| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3] > | How to get some translation jobs on this platform? Thread poster: Diego Sibilia
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Diego Sibilia wrote:
But I guess the rates are generally too high in my opinion and the cost for a translator are minimum. Software? Hardware? 300€ a year. It's not a big deal, is it?
Maybe I am mistaken. I am not sure about it.
Maybe when you don't pay taxes and health insurance, are not supporting a family, don't pay rent (still live with your parents, etc.), use free CAT tools, don't specialize and translate using a computer at your local library. We seem to live in two different worlds!
As I have said before, it is not a hobby for most of us, so we DO need to charge decent rates.
[Edited at 2014-02-25 02:27 GMT]
[Edited at 2014-02-25 19:01 GMT]
| | | | | Post removed: This post was hidden by a moderator or staff member because it was not in line with site rule | | Translator expenses | Feb 25, 2014 |
Diego Sibilia wrote:
Ok thx a lot. You are more than right. But I guess the rates are generally too high in my opinion and the cost for a translator are minimum. Software? Hardware? 300€ a year. It's not a big deal, is it?
Maybe I am mistaken. I am not sure about it.
So don't you have at least a phone and internet connection nor need electrical current for your job? Interesting. In this case, I wonder how you manage to work. Or more probably somebody else is paying these expenses for you? Apparently, you neither need to buy a new dictionary from time to time (oh, of course, I forgot - nowadays translators don't use printed dictionaries any more, there are so many free dictionaries online...), nor a new computer, to say nothing of course of paying taxes and so on.
I'm sorry, I suppose you'll have to do your maths, very seriously. Undercutting rates - and that's what you do if you are not able to make a living out of the rates you offer - is never a good strategy and is only paying in the short term, if ever.
| | | | | It is a big deal | Feb 26, 2014 |
Diego Sibilia wrote:
Ok thx a lot. You are more than right. But I guess the rates are generally too high in my opinion and the cost for a translator are minimum. Software? Hardware? 300€ a year. It's not a big deal, is it?
Maybe I am mistaken. I am not sure about it.
Believe me, it is, pay taxes, pay an accountant, buy a new computer from time to time (2 years), having at least 2 computers in order not to lose jobs in case of failure.
Paying rent or mortgage, electricity, phone, internet connection. etc etc.
We cannot work at the rates you mention.
[Edited at 2014-02-26 14:46 GMT]
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Diego Sibilia wrote:
Hi there,
I spent about one month on this platform and I noticed that it's almost impossible for me to get any job. Anyone has some tips? I guess there are too many translators that handle my pairs of languages. Any idea? Searching for more experienced members to have more opportunities to get good (or bad) jobs.
Thx in advance to everybody.
Diego
Get a paid membership and create a nice profile to establish some presence and avoid looking just like thousands of other translators in the same pairs. Take the 'Red P' test to take it a little further. Upload a confident CV. Write an article or two. Go to the BlueBoard and check out the list of companies currently accepting applications. Prepare nice applications for them, more than the usual 'hi, are you looking for new translators?' stuff. Answer KudoZ questions, which puts you ahead in the translator directory. Don't count much on actually winning jobs through the bidding system, more like PM's writing to you, recruitment ads, solid targeted applications.
[Edited at 2014-02-26 14:55 GMT]
[Edited at 2014-02-26 14:56 GMT]
| | | | Mark Benson (X) 
English to Swedish
+ ...
Łukasz Gos-Furmankiewicz wrote: Diego Sibilia wrote:
Hi there,
I spent about one month on this platform and I noticed that it's almost impossible for me to get any job. Anyone has some tips? I guess there are too many translators that handle my pairs of languages. Any idea? Searching for more experienced members to have more opportunities to get good (or bad) jobs.
Thx in advance to everybody.
Diego Get a paid membership and create a nice profile to establish some presence and avoid looking just like thousands of other translators in the same pairs. Take the 'Red P' test to take it a little further. Upload a confident CV. Write an article or two. Go to the BlueBoard and check out the list of companies currently accepting applications. Prepare nice applications for them, more than the usual 'hi, are you looking for new translators?' stuff. Answer KudoZ questions, which puts you ahead in the translator directory. Don't count much on actually winning jobs through the bidding system, more like PM's writing to you, recruitment ads, solid targeted applications. [Edited at 2014-02-26 14:55 GMT] [Edited at 2014-02-26 14:56 GMT]
Would be interesting to read why you recommend paid membership. I repeat the advice I got about that in the past: You can do other things with the money, because if you're going to work as a translator that doesn't necessarily have very much to do with a membership here.
| | | | | The best jobs rarely appear on the jobs board | Feb 26, 2014 |
The best way is to use the site to make contacts and build up a network. You need to be visible to people and also in terms of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation).
Attend powwows and get to know other translators. If you are approached about a job outside your comfort area - not your language or outside your specialist areas - and you recommend a colleague, you will find people return the favour.
