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Virtual conference for freelancers session (2010): How to stand out in the translation market

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Ioanna Orfanoudaki
Ioanna Orfanoudaki  Identity Verified
Belgium
Local time: 16:43
French to Greek
+ ...
Yes and no Sep 30, 2010

This is a very interesting lecture and point of view, however there is something I do not quite agree with.

Providing a personal photo on the Proz profile (or any professional platform) is what I find highly UNprofessional!
Throughout all industries, professionals generally use all kinds of logos but never a photo of themselves has been appreciated as a marketing too. The reason is simple: whether a potential client likes the photo of a translator or not is totally subjective an... See more
This is a very interesting lecture and point of view, however there is something I do not quite agree with.

Providing a personal photo on the Proz profile (or any professional platform) is what I find highly UNprofessional!
Throughout all industries, professionals generally use all kinds of logos but never a photo of themselves has been appreciated as a marketing too. The reason is simple: whether a potential client likes the photo of a translator or not is totally subjective and may seriously influence the chance of a successful collaboration between the two. This is a basic rule we were taught back when I was a student: putting a photo on your CV (or another marketing tool in this context) may compromise your chance of getting a job, as the reader may not like some or many of your features! Why take the risk?

Other than that, a spot-on presentation indeed!
Thanks,
I. Orfanoudaki ▲ Collapse
 
Eugenia Morris
Eugenia Morris
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:43
English to Russian
+ ...
Open question Sep 30, 2010

Ioanna Orfanoudaki wrote:

whether a potential client likes the photo of a translator or not is totally subjective

putting a photo on your CV (or another marketing tool in this context) may compromise your chance of getting a job



I think every person can find a photo where he/she looks "attractive" for clients or at least neutral =) Besides, potential clients can dislike this or that logo, so where is the real borderline between a logo and a picture for translators sometimes?

I have also been taught to avoid photos in CV and related documents. However, I think that translation industry differs from many other industries, with marketing being its one of the most powerful tools. There are translators who put their picture in CV and have enough clients and there are translators who have "no face" but are still successful.

Once I worked with a team of translators and had only their names. Sometimes I wondered whether the person I had to contact was a boy or a girl =)

Maybe a picture is a tiny tool and what's more important is the right combination of various tiny tools=)
 
Soonthon LUPKITARO(Ph.D.)
Soonthon LUPKITARO(Ph.D.)  Identity Verified
Thailand
Local time: 21:43
English to Thai
+ ...
Photo=professional credential Oct 1, 2010

Eugenia Kurochka wrote:

I think every person can find a photo where he/she looks "attractive" for clients or at least neutral =) Besides, potential clients can dislike this or that logo, so where is the real borderline between a logo and a picture for translators sometimes?

I have also been taught to avoid photos in CV and related documents. However, I think that translation industry differs from many other industries, with marketing being its one of the most powerful tools. There are translators who put their picture in CV and have enough clients and there are translators who have "no face" but are still successful.


I find a photo is a reliable evidence for a new contact before we can ensure the job quality etc. Translators work like lawyers: personal skill commands the customer satisfaction.

Soonthon Lupkitaro
 


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Virtual conference for freelancers session (2010): How to stand out in the translation market






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