| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Do you list your experience with charitable translations on your CV? Thread poster: Sarah McDowell
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Kevin Fulton 
United States
Local time: 19:16
German to English
| Why distinguish? | Mar 13, 2013 |
When listing clients or types of translations performed, you're representing your experience, not rates. I wouldn't separate charitable work from industrial translations on a CV. Translating efficient coffee bean harvesting procedures for a charity like Oxfam, for example, isn't really any different than translating similar documents for one of the major for-profit coffee suppliers.
On the other hand, I don't list my pro bono work on behalf of Holocaust survivors, as it's such an (i... See more When listing clients or types of translations performed, you're representing your experience, not rates. I wouldn't separate charitable work from industrial translations on a CV. Translating efficient coffee bean harvesting procedures for a charity like Oxfam, for example, isn't really any different than translating similar documents for one of the major for-profit coffee suppliers.
On the other hand, I don't list my pro bono work on behalf of Holocaust survivors, as it's such an (increasingly) insignificant part of my annual output. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tatty
Local time: 01:16
Spanish to English
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| Why distinguish... | Mar 13, 2013 |
I suppose it depends on what country you come from but pro bono work is irrelevant experience. You are not translating in a professional environment, the stakes are low or inexistent. The texts will be far less challenging, in general, than ones you do in a professional context. Deadlines are generous for pro bono work too.
Course, you could include it and not make any mention of it being pro bono. This omission would be stretching the truth a little but they say everyone lies a bit... See more I suppose it depends on what country you come from but pro bono work is irrelevant experience. You are not translating in a professional environment, the stakes are low or inexistent. The texts will be far less challenging, in general, than ones you do in a professional context. Deadlines are generous for pro bono work too.
Course, you could include it and not make any mention of it being pro bono. This omission would be stretching the truth a little but they say everyone lies a bit on their CV.
Good luck to you ▲ Collapse
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 00:16
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
| Pro bono work is irrelevant experience? | Mar 13, 2013 |
Tatty wrote:
I suppose it depends on what country you come from but pro bono work is irrelevant experience.
In which country or countries is it irrelevant? Why do you say that?
You are not translating in a professional environment, the stakes are low or inexistent.
Isn't the stake of your professional reputation at least as high as, if not much higher than, your per-word rate? Are you saying that because the rate is zero, quality can be zero?
The texts will be far less challenging, in general, than ones you do in a professional context.
I haven't found that to be true at all: certainly, some pro bono texts that are well within my "comfort zone" are quite straightforward, but others have been real brain-teasers. Pretty much the same can be said for paid translations.
Deadlines are generous for pro bono work too.
Yes, that is often the case. However, I don't see that that really counts for much one way or the other as far as the CV is concerned.
Course, you could include it and not make any mention of it being pro bono. This omission would be stretching the truth a little but they say everyone lies a bit on their CV.
I find that quite offensive, to be honest. A CV is not a contractual document and does not have to be "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth", but nor should anyone lie on their CV, if only for the damage it would do to your reputation when it was revealed. I don't see how mentioning experience as a professional translator can possibly be "stretching the truth". If you'd been brought up bilingual and had done it at the age of 15 for an uncle who happened to be the head of an NGO, then I'd agree that it would be a stretch to include it, but not if the approach was made to a freelance translator. Although I would personally prefer to see the words "pro bono" so that everything is clear, and I think most readers would see this as a plus anyway, I think CV writers must be left to decide for themselves exactly how to display it.
I can't understand attitudes to pro bono work. I don't know why so many people get the idea that:
- you can start out on charity work to find out how to translate; you don't need any experience/training
- the quality doesn't matter if it's only charity work; no need to spend long on it
- feedback and references should be handed out by charities in lieu of payment.
Shouldn't we be approaching pro bono jobs as experienced professionals, and be willing to deliver our normal high quality, with no strings attached? If we do that, we've done a professional translation, remunerated or not. So it has its place on our CV, surely.
| | | | Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 16:16
English to German
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In memoriam | I agree with Sheila | Mar 14, 2013 |
"Pro bono" ist the correct term, but you don't even have to mention if you have been paid or not. It's nobody's business. Help organizations are international operating organizations with high visibility. Any work you do for them is something to be proud of.
Any other work at no charge - for friends, relatives, political organizations and such - would be inappropriate in a CV.
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Sarah McDowell
Canada
Local time: 18:16
Member (2012)
Russian to English
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TOPIC STARTER | Thank you everyone for your comments | Mar 14, 2013 |
Thanks for your comments. I wanted to mention that the pro bono translations are not all 'easy' translations. In fact, last week I completed a translation for a very specific type of document that had to be done in an exact style. I had to do some research about this particular type of document in order to translate it well.
I know that not everyone agrees about doing charitable translations, but I prefer to help out this way rather than by donating money.
Sarah
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