have a question about sample translations. I have been getting some ideas on how to improve my profile, and it looks like I should add some sample translations to it. Where can I find suitable texts to translate? I could easily translate part of a classical text since it would have been written a long time ago, but there could be copyright issues for modern texts.

[Edited at 2018-08-14 02:21 GMT]


Vikas Ranjan
 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 14:20
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
@Peter Aug 14, 2018

Peter Kovacik wrote:
Where can I find suitable texts to translate?


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/الصفحة_الرئيسية

Remember, with Wikipedia text you have the freedom to edit the source text to include elements that you want to show off or to exclude elements that you don't want to clutter up the profile page unnecessarily.



[Edited at 2018-08-14 08:38 GMT]


 
Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 13:20
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
Check out a couple of other things Aug 14, 2018

Peter Kovacik wrote:
I have been getting some ideas on how to improve my profile

You've already been given some good advice, Peter. I'm just wondering if you've attended the free "Meeting Clients at ProZ.com" webinar. If you go to the Site Guidance Centre you'll find how to sign up for that. You're already on the right track with your profile but there are always ways to improve it. At the moment you'd find it very difficult to land anything at all here other than texts about religion, as that's the only field you specify you work in. Maybe that should be your top specialisation, with other specialisations plus some working fields too? Otherwise, you won't get notifications of other jobs, nor will clients find you if they search for potential providers, nor will you be entitled to reply to job posts. So check that out before any contact.

Also, make sure you only contact the agencies you may want to work with. They're always a bit of an unknown quantity but some have terrible payment records. So check out the BB record of each agency, and use similar resources elsewhere too (Samuel has listed some). Also, before accepting any work from anyone - and particularly if they contact you out of the blue - make sure not to skip the due diligence. Check out the Wiki on this site about Risk Management, and get the Scam Centre to send you updates of all new scams. Even if something looks to be from a well-known agency, it could be a case of identity theft. There are loads of things you can and should do to protect yourself.

Good luck!


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Emma Page
Emma Page
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:20
French to English
+ ...
All good advice above, but re: number of agencies... Aug 15, 2018

You will need to contact far more agencies than you initially suspect. I sent my CV/filled out application forms for around 50 agencies when first looking for work. Of those, about 7 replied positively and "registered me in their database" (this involved everything from signing a single NDA form to doing mid-length samples, reading long powerpoints, etc). 3 of those 7 never contacted me again. 1 provides regular, simple work for relatively low fees. 1 provides occasional work for insultingly low... See more
You will need to contact far more agencies than you initially suspect. I sent my CV/filled out application forms for around 50 agencies when first looking for work. Of those, about 7 replied positively and "registered me in their database" (this involved everything from signing a single NDA form to doing mid-length samples, reading long powerpoints, etc). 3 of those 7 never contacted me again. 1 provides regular, simple work for relatively low fees. 1 provides occasional work for insultingly low fees (I have never accepted). 1 was a straight-up scam, and 1 ended up being an absolute goldmine and my gateway into full-time freelancing.

So basically out of 50 applications, I got 1 decent client. I think that rate is typical when starting out. Get a good CV together, do your research, make a list of 100 agencies, and start getting yourself out there. Bid for Proz jobs when you're eligible, generally the "cattle call" ones ("we're looking to expand our database in XYZ languages...") aren't worth your time, but specific jobs may be. I've gotten a good client or two that way.
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LINDA PETRONILLE NGONGANG TCHATCHOUA
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Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:20
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Don't do it Aug 15, 2018

https://www.proz.com/forum/getting_established/327955-dont_email_hundreds_of_agencies_looking_for_work.html

 
Natalie Soper
Natalie Soper  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:20
French to English
+ ...
Do your research... Aug 15, 2018

Also make sure that you're actually contacting agencies/companies, and not individual translators. I've had many emails from people "offering their services" when actually, a three-second look at my website would show them that I don't accept job/freelancer applications because I'm a sole trader and don't outsource work. That just makes you look silly

Sheila Wilson
Vladimir Filipenko
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Inga Petkelyte
 
Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Nikki Scott-Despaigne  Identity Verified
Local time: 14:20
French to English
Something to bear in mind Aug 16, 2018

Emma Page wrote:
1 ended up being an absolute goldmine and my gateway into full-time freelancing.


We all need a lucky break and it's great when it happens. When starting out though, we are particularly vulnerable. There is a learning curve in translation but also in business efficiency and proficiency. It is particularly difficult to avoid relying upon one or two clients. As we are not their employee, an agent can simply cease providing work form one day to the next without owing us anything at all. Indeed, this can and does happen at various times throughout the life of a translator. So be prepared. Make sure you continue to search for and find other (good) clients. This is a never-ending activity. Even when you have a few clients, some will generate lots of work from time to time, others will give you little and often. If one client gives you a lot all the time, then you are heading into dependence with all the risks implied, however good it is at the time. Keep looking over your shoulder!


