| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3 4] > | Poll: Which demand most often excludes you from jobs for which you would otherwise qualify? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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| Clarification on "for which you would otherwise qualify" | Jun 6, 2012 |
Lisa Simpson, MCIL wrote:
José, can you please clarify what you mean by that?
Definitely, Lisa!
Suppose a translator qualifies for a job in terms of:
- Language pair - check!
- Expertise in the subject area - check!
- Price, deadline, payment term & method - check!
- Ability to handle the file types/materials involved - check!
- Availability - check!
- Proven past experience & reliability - check!
Yet they fail to meet one or more of these 'must have' requirements:
- XXX CAT Tool (even if it's useless, e.g. AV material or handwritten docs)
- Live in e.g. Wherekistan (where neither source nor target languages are spoken)
- Certification (where the purpose of the translation doesn't require any)
- Native speaker (even if they only used to speak that language with their parents while growing up)
- XX years experience in translation (though they were bilingual professional practitioners in the subject area before becoming translators)
- Security clearance by some government (even though they might covertly reoutsource to non-cleared ghost translators)
All these criteria may be set on Proz to automatically prevent any noncompliant candidate from bidding, or even communicating with the job poster. Meanwhile, the much more important target language variant cannot be used for this purpose.
I have heard that after some outsourcers enter their job specs on Proz, they see a staggering number of potential candidates. Then they discover that by imposing some random absolute demand, the number is shortlisted to a manageable figure. It makes me wonder how often this leads them to throw the baby - the best-match translator for that very job - away with the bath water.
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Lisa Simpson, MCIL wrote:
José, can you please clarify what you mean by that?
Bit surprised by some responses - does not the word "otherwise" necessarily mean that all other aspects of the job are taken as read to be satisfactory, including price, deadline and subject, and that the reason for one's exclusion perforce has to be one of the items listed and only one ("most often") of the items listed?
I actually thought we had quite a well-worded question for once, in terms of weeding out the "none of the above", "all of the above" and "something else entirely" brigade.
Anyway, if anyone cares, it's being a UK English speaker that most often means I have to turn down work offers that would OTHERWISE be acceptable, pretty much always being that US English is stipulated.
Edit: I see a full explanation has now also appeared as I typed.
[Edited at 2012-06-06 11:39 GMT]
| | | | John Fossey 
Canada
Local time: 01:36
Member (2008)
French to English
+ ...
| Other - price and deadline | Jun 6, 2012 |
The demand that most often disqaulfies me is price and deadline.
The other demands mentioned come up occasionally, but not frequently enough to put in the "most often" category. In most cases, many of the other "demands" can be worked around.
CAT Tool - with the proliferation of CAT tools and the emphasis on interoperability (TMX, etc.), agencies are more flexible today than they used to be
Since I don't use the proz.com job board, I'm not really aw... See more The demand that most often disqaulfies me is price and deadline.
The other demands mentioned come up occasionally, but not frequently enough to put in the "most often" category. In most cases, many of the other "demands" can be worked around.
CAT Tool - with the proliferation of CAT tools and the emphasis on interoperability (TMX, etc.), agencies are more flexible today than they used to be
Since I don't use the proz.com job board, I'm not really aware of the other requirements - I don't usually get asked for jobs in which I am living in the wrong place, not a native speaker, etc. So those requirements don't often disqualify me since I rarely even see them. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Deregulated market | Jun 6, 2012 |
Gennady Lapardin wrote:
I hardly can figure out a deregulated market bidding about digging a pit with a specific shovel. Usual client's requirements are size, time, price, the quality being the function of above. If a client puts forward more detailed requirements, it's not a job but rather an experiment, imho.
Gennady,
Yet it happens more often than it should.
By mostly deregulated I mean that there are very few cases around where there is any enforced regulation on translation.
Brazil has a law on sworn translations, establishing examinations for qualification, setting mandatory rates, turnaround time, payment terms, and other things, however this applies for foreign documents to be used for official purposes only. Other countries have certification procedures for that, however many don't.
I heard that France has laws/rules on rates for video translation for subtitling.
However apart from such specific cases, anyone may translate anything, anywhere, for as much as they want, in the way they want to do it, to get paid as far away in the future as they want. No authority will ever tell them it's illegal for them to do it, nor to do it in the way they are doing it, as long as they pay their taxes.