Watch the free webinars and perhaps pay for one or two more tha... See more The best way is to use the site to make contacts and build up a network. You need to be visible to people and also in terms of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation).
Attend powwows and get to know other translators. If you are approached about a job outside your comfort area - not your language or outside your specialist areas - and you recommend a colleague, you will find people return the favour.
Watch the free webinars and perhaps pay for one or two more that are relevant to you.
Give plenty of details about your subject expertise on your profile, and mention it in the keywords section, which is where Google and other searches will look.
Answer KudoZ questions - judiciously. People will notice and remember your contributions, for better or worse, and that is actually more important than always winning points!
Mention which CAT(s) you use - and make sure you can use at least one. Agencies look for them, and they signal a professional approach.
Get familiar with one of the big ones - perhaps MemoQ, or Wordfast if you don't like Trados Studio.
(I personally keep coming back to Trados, which has paid for itself AND the courses I have attended to learn how to use it, but it is a steep learning curve to begin with, and some people prefer the 'leaner and meaner' CATs.)
While the savings in time from using a CAT are often overrated, they do help you to keep track of terminology and consistency, which means quality.
It takes time to get yourself noticed, but invest in a professional image and make sure you can deliver what you say you can, because that will make clients come back with repeat jobs. Then keep working at it to keep up...
I wish you luck! ▲ Collapse
| | | | texjax DDS PhD
Local time: 17:25
Member (2006)
English to Italian
+ ...
| A case of alien abduction? | Feb 26, 2014 |
Possible signs that one has been abducted by aliens:
• Believe that somebody who’s charging 2-3-4 times more than you do is willing to give you advice, as someone rightly pointed out already.
Domenico Trimboli wrote:
Well, I can't honestly see why should we help someone who's charging €0,03/word. […] If I told you how to do that, you'd have the same credibility as me, charging way less than I do.
• Believe that you might become “too rich asking €0.06 per word”.
Diego Sibilia wrote:
Inoltre con 0.06€ per parola diventerei troppo ricco, non so quanto può guadagnare un traduttore con queste tariffe.
• Believe that 1.000 words per hour (“easy” texts) is normal industry standard (and therefore that €300 a day is too much).
Diego Sibilia wrote:
Se traduci 1000 parole all'ora (testi semplici) sono 60€ euro all'ora per 5 ore al giorno fa 300 € mi sembra un po' troppo. o sbaglio?
• Believe that translation rates are generally too high and that a translator’s expenses amount to €300 a year (apparently in Italy, according to his profile), and that it’s not really a big deal.
Diego Sibilia wrote:
But I guess the rates are generally too high in my opinion and the cost for a translator are minimum. Software? Hardware? 300€ a year. It's not a big deal, is it?
• Believe that one who “doesn’t love to read” can be a (successful) translator and risk to make “too much money”!
Diego Sibilia wrote:
Thx a lot for the suggestions. Non amo leggere però. Magari se avrò tempo ci darò un occhio.
• Being a little confused
Diego Sibilia wrote:
Maybe I am mistaken. I am not sure about it.
[Edited at 2014-02-27 01:24 GMT]
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Diego Sibilia
Italy
Local time: 23:25
English to Italian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
phone 20€ internet 20€ a month. Not big expenses I can say. + 10€ for the monthly electricity. the rest are crumbles.
I dunno I never had financial problems working at my rates as translators. Obv I'd like to get paid 0.06e or more per word. But so far no luck on this side.
But maybe I am simply a dummy (only 7 years) compared to all the experienced translators that answerd to my simple post.
Anyway thx to All... or almost all. Expect the acid ones... See more phone 20€ internet 20€ a month. Not big expenses I can say. + 10€ for the monthly electricity. the rest are crumbles.
I dunno I never had financial problems working at my rates as translators. Obv I'd like to get paid 0.06e or more per word. But so far no luck on this side.
But maybe I am simply a dummy (only 7 years) compared to all the experienced translators that answerd to my simple post.
Anyway thx to All... or almost all. Expect the acid ones.
So don't you have at least a phone and internet connection nor need electrical current for your job? Interesting. In this case, I wonder how you manage to work. Or more probably somebody else is paying these expenses for you? Apparently, you neither need to buy a new dictionary from time to time (oh, of course, I forgot - nowadays translators don't use printed dictionaries any more, there are so many free dictionaries online...), nor a new computer, to say nothing of course of paying taxes and so on.
I'm sorry, I suppose you'll have to do your maths, very seriously. Undercutting rates - and that's what you do if you are not able to make a living out of the rates you offer - is never a good strategy and is only paying in the short term, if ever. [/quote] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Diego Sibilia
Italy
Local time: 23:25
English to Italian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Lucky me I live in simple world. Without all this problems and it seems pretty easy to me. But maybe I am simply a dummy ... good luck... and thx 4 ur precious time. Anyway I was asking tips not life lessons.
For all... if you don't have tips, could be fair to do not answer instead of writing your remarks... thx to all.