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Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 13:20
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
Never stop marketing as a freelancer Aug 16, 2018

Nikki Scott-Despaigne wrote:
Make sure you continue to search for and find other (good) clients. This is a never-ending activity.

Yes, even if you're lucky/skilful enough to get half a dozen regular clients and 10+ not-so-regular ones, it still isn't a good idea to stop all marketing activity. You'll do less once you're established, of course, but don't cut it out altogether.

Apart from the possible sudden disappearance of your best client, landing a new client or two can be the most painless way of raising your rates. Charge new clients the higher rate, then gently break the bad news to some occasional clients, or ones that are a pain in some way (particularly low rates, late payers, high admin overhead, unfriendly PMs...). Some will disappear; others will moan but come back to you (maybe after a break while they try to find cheaper alternatives); maybe one or two will simply accept without a fight. Once you're spending a good part of your time happily earning the higher rate, you're in a far better position to weather losing what were your best clients, but probably aren't any longer.


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Peter Kovacik
Peter Kovacik  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 08:20
Arabic to English
TOPIC STARTER
thanks Aug 18, 2018

Thank you all for the insights into this issue and the beneficial discussion.

 
DZiW (X)
DZiW (X)
Ukraine
English to Russian
+ ...
projection Aug 19, 2018

Hello Peter--you've been a ProZ member for some three years, so there must be good contacts and you're just diversifying, yet where is the presentation: samples? credentials? KudoZ? WWA? recent training?

While some customs require a cover letter, a good CV is relatively short (with variable line-length too), attractive (benefits), informative and persuasive (specifics, "WHY?"),
... See more
Hello Peter--you've been a ProZ member for some three years, so there must be good contacts and you're just diversifying, yet where is the presentation: samples? credentials? KudoZ? WWA? recent training?

While some customs require a cover letter, a good CV is relatively short (with variable line-length too), attractive (benefits), informative and persuasive (specifics, "WHY?"), and selling (mutual benefits), of course.

However, reading your brief CV, I couldn't see benefits, specifics, and "why exactly you", alas. For example, isn't
I am a qualified translator who has studied the Arabic language for more than 13 years.
is but a rewording of
I began studying Arabic in 2005 at Qasid Institute in Amman, Jordan ...
, and why "Although... a generalist", whereas "travel/tourism, law (general), news, and politics" is rather a specialization? Also trite "Because I only translate into my native language" is not an ethical act, yet a standard.

Shortly, while the NDA might prevent you from listing the clients or references, there's no portfolio (short samples) to quick-check your words--no prognosis, no perspectives, no prospects.

IMO, indeed)

[Edited at 2018-08-19 19:17 GMT]
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Peter Kovacik
Peter Kovacik  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 08:20
Arabic to English
TOPIC STARTER
update profile/CV Aug 20, 2018

Hi DZiW,

Thank you for the constructive criticism of my CV. I think you have made a lot of good points regarding how I can better present my translation abilities.

DZiW wrote:

Hello Peter--you've been a ProZ member for some three years, so there must be good contacts and you're just diversifying, yet where is the presentation: samples? credentials? KudoZ? WWA? recent training?


In the last few years since joining Proz, I have not been seeking opportunities to work professionally as a translator; however, I have been studying texts with various teachers in my main specialization, which is Islamic Studies and its various sub-disciplines. I understand that even though I am confident in my ability to translate, I will need to prove that ability through the means you have suggested, and I hope to present some of my translation samples soon.


DZiW wrote:

For example, isn't
I am a qualified translator who has studied the Arabic language for more than 13 years.
is but a rewording of
I began studying Arabic in 2005 at Qasid Institute in Amman, Jordan ...



You are right that some of the information is redundant and can be taken out.


DZiW wrote: and why "Although... a generalist", whereas "travel/tourism, law (general), news, and politics" is rather a specialization?


I am confident in my ability to translate in those subject areas, but I feel that I am more of a generalist rather than having a deep specialization in those areas. My main specialization is in Islamic Studies.

DZiW wrote:
Also trite "Because I only translate into my native language" is not an ethical act, yet a standard.


Although translating into one's native language is a standard, a quick look at my language pair shows that most Arabic to English translators are native Arabic speakers. Therefore, I thought it would be relevant to emphasize the fact that I am a native speaker of my target language.

Thanks again for the comments. I plan to update my profile/CV with some changes.



[Edited at 2018-08-20 15:56 GMT]

[Edited at 2018-08-20 15:57 GMT]


 
John Fossey
John Fossey  Identity Verified
Canada
Local time: 09:20
Member (2008)
French to English
+ ...
Translation company directories Aug 21, 2018

Peter Kovacik wrote:

Is there a directory that I can use ...


Yes. For European agencies, the site https://www.euatc.org/members will direct you to member associations to which most agencies belong, for each country in Europe. You will need to drill down to each country's association, most of which have a directory of member companies. Then you will need to go to each company's website to find out how they want to be contacted.

For American translation companies there is the ATA list available at https://www.atanet.org/onlinedirectories/search_org_translating.php


 


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how to contact agencies and find initial work







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