| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Does being a ProZ.com member really help in getting new jobs? Thread poster: Lucas Rayel
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Niraja Nanjundan (X) 
Local time: 21:01
German to English
Lucas Rayel wrote:
I have already taken the PRO certified exam in EN>PT(BR)
.....is there an exam for admission to the CPN now?
If so, since when? I didn't know about it.
Could someone (staff?) clarify?
Thanks.
| | | | Hynek Palatin
Czech Republic
Local time: 17:31
Member (2003)
English to Czech
+ ...
| Not sure what you mean | Nov 19, 2009 |
Michael Zapuskalov wrote: Hynek, 7 or 8 answers and, as a result, first page or place in the field of expertise. Does IT look representative?
Michael, I am not sure what you mean by your remark.
| | | | Lucas Rayel
Brazil
Local time: 12:31
English to Portuguese
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Certification PRO exam | Nov 19, 2009 |
Niraja Nanjundan wrote: Lucas Rayel wrote:
I have already taken the PRO certified exam in EN>PT(BR)
.....is there an exam for admission to the CPN now? If so, since when? I didn't know about it. Could someone (staff?) clarify? Thanks.
I did it here: http://www.proz.com/pro-tag/info/about/
[Edited at 2009-11-19 14:04 GMT]
| | | | Eva Stoppa
Germany
Local time: 17:31
English to German
+ ...
| Didn`t know that either | Nov 19, 2009 |
But how and where do you take this exam? I only read on some profiles that someone is a certified Pro member, but I have no idea of how to get that certification.
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| Just to clarify - it is not an exam | Nov 19, 2009 |
Hi everyone,
Just to avoid confusion here, I would like to confirm that this type of certification does not involve an exam. Professional network members are selected based on whether or not they meet the criteria outlined in the application.
So to confirm: certification involves filling in an application and not sitting an actual exam.
I hope this clarifies
Natasha
| | | | Gina W
United States
Local time: 11:31
Member (2003)
French to English
| I think it makes a difference | Nov 19, 2009 |
Don't expect a job the next day after registering or anything, but yes I believe you will get your money back and more if you become a member of ProZ.com, provided you have a good profile and also participating in the site features helps.
Also, site membership will benefit you more than just getting jobs/new clients. For instance, the Blue Board is essential in deciding whether or not to even work with a new client. KudoZ can help you with terminology, and/or provide you the oppor... See more Don't expect a job the next day after registering or anything, but yes I believe you will get your money back and more if you become a member of ProZ.com, provided you have a good profile and also participating in the site features helps.
Also, site membership will benefit you more than just getting jobs/new clients. For instance, the Blue Board is essential in deciding whether or not to even work with a new client. KudoZ can help you with terminology, and/or provide you the opportunity to help others with terminology and points you earn can help improve your 'standing' on the site...and of course you already know the benefit of forum discussions.
All in all, it's a relatively small investment that is almost guaranteed a return.
Good luck! ▲ Collapse
| | | | DZiW (X)
Ukraine
English to Russian
+ ...
Don't expect a job the next day after registering or anything
A free account provides the same features BTW)
. . . provided you have a good profile and also participating in the site features helps
That makes sense... but no difference though.
the Blue Board is essential
Right you are. Considering that
1) usually only 'happy' and 'brave' translators dare to feedback
2) it costs ~50 Browniz to read about a company, if you care
3) time flies; people, replies and companies change too
KudoZ can help you with terminology
Oh my! Can't free members take any part in it? At least I somehow did a little, but found it rather annoying and somewhat discouraging... even for free.
improve your 'standing' on the site
Shall I make a picture with a blue tie to look trustworthy?
you already know the benefit of forum discussions
The only forum benefit is 'insta-message' instead of 'wait-a-day-or-so'. IMO it ruins the discussion, yet it's bread for our moderators; yam-yam)
it's a relatively small investment that is almost guaranteed a return
Indeed, either a client or charge-back... Or experience.
Ok guys, it is just my opinion. Linguistics is my hobby and on and off I enjoy just meeting my colleagues regardless of their membership type)
Cheers
P.S. If you go in for fishing you should know about fish, habits, placeS, bait and have appropriate tools and patience.
| | | | | It's relative | Nov 22, 2009 |
Lucas, I see we translate the same language pairs. The fact that we also live in the same country is irrelevant here.
FYI I stayed on Proz as a free user for maybe 5 years before the specific demand for our pairs here became significant. When I saw it happen, I plunged in.
Maybe some other language pairs are not so much in demand to justify the full membership.
Conversely, I am a free user of many similar sites, and so far Proz has been the only one with de... See more Lucas, I see we translate the same language pairs. The fact that we also live in the same country is irrelevant here.
FYI I stayed on Proz as a free user for maybe 5 years before the specific demand for our pairs here became significant. When I saw it happen, I plunged in.
Maybe some other language pairs are not so much in demand to justify the full membership.
Conversely, I am a free user of many similar sites, and so far Proz has been the only one with demand in our pairs justifying the membership fees. For other pairs, the situation might be quite different, but I wouldn't know. ▲ Collapse
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Andrea Riffo
Chile
Local time: 11:31
English to Spanish
+ ...
IMO, it doesn't make a big difference. I was a proz member for 2 years and decided to stop paying for membership after that.
The good:
- I DID get considerably more direct enquiries before, presumably because I came up higher up in the directory searches
- I could apply for a lot more jobs, given that I didn't have the 12-hour restriction I now have from clients who choose to take bids from members only.
