How to write best translator presentations Thread poster: Tjasa Kuerpick
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Tjasa Kuerpick 
Slovenia
Local time: 02:25
Member (2006)
Slovenian to German
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I would like to know the opinion of translators, who bid for jobs on PROZ or elsewhere. What do you think is of vital importance to include in a bid that matches your past experiences and/or qualifications?
Is it the rate, your qualifications, experiences, the statements of customers, the way you present yourself (short/long), the way you title the purchaser, your accurate language skills, ....???
Second, what of this items you include, do you think do purchasers of language... See more I would like to know the opinion of translators, who bid for jobs on PROZ or elsewhere. What do you think is of vital importance to include in a bid that matches your past experiences and/or qualifications?
Is it the rate, your qualifications, experiences, the statements of customers, the way you present yourself (short/long), the way you title the purchaser, your accurate language skills, ....???
Second, what of this items you include, do you think do purchasers of language services – in particular translations - take great care of? Have you experienced any reactions on particular Do not’s in your career as translator, except that you have been ignored (: ?
Probably these questions are not easy to answer, as different people give different priorities, and many factors could influence the final decision of the purchaser (budget, past experiences, personality, level of being able to make decisions etc.), but on the whole a particular frame of MUST HAVE and SHOULD HAVE for the first, and DOES CARE and DOES NOT CARE for the second question will probably figure out of this discussion. ▲ Collapse
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 02:25
Spanish to English
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| Keep it short | Oct 16, 2012 |
My only advice would be to keep things as brief as possible. Most potential clients/employers don't usually have time to read your life story. Even before starting up as a translator, I always tried to keep my CV down to one page maximum.
| | | | | Focus on their request | Oct 16, 2012 |
If they only ask you about your rates, give them, and fare them well politely. Unless your rates are absurdly low, you'll never hear from them again.
If they put a list of items required, such as CAT tool, file type, experience in translating rocket science, immediate availability, and rates, copy and paste them in the very same order, and then intersperse your most succinct answer to each one.
Note that Proz job posts show requirements in three different places. Make s... See more If they only ask you about your rates, give them, and fare them well politely. Unless your rates are absurdly low, you'll never hear from them again.
If they put a list of items required, such as CAT tool, file type, experience in translating rocket science, immediate availability, and rates, copy and paste them in the very same order, and then intersperse your most succinct answer to each one.
Note that Proz job posts show requirements in three different places. Make sure you copy and paste all the relevant ones.
If you are replying by e-mail, there is a chance to "bullet", bold, or change color in each of their items (but not your replies). This will make them feel important.
The message will be clear: you care about what they want, so it is implied that you'll strive to deliver it. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 01:25
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
| Make every word count | Oct 16, 2012 |
neilmac wrote:
My only advice would be to keep things as brief as possible. Most potential clients/employers don't usually have time to read your life story.
and as José Henrique says, address their queries explicitly.
"Qualified British translator, with n years' experience translating marketing texts from French" could conceivably be a heading I would use. Those few words address most of the salient points in general terms, leaving the most pertinent details for the body of the quote.
I think it's very important to address the person personally. Of course, that often causes headaches with foreign names: Is that Mr or Ms? Which is likely to be the family name? Google images usually give an answer to the first question, and research hopefully takes care of the second.
For client testimonials, I refer them to my ProZ.com profile page (the link to which is in my email signature).
One essential: your quote must be error-free. Easier said than done, of course, when you don't really have the time to spare on the quote. I know I've found cringe-making typos in one or two quotes where I (not surprisingly) wasn't chosen.
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Phil Hand
China
Local time: 08:25
Chinese to English
| Don't revisit everything in your CV | Oct 16, 2012 |
Sheila Wilson wrote:
Make every word count
I think it's very important to address the person personally. Of course, that often causes headaches with foreign names: Is that Mr or Ms? Which is likely to be the family name? Google images usually give an answer to the first question, and research hopefully takes care of the second.
I've done that! G Images very helpful.
For client testimonials, I refer them to my ProZ.com profile page (the link to which is in my email signature).
You normally send a CV with the quote. Don't repeat it. Give the headline, then select the two or three facts from your CV that relate directly to the job.
