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Poll: Do you respond to enquiries for potential jobs?
Лице кое објавува дискусија: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ПЕРСОНАЛ НА СТРАНИЦАТА
Nov 22, 2011

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you respond to enquiries for potential jobs?".

This poll was originally submitted by Mary Worby. View the poll results »



 
Mary Worby
Mary Worby  Identity Verified
Обединето Кралство
Local time: 02:59
Член
германски на англиски
+ ...
Sometimes Nov 22, 2011

Depending on the credibility of the agency and the rates offered. I will never turn down what looks like a good opportunity on the basis that I am too busy. You never know.

However, while I do recollect submitting a slightly similar poll, I cannot remember my answer options looking like this!


 
Robert Forstag
Robert Forstag  Identity Verified
Соединети Американски Држави
Local time: 21:59
шпански на англиски
+ ...
If the offer is personally addressed, if I have reason to believe it offers professional rates,... Nov 22, 2011

...and if I am available.

@Mary:
I am sure you did not write "most of the times" as an option.

It is bad enough to leave poorly written non-native English unedited. It is even worse for a non-native to edit perfectly written native English.

Both of these practices are not altogether infrequent in these polls, and do nothing to enhance the professional image of this site.


 
Catherine Winzer
Catherine Winzer  Identity Verified
Германија
Local time: 03:59
германски на англиски
+ ...
If it's personally addressed Nov 22, 2011

Like Robert, if the enquiry is personally addressed, I usually respond. I rarely, if ever, respond to enquiries addressed to "Dear translator" or similar.

[Edited at 2011-11-22 09:40 GMT]


 
Giles Watson
Giles Watson  Identity Verified
Италија
Local time: 03:59
италијански на англиски
Во сеќавање на
I answer personal messages... Nov 22, 2011

... politely, even if I cannot or do not want to take the job.

Job offers that have been sent to a list go in the bin, mainly because the client will probably decide solely or mainly on price, where I make no attempt to compete.


 
Nicole Schnell
Nicole Schnell  Identity Verified
Соединети Американски Држави
Local time: 18:59
англиски на германски
+ ...
Во сеќавање на
Rarely and only if personally addressed Nov 22, 2011

Other than that and all too often your profiles and CVs will simply be used as a means of advertising, "Hey, look, we can offer you a combined 150 years of expertise!"

 
Neil Cross
Neil Cross
Обединето Кралство
Local time: 02:59
холандски на англиски
+ ...
Ditto Nov 22, 2011

I can only echo the above.

Anything that begins "Dear Neil" I will endeavour to answer, although I must confess that in busy periods some enquiries slip through the net, which is unforgivable of me. Mass mailings I tend to ignore, unless they look exceptionally interesting.

And I don't want to sound like a grumpy old man (perish the thought!), but recently the standard of English in some of these polls has been pretty poor...


 
Interlangue (X)
Interlangue (X)
Ангола
Local time: 03:59
англиски на француски
+ ...
Other Nov 22, 2011

Yes from long standing customers. No if they come from complete strangers, often when adressed through someone of my network...

 
Patricia Charnet
Patricia Charnet
Обединето Кралство
Local time: 02:59
англиски на француски
sometimes Nov 22, 2011

I depends how the message is written if it's just yet another great offer of cooperation after I've done a test then I tend to forget about it however if it sounds genuine and has some background work done on me I tend to answer it

I've got a website that answers most questions about my profile and I tend to leave these numerous requests for tests


 
Taner Göde
Taner Göde
Турција
Local time: 04:59
англиски на турски
+ ...
Not anymore Nov 22, 2011

In the beginning, I did.

Now, I don't.

I have to offer the lowest price for the highest quality and best service, and then I have to wait for 30 days to get paid...!

The service of a translator deserves to be orderly and timely paid. This is not a "bargaining" type of house painting or lawn mowing job where you can put pressure on the amount of money that is requested. This is brainwork, not muscle work. Clients should appreciate the service of any translat
... See more
In the beginning, I did.

Now, I don't.

I have to offer the lowest price for the highest quality and best service, and then I have to wait for 30 days to get paid...!

The service of a translator deserves to be orderly and timely paid. This is not a "bargaining" type of house painting or lawn mowing job where you can put pressure on the amount of money that is requested. This is brainwork, not muscle work. Clients should appreciate the service of any translator instead of trying to find the cheapest and fastest one who also accepts to get paid after a month.

Translators! Market value, and nothing else!

Taner Göde
▲ Collapse


 
Simon Bruni
Simon Bruni  Identity Verified
Обединето Кралство
Local time: 02:59
шпански на англиски
Mostly Nov 22, 2011

Yes, "most of the times", unless its author misuses the suffix '-s' or the message otherwise seems too spammy! The effort some offerers make to put together a well-presented offer is often abysmal.

But using discretion, responding to such enquiries has resulted in decent clients on a few occasions.


 
Ian Keith Jones Williams
Ian Keith Jones Williams  Identity Verified
Шпанија
Local time: 03:59
француски на англиски
+ ...
Don't tell me Nov 22, 2011

I find that some (Spanish) agencies don't tell me that they are offering me potential job. They ask me if I can do an assignment and I give them a price, deadline for delivery and any other information. They then answer back, saying that they now have to confirm with the client.

 
Amy Duncan (X)
Amy Duncan (X)  Identity Verified
Бразил
Local time: 22:59
португалски на англиски
+ ...
Only if... Nov 22, 2011

...the job is from a company I already work with. These potential jobs are ones that haven't yet been approved, but the PM wants to know about my availability.

 
David Wright
David Wright  Identity Verified
Австрија
Local time: 03:59
германски на англиски
+ ...
Other Nov 22, 2011

Depends on where/who the job offer comes from. Mostly I reply (and turn it down if it's not from a known source)

 
Ty Kendall
Ty Kendall  Identity Verified
Обединето Кралство
Local time: 02:59
еврејски на англиски
If it's a question of merely responding.... Nov 22, 2011

Ian Jones wrote:

I find that some (Spanish) agencies don't tell me that they are offering me potential job. They ask me if I can do an assignment and I give them a price, deadline for delivery and any other information. They then answer back, saying that they now have to confirm with the client.


Then Yes.....but.........

I nearly always respond even if it's to say no. Unless it's an obvious scam like "Hello, I'm Mr Nigerian and I'm going to send you a cheque for £3000 blah blah", in which case it would just be instantly deleted.

I do find enquiries about "potential" jobs to be quite annoying sometimes, knowing you are spending time to reply only to maybe hear back. However, it has on occasion yielded some quite good clients, so I wouldn't necessarily stop answering potential enquiries just yet.

I'm less inclined to reply if it's pretty obvious they've emailed everyone on a proz emailing list and even more so if it's completely de-personlized. (I can't compete on price so I don't bother - I refuse to work for 0.07USD per word).

P.S Also quite irritated by non-native "correction" of flawless native English.


 
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