Changing my mind after accepting a test?
Thread poster: Frédérique Lemieux
Frédérique Lemieux
Frédérique Lemieux
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:44
English to French
Jul 18, 2020

I recently accepted to do an unpaid test for an agency as part of the application process to work on a big project. It's a legit agency with good reviews on the BlueBoard and the project is for a very well-known and established company. They didn't give me much details about the test beforehand except that it was 'around 500 words' and they would be evaluating my translation and revision skills.

I received the test on Friday as agreed and realised it was a lot more work than I had a
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I recently accepted to do an unpaid test for an agency as part of the application process to work on a big project. It's a legit agency with good reviews on the BlueBoard and the project is for a very well-known and established company. They didn't give me much details about the test beforehand except that it was 'around 500 words' and they would be evaluating my translation and revision skills.

I received the test on Friday as agreed and realised it was a lot more work than I had assume (I know, I should have asked more details). The tests is in five parts – I need to translate three shorts texts (blog post, subtitles and strings), create a short glossary and revise a fictional translation and comment on my corrections.

As you can imagine, this will require several hours of unpaid work... And after seeing the test, I'm not sure I'd be a good fit for the job.

Would it be unprofessional to get back to the agency and tell them that I changed my mind/think I would not be a good fit for the job and that I didn't complete the test? Or should I suck it up and refuse the job if it's offered to me and hope that they might contact me again for other projects in the future?
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Fiona Grace Peterson
Fiona Grace Peterson  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 10:44
Italian to English
Not unprofessional at all Jul 19, 2020

There was no need to "ask for more details", because the agency said it would be around 500 words. From the information you give, it is the agency that is being unprofessional: even if the total word count came to less than 300 words (which many consider to be the maximum acceptable length for a translation test), you are being asked to handle very different task types. Which is fine and reasonable if the agency wants to test your skills, but it should be a paid test at that point.

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There was no need to "ask for more details", because the agency said it would be around 500 words. From the information you give, it is the agency that is being unprofessional: even if the total word count came to less than 300 words (which many consider to be the maximum acceptable length for a translation test), you are being asked to handle very different task types. Which is fine and reasonable if the agency wants to test your skills, but it should be a paid test at that point.

Translators differ widely in their opinions towards unpaid tests. I have no problem with them if they're for a specific project and they are a max of 300 words. I would not be prepared to take on the test you are describing unless it was paid for by the agency.

Frédérique Lemieux wrote:

Would it be unprofessional to get back to the agency and tell them that I changed my mind/think I would not be a good fit for the job and that I didn't complete the test?


Absolutely not. What would be unprofessional is deciding not to do the test and not informing them. I would tell them the text is too long and complex for an unpaid test, and that you would be happy to do a shorter one for free, or the one they are proposing at your usual rate.
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Marwa Seleem
Thomas T. Frost
Sanghyo Lee
Angie Garbarino
Josephine Cassar
Thierry Martial NIANGORAN
Christine Andersen
 
Christine Andersen
Christine Andersen  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 10:44
Member (2003)
Danish to English
+ ...
Tests go both ways Jul 19, 2020

If the whole procedure around the test leaves you with a feeling that you are not the right person for the job, or that you are not going to be happy with the agency, then the professional thing to do is to let them know.

If you would like to work for them, but in a different subject area, for instance, the good agencies respect translators who know their limitations and their strengths. You cannot be expected to be equally good at any type of translation, and you can discuss with t
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If the whole procedure around the test leaves you with a feeling that you are not the right person for the job, or that you are not going to be happy with the agency, then the professional thing to do is to let them know.

If you would like to work for them, but in a different subject area, for instance, the good agencies respect translators who know their limitations and their strengths. You cannot be expected to be equally good at any type of translation, and you can discuss with them what to do next.

If they have a tiresome portal, will not let you use your own CAT tool, or their rates are too low - or if you feel for any other reason that you would prefer to drop them, then this is the time to pull out!
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Michele Fauble
Philippe Etienne
Kay Denney
 
Frédérique Lemieux
Frédérique Lemieux
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:44
English to French
TOPIC STARTER
Thank you! Jul 20, 2020

Thank you both for your help! I'll email the PM today and let her know I'm not going to complete the test.

 


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Changing my mind after accepting a test?







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