This is my view of deregulamentation. A similar realm exists in photography.
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XXXphxxx (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:36
Portuguese to English
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José Henrique Lamensdorf wrote: Lisa Simpson, MCIL wrote:
José, can you please clarify what you mean by that? Definitely, Lisa! Suppose a translator qualifies for a job in terms of: - Language pair - check!
- Expertise in the subject area - check!
- Price, deadline, payment term & method - check!
- Ability to handle the file types/materials involved - check!
- Availability - check!
- Proven past experience & reliability - check!
That's what I thought you meant yet I couldn't understand all the mentions of price, deadline etc.
| | | | Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 01:36
English to Spanish
+ ...
| Open opportunities... | Jun 6, 2012 |
...for those linguists with a security clearance in America.
There are several government providers that contract translators and interpreters as subcontractors. Plenty of work, if you have a security clearance. But it's a chicken-and-the-egg kind of situation, because you can't obtain a security clearance on your own. The only way to get one is to work or have worked for a government agency, the military or one of the several entities in the intelligence community, such as the FBI ... See more ...for those linguists with a security clearance in America.
There are several government providers that contract translators and interpreters as subcontractors. Plenty of work, if you have a security clearance. But it's a chicken-and-the-egg kind of situation, because you can't obtain a security clearance on your own. The only way to get one is to work or have worked for a government agency, the military or one of the several entities in the intelligence community, such as the FBI or the NSA. ▲ Collapse
| | | | MikeTrans
Germany
Local time: 07:36
Italian to German
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| CAT Tool *must* not be a problem | Jun 6, 2012 |
José,
it's difficult to exactly see the point of your question.
I never accept jobs that are
- underpaid
- for which I'm not competent (so I must in any case make a project's evaluation before!)
- when I cannot keep up to the deadline
Accepting such jobs would ruin my image in the long term.
As for CAT tools, I never use CAT tools *just* because the client is asking to use a specific one, although I have more CATs at my dispo... See more José,
it's difficult to exactly see the point of your question.
I never accept jobs that are
- underpaid
- for which I'm not competent (so I must in any case make a project's evaluation before!)
- when I cannot keep up to the deadline
Accepting such jobs would ruin my image in the long term.
As for CAT tools, I never use CAT tools *just* because the client is asking to use a specific one, although I have more CATs at my disposal, instead:
Ask your client to send you the file to be translated in the generic - pre-segmented - CAT format he wants to be used.
E.g. any serious CAT tool should be able to read TTX files or TMX files. Also, any CAT tool should be able to export to a TMX format, so the CAT tool argument can be settled by talking to your client.
If the client cannot deliver you such files, then he is not serious about his CAT statement.
Greets,
Mike
[Edited at 2012-06-06 13:10 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | price, deadline and location | Jun 6, 2012 |
are the main reasons for being excluded (and sometimes self-excluding) from jobs.
A few clients look primarily for translators in the target language country.
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| The very point in CAT tools | Jun 6, 2012 |
MikeTrans wrote:
As for CAT tools, I never use CAT tools *just* because the client is asking to use a specific one, although I have more CATs at my disposal, instead:
Ask your client to send you the file to be translated in the generic - pre-segmented - CAT format he wants to be used.
E.g. any serious CAT tool should be able to read TTX files or TMX files. Also, any CAT tool should be able to import a TMX file, so the CAT tool argument can be settled by talking to your client.
If the client cannot deliver you such files, then he is not serious about his CAT statement.
Quite often they are ostensibly not serious about their CAT tool requirement.
What is the point in demanding a very specific CAT tool for, say, a 500-word DOC/RTF translation job? ... without providing any TM or reference? ... not to mention when the original is a scanned JPG/PDF instead.
I name this attitude in IT, "perché mi piace!" (= "because I like it!"). It's about as good as slamming the door on any candidate who doesn't smoke Marlboros, doesn't drive a Ford, or doesn't drink Pepsi.
Yet they rightfully use the system feature to prevent noncompliant candidates from ever contacting them. It may often be stupid, but it is their right.
| | | | MikeTrans
Germany
Local time: 07:36
Italian to German
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| File formats... | Jun 6, 2012 |
Hi José,
I've edited my post and it should now read:
..."Also, any CAT tool should be able to [export] to a TMX format."