Absolutely agree with keep it short - busy PMs don't have time to read much.
One essential: your quote must be error-free. Easier said than done, of course, when you don't really have the time to spare on the quote.
You can produce a template and use it over and over, adapting just a little where necessary.
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 01:25
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
| Doesn't really work for me | Oct 16, 2012 |
Phil Hand wrote:
You can produce a template and use it over and over, adapting just a little where necessary.
It would be really nice, but I've got several templates - translation written in French, and in English, same for proofreading, etc - but I always seem to end up re-writing rather than slightly editing them. I suppose it's because I specialise in marketing: I always feel I can improve on the last attempt, make it more convincing.
| | | | Harman Singh
India
Local time: 05:55
English to Punjabi
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| writer everything in Points | Oct 17, 2012 |
I think its better to write everything in points rather than in paragraph.
Divide whole cover letter into different sections! and each section should have concise heading.
It will make it easy to read !!
| | | | Tjasa Kuerpick
Slovenia
Local time: 02:25
Member (2006)
Slovenian to German
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | I like it short | Oct 17, 2012 |
Thanks for your comments.
I am usually person, who does not like to write "novels", but rather stay short in all points, answering exactly what is requested in a well-structured way.
I have never used any templates, as I think that individual demands need individual response to the requirements. However, I relized that it is very important not to forget to attach your CV (which I did one or two times, and was promptly neglected ... See more Thanks for your comments.
I am usually person, who does not like to write "novels", but rather stay short in all points, answering exactly what is requested in a well-structured way.
I have never used any templates, as I think that individual demands need individual response to the requirements. However, I relized that it is very important not to forget to attach your CV (which I did one or two times, and was promptly neglected ).
With regard to my second question I have somehow the feeling that in spite of a translator’s endeavour to represent himself in the best possible way his offered rate seems to be one of the major points of decision beside qualification and experiences in the requested field.
Other customers seem to decide upon the way a translator represents himself, for example giving the impression being well-organized or giving a more personal touch to the whole offer ... Did you experience that too? ▲ Collapse
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| Look at it from the recruiter's point of view | Oct 17, 2012 |
I wrote an article on this awhile back...
http://kor.proz.com/translation-news/?p=21962&_click_=Y29tbWVudGluZ2ZlYXR1cmU6OTE5
...As seen from a recruiter's eyes.
I have been following my own advice when replying to offers ever since this experience and getting good results (when the client is willing to pay my rates).... See more I wrote an article on this awhile back...
http://kor.proz.com/translation-news/?p=21962&_click_=Y29tbWVudGluZ2ZlYXR1cmU6OTE5
...As seen from a recruiter's eyes.
I have been following my own advice when replying to offers ever since this experience and getting good results (when the client is willing to pay my rates).
I would add to this that I keep a copy of well-written models in both my languages and I use them to save time, which is of the essence for many jobs as we all know. However, I always personalise them according to what is requested by the recruiter.
Since writing the article I must admit that I have changed my CV. It now has a very basic, easy-to-read first page and a second page which is a detailed list of the translations I have done in the last couple of years. This is because I have occasionally done work that is not necessarily in my field, and the variety has been refreshing. I figure that if the person scans it, he or she might recognise a random thing or two that relates to the work at hand, and it will trigger a reply.
PS. If you get redirected to the blog, please go to the month of March (mars) on the right-hand side of the screen. I admit my co-pilot and I have not been good about keeping the blog up-to-date, as we've both had a lot of work on our hands. But at least that says something about the value of our experience!
[Edited at 2012-10-17 13:11 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | The full article, to save you sifting through a French language blog | Oct 17, 2012 |
Don’t lower your rates! There are better ways of getting noticed.
(This article began as a post to a colleague on ProZ.com, who wrote:
“I am a very experienced translator. In December, due to the loss of a major client, I decided to go Pro in this website. I apply to jobs every single day. At first, I cut my tariff in 25%, now it’s less than half, and yet, nothing.
…Anyone out there is getting jobs through this website that are [sic] fairly pai... See more Don’t lower your rates! There are better ways of getting noticed.