However:
- I didn't get a single job here while ... See more IMO, it doesn't make a big difference. I was a proz member for 2 years and decided to stop paying for membership after that.
The good:
- I DID get considerably more direct enquiries before, presumably because I came up higher up in the directory searches
- I could apply for a lot more jobs, given that I didn't have the 12-hour restriction I now have from clients who choose to take bids from members only.
However:
- I didn't get a single job here while being a Proz member, be it by direct contact or bidding. The usual response I got was silence, or "we already have enough professionals on your price range"
- The ONE steady client I have found through Proz since I registered on the site was before I decided to pay for membership.
So in my experience, being a member increases your visibility, but that's it (meaning, it's by no means a magical solution). I find that the "community" aspect of Proz is far more valuable than its "job market" aspect ... and the community aspect can and does in turn mean more jobs, but you don't need to pay membership for that.
Of course, every experience is different and perhaps Proz membership does make a difference in less-common language pairs and/or pairs that don't face such blatant price ... ahem... competition.
Greetings!
[Edited at 2009-11-22 01:09 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Krzysztof Kajetanowicz (X)
Poland
Local time: 17:31
English to Polish
+ ...
DZiW wrote: the Blue Board is essential Right you are. Considering that 1) usually only 'happy' and 'brave' translators dare to feedback 2) it costs ~50 Browniz to read about a company, if you care 3) time flies; people, replies and companies change too
Wait... are you sure checking a BB entry eats up browniz for paying members???
| | | | DZiW (X)
Ukraine
English to Russian
+ ...
| it's not a guarantee, but an extra plus | Nov 22, 2009 |
As José described his story, he did try but it didn't work 100% as it could.
Probably, he wasn't quite experienced as 'paying' member or something, yet this is one of the possible outcomes.
are you sure checking a BB entry eats up browniz for paying members???
Of course - NO. It was about free membership. But there're many free members who easily could afford buying a couple of BB's)
[Редактировалось 2009-11-22 10:21 GMT]
| | | | | Point mistaken | Nov 22, 2009 |
DZiW wrote:
As José described his story, he did try but it didn't work 100% as it could.
Probably, he wasn't quite experienced as 'paying' member or something, yet this is one of the possible outcomes.
It's not a matter of experience, it's a matter of how many clients/outsourcers in your language pair will use Proz, A, B, C, or D as their first recruitment venue.
I've seen people whio try, say X (where I am a non-paying user). After a couple of days, if they didn't find a suitable vendor, the'll post the same ad on Proz. And I've seen others that do exactly the opposite, i.e. first Proz, and later the other.
My point is that every translator should enroll as a free user in as many such sites as they can, and then obseerve the themand for their specific language pair and specialty areas. This should help them prioritize their investment in the paid membership of such sites.
There isn't much use in being the only paying member who translates XX to YY of such a site, of they only have one job post for XX to YY every three years or so.
Of course, according to the business model, paying members have privileges in bidding, but that's worth someting only when there actually is any bidding at all.
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DZiW (X)
Ukraine
English to Russian
+ ...
| double 'no' rarely make 'yes' | Nov 22, 2009 |
José, I see what you mean but I did write 'probably', right?
The point is that a lot of members do really believe that mere getting a 'blue tie' solves all the problems and brings hordes of clients to them instantly.
It's pretty fancy, but the same thing is with CATs:
Hey, I've got it! It cost me crazy cash... What's next? Am I gonna be rich soon?
IMO one should realize the possibilities and take all possible advantages.
Indeed, trying different places usually stands for a better chance)
Cheers
[Редактировалось 2009-11-22 19:20 GMT]
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 16:31
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
| It's exposure | Nov 22, 2009 |
José Henrique Lamensdorf wrote:
It's not a matter of experience, it's a matter of how many clients/outsourcers in your language pair will use Proz, A, B, C, or D as their first recruitment venue.
Exactly - it's about visibility more than anything.
I refer to my ProZ profile in the CV I send to agencies and end-clients who don't know me through ProZ. They then look at my profile, my KudoZ contribution, my sample translations, my feedback, everything else I have participated in on ProZ, and some at least are inclined to give me the contract, when perhaps they might have chosen someone else.
You can't put a pound, euro or dollar value on that, but it's there.
| | | | | Exposure vs. SEO | Nov 22, 2009 |
Sheila Wilson wrote:
Exactly - it's about visibility more than anything.
You can't put a pound, euro or dollar value on that, but it's there.
For some reason I particularly recall an old cartoon I saw in MAD magazine a few decades ago.
A visibly British explorer bravely carrying all his gear through an African jungle finds an ailing white man, grovelling in shreds, and asks him:
"Are you lost?"
"No! I'm FOUND!!! I only hope you're not lost too!"
So, in the e-jungle, it's a matter of being FOUND to businesswise exist.
A good friend, colleague and client of mine owns a one-woman-show translation agency. She told me she was spending some USD 600 per month to stay among the first ten Google links in her offerings. As business were down for a while, i.e. her order closing rate dropped to half, she decided to cut that expense until things improved. The result was immediate: queries by phone and e-mail plummeted.
So exposure is a must. And a Proz record will give you countless entries on search engines in languages you are not even able to identify! I'm not sure about free users, nor about all Proz competitors, but they sure do give some exposure.
Take a test. Google your name between quotes as you usually enter it on such sites. I tried mine, and found 383,000 links! I am pretty sure that I haven't shaken hands with so many people in all my life yet.
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