TranslateThis wrote: Diego Sibilia wrote:
But I guess the rates are generally too high in my opinion and the cost for a translator are minimum. Software? Hardware? 300€ a year. It's not a big deal, is it?
Maybe I am mistaken. I am not sure about it.
Maybe when you don't pay taxes and health insurance, are not supporting a family, don't pay rent (still live with your parents, etc.), use free CAT tools, don't specialize and translate using a computer at your local library. We seem to live in two different worlds! As I have said before, it is not a hobby for most of us, so we DO need to charge decent rates. [Edited at 2014-02-25 02:27 GMT] [Edited at 2014-02-25 19:01 GMT]
| | | | | OK, I will rephrase it | Feb 26, 2014 |
Diego Sibilia wrote:
For all... if you don't have tips, could be fair to do not answer instead of writing your remarks... thx to all.
My advice to you was to increase your rates, but I will expand it a little:
- Slow down (if you translate 1,000 words per hour most likely the quality isn't great)
- Specialize (invest in yourself: get some dictionaries, books in your area of specialization, credentials, etc.), and
- Increase your rates!
It is usually much better to be known as a specialist than the cheapest or fastest translator on the planet. Once you specialize it should also be easier to find good clients.
| | | | | The 'crumbles' in my world... | Feb 27, 2014 |
As a professional translator, here are some of the 'crumbles' in my world, or expenses that I have to cover somehow:
Just for starters, the Danish tax authorities allow me a tax deduction on any telephony and IT over and above about 400 Euros, to give a round figure.
I make use of it.
I also have the following annual expenses, among others:
-- PSMA on Trados and SDL services, including hotline and all updates, 426 Euro
-- Subscriptions to... See more As a professional translator, here are some of the 'crumbles' in my world, or expenses that I have to cover somehow:
Just for starters, the Danish tax authorities allow me a tax deduction on any telephony and IT over and above about 400 Euros, to give a round figure.
I make use of it.
I also have the following annual expenses, among others:
-- PSMA on Trados and SDL services, including hotline and all updates, 426 Euro
-- Subscriptions to various online Danish-English and English-Danish dictionaries, general and business, rounded off to 400 Euros
-- Specialist medical dictionaries and resources, roughly 335 Euros
-- Chartered Institute of Linguists Membership, about 144 Euros
That is 1305 Euros so far.
I don't know the amounts offhand of the following, but they are comparable:
-- Membership of the Union of Communication and Language Professionals Denmark
-- Proz.com membership (I have no other website and don't pay for any other exposure on the Internet, but others do)
-- Professional indemnity insurance (including cover for theft, fire, loss of earnings during sickness, or due to a range of IT problems etc.)
-- Virus protection on my computer
...
...
Then there are the other odd things like buying books. I spend a varying amount on them each year, and I do read them or use them actively for reference.
I do not attend as many one-day study courses as I used to, but try to keep up my Continuing Professional Development in other ways.
Travelling and attending the powwow and other meetings with colleagues is an expense.
OK, travelling often includes family visits, but I do take the opportunity to pick up newspapers and magazines, catch up on current affairs and generally listen to the language.
Realistically, I never promise to translate more than around 10 000 - 12 000 words a week. I get tired and unreliable if I do more. Add 20% for the word count in English, unless that means a difficult format or a text that I can't use my CAT on.
I am usually fully booked, and regularly have to turn down work because I don't have enough time.
__________________________________
Private reasons for working and where the rest of the money goes:
Translators should be able to afford a home with space to work in, good education for their children, pension savings, and whatever health and welfare schemes are advisable in their country, and a reasonable standard of living with holidays etc.
I don't think there are many countries where you can really cover all that for rates equivalent to 0.03 Euros per word.
So raising your rates will in fact make you worth considering in the eyes of many serious clients - they know what it costs to keep your skills up to date and deliver a consistent, reliable translation.
If cheap translation is all the client wants, then you are competing in the end with Google Translate, which is free.
You attract paying clients who will keep sending you jobs by investing in a professional image, letting people know what you have to offer, and delivering what you say you can. ▲ Collapse
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| Funniest one so far | Feb 27, 2014 |
Diego Sibilia wrote:
Lucky me I live in simple world.
I've mainly lived and worked, both as employee and sole trader, in Sweden and the UK, but I've also spent a considerable amount of time in Italy. And when it comes to bureaucracy, nothing beats the latter.
Good luck to you if you've managed to find a "simple world" in Italy whilst still paying all required taxes, social fees, stamps, etc.
| | | | Diego Sibilia
Italy
Local time: 23:25
English to Italian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | SIMPLE WORLD | Feb 27, 2014 |
I have lived in Morocco, Caribbean Islands, Spain, UK, Italy, Canary Islands and my world is pretty easy. I dunno anything about Italy. SOrry. Who wants to live there. It sucks....
good luck with the paper works, I don't need them
| | | | | According to your profile... | Feb 27, 2014 |
Diego Sibilia wrote:
I dunno anything about Italy. SOrry. Who wants to live there. It sucks....
...you do.
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