(This article began as a post to a colleague on ProZ.com, who wrote:
“I am a very experienced translator. In December, due to the loss of a major client, I decided to go Pro in this website. I apply to jobs every single day. At first, I cut my tariff in 25%, now it’s less than half, and yet, nothing.
…Anyone out there is getting jobs through this website that are [sic] fairly paid? Or are you a member for different reason, for the sense of community, etc?
I appreciate the time and effort of mods and Proz people, but I am mostly interested in knowing other members’ experiences!”
…And, thanks to a little encouragement from Jared at ProZ, it grew from there.)
As a translator, I have replied to countless jobs, on ProZ.com and elsewhere (well, I suppose I could count them, as I keep a file of them. But I digress). Statistically I only get a positive reply maybe one out of forty times. But recently, I had an experience “on the other side” that will influence my choices in the future.
You see, recently, I was offered a big job by a direct client, who probably sent the tender notice out to a few agencies as well as to me, as I had called on them recently proposing that they compare my services to their current agency. I am not an agency, but a freelancer; but since I was entering into competition with at least one agency, I would have to find two other reliable translators to adapt the text into German and Dutch while I translated it into English. So, putting myself in the position of a project manager, I posted the offer on ProZ.com. By looking at recruitment from the PM’s standpoint, not only did I get a slew of replies; I also learned some valuable lessons that I will be putting to use the next time I reply to a job offer.
First of all, I wasn’t looking for the lowest rates; the most important thing for me was to find someone I could count on doing the job properly and on time. (I, too, have had people insist that I lower my rates, but they can insist all they like; I’m the boss of me.) All of the translators who replied to my offer were within the price range that I had cited, and many were below. I did not reply to the lower bidders, but then I did not really take the price range into consideration. In my offer I had asked my potential partners to align with my middle-of-the-range prices, and the crushing majority did just that (by the way, when I say middle-of-the-range, I am talking about rates that allow one to live an ordinary life in a developed country). However, the list of replies was long, so I had to narrow down the choices. Here is what I did.
ProZ.com offers its job posters the option of gathering replies through an on-line application form. I opted for this choice, and was glad I did. Instead of having to sort through my e-mails for replies, the applications were sorted for me. As their messages came pouring in, those who had followed the instructions were to be found through the link to my offer, neatly stacked up in chronological order and in the category of the language they were offering. Those who had not followed the instructions, who had simply contacted me by e-mail, were not on the list. It would have taken an extra effort on my part to include them, printing out various messages to compare them with those on my handy list. To be perfectly honest, I didn’t make that effort. Now, obviously, not all job posters use this system; as freelancers we are often asked to reply by e-mail or through the on-line forms of various agencies. The key here is to reply using the method requested by the client, which might simply save you from not being included on the list of people considered for the job.
When I followed the link to see the replies, I noticed that the page began with a succinct list of the applicants and their most basic information, such as their avatar and a link to their profile, along with the subject line of their message. Below that, there is a longer version of the list, including the text of their messages and their attachments in the same order. This explains why, when you are writing your message subject to apply for a job on ProZ, there is a little note alongside the form to help remind you to write something memorable. I hadn’t realized until that day that the subject line is also the heading of each applicant’s place on the shorter list. What you decide to write in that space really can help you stand out. (I’m the first to admit having produced such boring headings like “FR >EN translations”. I should have realized, and expressed in no uncertain terms, that I’m much more interesting than that!) To begin studying the some fifty applications that I received, I printed out the short (subject-line) list, ticking off people as I went along. So it is important to make your subject line specific and eye-catching, summing up in a few words why you are better than the competition, for this job (I’ll get back to that in a moment).
I had posted the offer in French. Now it may sound rash, but I began by throwing out any replies that were not in French. The lesson is: always reply in the language that the job is posted in. At least half of my applicants replied to me in English, but I wanted to get an idea of their level of French by reading their replies. In my case, I didn’t particularly care to know their level of English, as that’s my part of the job; and I trust that they are good in their respective native languages. Also, I had so many worthy replies in French that I didn’t bother going out of my way to request a French version of the application even from the English-speaking people who sounded quite competent.
