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Преводот како уметност и деловна активност » Being independent »
Agencies asking to update your availability
Лице кое објавува дискусија: Nikolay Novitskiy
Nikolay Novitskiy
Nikolay Novitskiy  Identity Verified
Руска Федерација
Local time: 15:28
Член (2018)
англиски на руски
Dec 6, 2019

With Christmas holidays approaching, I receive inquires from agencies, asking me to update my availability. They write me smth like "Dear partner, please log in to our vendor management system and update your availibility".

I have dozens of these messages now. I ignore these, considering it a waste of time. I mean, if they have to offer me a task - they should go and do it. I will consider the offer. Why should I pay my limited time to... to gain what?

Do you receive su... See more
With Christmas holidays approaching, I receive inquires from agencies, asking me to update my availability. They write me smth like "Dear partner, please log in to our vendor management system and update your availibility".

I have dozens of these messages now. I ignore these, considering it a waste of time. I mean, if they have to offer me a task - they should go and do it. I will consider the offer. Why should I pay my limited time to... to gain what?

Do you receive such inquiries? Ho do you react? ▲ Collapse


Elizabeth Tamblin
Soonthon LUPKITARO(Ph.D.)
philgoddard
 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Холандија
Local time: 12:28
Член (2006)
англиски на африканс
+ ...
If you have no time... Dec 6, 2019

Nikolay Novitskiy wrote:
I have had dozens of these messages now. I ignore these, considering it a waste of time.


If you have so much to do that you have no time to update your availability, then that's good. I tend to reply to such requests. You never know when their usual translator might be unavailable on a day that you are available.

Jorge Payan
Sabrina Bruna
Sheila Wilson
Josephine Cassar
mk_lab
A. & S. Witte
Kuochoe Nikoi-Kotei
 
Vladimir Pochinov
Vladimir Pochinov  Identity Verified
Руска Федерација
Local time: 12:28
Член
англиски на руски
+ ...
Availability is just one of the criteria used in the vendor/translator selection process by agencies Dec 6, 2019

The agency's translation management system (TMS) checks automatically if you are available at this particular moment. In the absence of clear indication that you are available, the system will ignore you and move to the next vendor on the list.

Thayenga
Sabrina Bruna
Sheila Wilson
Josephine Cassar
Diana Coada (X)
 
Thayenga
Thayenga  Identity Verified
Германија
Local time: 12:28
Член (2009)
англиски на германски
+ ...
It depends Dec 6, 2019

You should choose those agencies that send you regular work and are good business partners in every way.

The agencies you're not happy with, just ignore their email.

IMO if they were truly interested in your services, they should address you personally and not send out mass mails. This might imply that they "have" too many translators.

Nikolay Novitskiy
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Josephine Cassar
philgoddard
Elena Aclasto
Eleonora_P
Christine Andersen
 
Soonthon LUPKITARO(Ph.D.)
Soonthon LUPKITARO(Ph.D.)  Identity Verified
Тајланд
Local time: 17:28
Член (2004)
англиски на тајландски
+ ...
Mass communication Dec 7, 2019

The agency means to indicate that it has many contacts to handle in an automated and electronic way. You can ignore this since your update is unlikely to be carefully read by the agency.

Nikolay Novitskiy
 
mariealpilles
mariealpilles  Identity Verified
Франција
Local time: 12:28
англиски на француски
+ ...
Updating your availability Dec 7, 2019

I never do because for them, it is just red tape, i.e. ticking boxes. There are some agencies that do that every single Week but never send you any work. So what is the point? If they want to contact you to send you work, it is time enough for them to find out whether you are available or not.

Nikolay Novitskiy
 
Kay Denney
Kay Denney  Identity Verified
Франција
Local time: 12:28
француски на англиски
. Dec 7, 2019

If I'm going to be strictly unavailable at any point, for example if we're visiting my in-laws who live in a country with dodgy Internet connection, significant time difference and astronomically expensive roaming fees, I'll fill that in.

I prefer to remain flexible the rest of the time. I'll probably say I'm not available for a press release about an airline adding two more destinations to their Christmas offer, but if a dream job comes in from one of my favourite clients I'm not ... See more
If I'm going to be strictly unavailable at any point, for example if we're visiting my in-laws who live in a country with dodgy Internet connection, significant time difference and astronomically expensive roaming fees, I'll fill that in.

I prefer to remain flexible the rest of the time. I'll probably say I'm not available for a press release about an airline adding two more destinations to their Christmas offer, but if a dream job comes in from one of my favourite clients I'm not turning it down, especially if I can get it done before the rest of the family even get up. ▲ Collapse
 


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Agencies asking to update your availability


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