Handling different file formats in one unique environement like a CAT is surely an advantage for both the client and the translator, as otherwise one would have to own a lot of legacy software.
So, not being able to handle the latest X file could be a situation where you are "cut away", but I must say it never happened to me for an... See more Hi José,
I've edited my post and it should now read:
..."Also, any CAT tool should be able to [export] to a TMX format."
Handling different file formats in one unique environement like a CAT is surely an advantage for both the client and the translator, as otherwise one would have to own a lot of legacy software.
So, not being able to handle the latest X file could be a situation where you are "cut away", but I must say it never happened to me for an important project, my clients would offer me alternative file formats to handle.
Mike ▲ Collapse
| | | | R. Alex Jenkins
Brazil
Local time: 02:36
Member (2006)
Portuguese to English
+ ...
David Wright wrote:
The deadline.
Yes, that's what immediately came to mind.
As well as illogical requests such as 'sixty thousand words for 2 p.m. Friday'.
Cheers
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and more specifically minimum rates..noone wants to pay them anymore despite the increase of the 100-word assignment!
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Marjolein Snippe
Netherlands
Local time: 07:36
Member (2012)
English to Dutch
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| diploma in wrong pair | Jun 6, 2012 |
I hold the diploma in translation for Portuguese into English, mainly because I want to emphasise my capabilities in translating from Portuguese. As I am living in the UK, Portuguese-Dutch exams are not easy to find.
However, my native language is Dutch and I translate mainly into Dutch.
I think a native speaker of Dutch who is a qualified translator from Portuguese to English is at least equally qualified to translate Portuguese and probably English texts into Dutch. This i... See more I hold the diploma in translation for Portuguese into English, mainly because I want to emphasise my capabilities in translating from Portuguese. As I am living in the UK, Portuguese-Dutch exams are not easy to find.
However, my native language is Dutch and I translate mainly into Dutch.
I think a native speaker of Dutch who is a qualified translator from Portuguese to English is at least equally qualified to translate Portuguese and probably English texts into Dutch. This is certainly the case for me: although I have lived in the UK for some years now and my level of English is near enough that of a native speaker, it has not had any negative impact on my Dutch.
However, some jobs are not open to me because I do not have any credentials for (mainly) English-Dutch. Time to get myself another qualification and / or pro status... ▲ Collapse
| | | | Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 07:36
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
| CAT & deadlines | Jun 6, 2012 |
Specific CAT tool requests often cause me to just move on without reading the details of the job offer.
The other exclusion criteria is a tight deadline. I won't quote on a job when it's not feasible to complete a high quality project on time.
Native language can also lead to exclusion from jobs. However, this requirement doesn't necessarily mean that I'd be excluded. I once quoted on a job requiring a native English speaker - which I'm not. I quoted anyway, sending my... See more Specific CAT tool requests often cause me to just move on without reading the details of the job offer.
The other exclusion criteria is a tight deadline. I won't quote on a job when it's not feasible to complete a high quality project on time.
Native language can also lead to exclusion from jobs. However, this requirement doesn't necessarily mean that I'd be excluded. I once quoted on a job requiring a native English speaker - which I'm not. I quoted anyway, sending my CV, and...got the job(s).
Sometimes location can be a problem, although, IMHO, it shouldn't be unless it's an inhouse position or a "hidden low-lower-lowest budget" job.
Low budget jobs: I only marvel at the number of quotes they receive if/when posted on the ProZ. job board and then move on.
In agreement with Argyro: minimum rates are not accepted as often as they should be. Admittedly, charging, let's say, 10.00 Euros for 20 - 50 words is a little overpaid (or a dream rate ), but there's always the possibility to offset it against the next project. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Trevor Chichester
United States
Local time: 01:36
Member (2012)
German to English
+ ...
| Impossible Deadlines | Jun 6, 2012 |
Impossible deadlines, outrageous rates (or a combination of both).
CAT tools usually aren't a problem as I have access to a few popular ones. Although, I will say that if they give me a corrupted file and still INSIST on me translating that file regardless, I always decline the job.
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