After eliminating those who were speaking to me in languages other than French, I narrowed it down to those who had sent a well-written reply, and I must say that a few of them had me balking. You needn’t translate into a language other than your native, but if you are offering language services, you should at least be able to write a decent note in your source language. It’s also worth taking a bit of extra time to polish your message and subject line, running them through spellcheck and proofreading them (and if you’re really bad in your source language, may I somewhat cheekily suggest that you go looking for a job elsewhere). Note that the order of the replies did not really influence me in my choice; this is why I talk about taking a moment to verify your words. After all, the message you send out is the first (and might be the last) sample of your writing that the contractor will have to judge you by. Anyone who sent me a sloppy message (with typos or weirdly cobbled phrasing) was out. Again, I was spoiled for choice, and didn’t have to settle for slackness.
A few of the applicants piqued my interest because in their few short, well-turned sentences, I could detect that they had style. As writers, we must be aware of the powerful choices that we make when using words, although we mustn’t allow ourselves to become overwhelmed with the possibilities. My suggestion would be to tend toward subtle originality. The key word here is subtle: as much as it is important to stand out, don’t go so far as to make yourself ridiculous or even too casual. The “I’m-a-riot-to-work-with” approach might get you attention, but it doesn’t go far in reassuring your client that you are reliable. Likewise, in French we have a formal and informal form of address, and I didn’t much appreciate being addressed in the informal way; it just didn’t seem businesslike. The same goes for those who used smileys; for me, smileys are reserved for friendly exchanges, and not when you are looking to impress. You shouldn’t need them to express your politeness; courtesy and respect for your client should shine through in every aspect of your text.
After these qualities, personalization proved to be a big factor in my decision-making. I was just naturally attracted to the people who had personalized their note. Those who had taken the time to look at my name (and spell it correctly) got points in my book. These were generally the people who understood what I was asking for, and who adapted their message in kind, instead of just copy-pasting a generic “cover letter” blurb (and again, I’ve done this plenty of times).
The smart ones listed any past experience specifically relevant to the job. Again, my priority was to find someone dependable, and it’s just safer to go with someone who has had similar types of experience. I can already hear some of you wondering where you can possibly begin when you’re new to the craft. In a word, the answer is: use your imagination (and read up on ProZ.com forums where there are dozens of ideas for plumping up your experience, such as pro bono work). You must have some kind of professional experience, even if it was prior to translation, and you can expand on that – without exaggerating your qualifications – to make it clear to your potential client that the subject interests you in some way. Be specific.
Likewise, a great many people who replied to me cited experience that had nothing to do with the job I was offering. I did not penalize them for this purposely, but it did leave me feeling a bit chilly toward them. I suppose I got the impression that not only they didn’t have any relevant experience, but that their experience was limited in general, which may or may not be the case. Anyway, the subject of the job you are applying for is the only kind of experience that the client is looking for, so talk about your experiences in that matter, and let the rest of your impressive feats be fascinating surprises for the client perusing your CV.
Most of my better applicants thought to attach a CV, although I hadn’t mentioned it, and, although I didn’t really plan it in advance, I printed out the CVs of my ever-narrowing selection of translators to make my final choice. I didn’t look at the CVs too carefully, but again, I made sure that there was something there that reflected the specialization I was looking for. It might be taking it too far to suggest that you should personalize your CV to every job offer, but it might be worth it to create several CVs, keeping the main points the same while providing more detailed information on the various main specialty fields that you develop for each corresponding CV. This will allow you to choose the CV that is the most appropriate for each job you reply to. The language of your CV, of course, should be the same as for your message.
In the experience that I am recounting, the CVs made for a handy one-page printout upon which I could make notes as I perused profiles and websites (yes, one page is enough to get an idea of your professional history; any more means your client will have to rummage through his or her drawer looking for a stapler, possibly discovering that he or she is out of staples, and putting him or her in a foul mood). By the way, I have also helped recruit team members in my past life as a tourist board director, and the one-page CV seems a universally good idea. Often, when scanning documents to be sent to other decision-makers, HR people will only bother to scan the first page anyway. So shrink it down, folks.
