Martina Fink wrote:
Somewhere around this time I was offered a job translating a website for a medical clinic. The pay was good, the project enjoyable, and I looked forward to adding this one to my CV. After I completed the work, a clinic staff member/receptionist/team of idiots took it upon themselves to make “corrections”, so now “sensitivity test” reads “sense test”, etc. Additionally, every time the source text changes slightly, some over-confident German with brilliant English skills updates the English text. In the beginning, I was emailing them to correct their corrections, but I soon gave up because they keep doing it and I no longer care. I just don’t see the point in hiring a translator if you think you can do it better yourself...
I'm sorry to hear about your difficulties, but the others have given some excellent advice.
Getting established in the translation market is tough. Very tough. You need to find a way to make yourself stand out. Be someone people can recommend. Specialise. All of this takes time, and perseverance. Make sure your CV is up to scratch... it's a marketing document that a lot of freelancers underestimate.
A small word of advice... remember that all kinds of people read these forums, be it colleagues, potential clients, not forgetting past clients...! And phrases like "looked forward to adding this one to my CV", "team of idiots" and "I no longer care", even if they are the truth, do not do you any favours, especially when you are just starting out.
Best of luck, and Happy New Year. May the Force be with you