Many of my applicants – and this was especially penalizing for those who didn’t think to include a CV – forgot to sign their messages with their contact information. Occasionally I found myself having to click several times to get that information. So put your contact information all over the place, so that the impatient person looking for it will find it and won’t skip over you to the next person who thought to include theirs.
To contact the translators that I chose, I called them. Now, it’s not very kind of me, but I admit that I hung up when I got an answering machine. In spite of my ruthless eliminating, I still had a lot of competent translators on my list, and I didn’t want to leave a message with one, only to call another and perhaps give the second one a false hope, only to have the first one call me back… You get the picture. Impatience strikes again. I’m not proud of it, but I’m telling you this because I’m sure that the same thing happens to agencies and other clients.
The way it turned out, I had to call several people for the Dutch translation, and I came to the bottom of my narrowed-down pile of CVs; I therefore backtracked and printed out the contact pages of websites advertised on various offers, which proved almost as handy as a CV. It doesn’t hurt to have a website. Again, make sure that your contact information is visible on every page.
So after this experience, as I return to the land of those selling their services, I am sure that from now on I will reply differently to jobs. It’s been an awakening, because when I’m on our side of the line, I am not a lazy, hard-hearted person. However, as soon as I found myself in the position of power, I was struck with a case of the I-can’t-be-bothereds. Your client is probably a good person, but he or she might also come down with that syndrome when reading applications. So make it easy for that person to care about you.
Follow my mantra: I will only reply to offers where I have some kind of relative experience, I will personalize my reply and cite that experience, I will include my contact information and a CV to make it easier for the client to reach me. And I will keep trying, every day that I don’t have work to do!
You see, now, there’s no need to lower your rates! ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Sorry if you like it short | Oct 17, 2012 |
 We cannot be all things to all people!
| | | | | Fantastic views and ideas to share for all | Nov 17, 2012 |
The above posting pieces are quite impressive to have included all these constructive views. I feel like it’s worthwhile to push this thread up to top line and keep it stay there for a more time, so that a great number more of colleagues may have the chance to read it, and further able to learn something enlightening when they are ready to write their presentations offline.
Here my sincere gratitude goes to Neimac, Jose, Sheila, Phil, Harman and Veronica, for all their kindest an... See more The above posting pieces are quite impressive to have included all these constructive views. I feel like it’s worthwhile to push this thread up to top line and keep it stay there for a more time, so that a great number more of colleagues may have the chance to read it, and further able to learn something enlightening when they are ready to write their presentations offline.
Here my sincere gratitude goes to Neimac, Jose, Sheila, Phil, Harman and Veronica, for all their kindest and sincere sharing efforts. ▲ Collapse
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| Language of message | Jan 3, 2013 |
Veronica,
I’m a little confused. If the job posting is written in German but the project is for a German to English translation, do I write the message for the bid in German or English? Also, do you know of where I can find an example of a message?
| | | | Sarah McDowell
Canada
Local time: 19:25
Member (2012)
Russian to English
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| language of job post will be the language of my message | Jan 3, 2013 |
rlanning wrote:
Veronica,
I’m a little confused. If the job posting is written in German but the project is for a German to English translation, do I write the message for the bid in German or English? Also, do you know of where I can find an example of a message?
For me personally, if a job post is in Russian for a Russian to English translation job, I will answer it with a Russian cover letter. If the job is posted in English, I will answer them in English. I like to keep it to whatever the client feels more comfortable writing with. This means that I often have to answer e-mails in my source language.
You should follow the same plan for German.
| | | | | Agree with Sarah | Jan 3, 2013 |
Sarah McDowell wrote: rlanning wrote:
Veronica,
I’m a little confused. If the job posting is written in German but the project is for a German to English translation, do I write the message for the bid in German or English? Also, do you know of where I can find an example of a message? For me personally, if a job post is in Russian for a Russian to English translation job, I will answer it with a Russian cover letter. If the job is posted in English, I will answer them in English. I like to keep it to whatever the client feels more comfortable writing with. This means that I often have to answer e-mails in my source language. You should follow the same plan for German.
Yes, I fully agree. Use the language that the offer is written in. You might not be proposing translation services into that language, but if it is one of your working languages, you should at least be able to sell yourself using it.
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