Poll: How often do you get enquiries via your listing on your professional translators' association? Лице кое објавува дискусија: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "How often do you get enquiries via your listing on your professional translators' association?".
This poll was originally submitted by Oliver Lawrence. View the poll results »
| | | | Maria Simmen
Германија
Local time: 16:05
англиски на германски
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| I'm not a memeber of any professional organisation ... | Apr 13, 2014 |
I used to be but one of the reasons I cancelled the membership is that I never received any enquiries, let alone jobs, through their directory.
| | | | neilmac
Шпанија
Local time: 16:05
шпански на англиски
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Maria Bruessler wrote:
I used to be but one of the reasons I cancelled the membership is that I never received any enquiries, let alone jobs, through their directory.
I'm not a member of anything like that either, unless you count proz membership...
[Edited at 2014-04-13 10:18 GMT]
| | | | Yvonne Gallagher
Ирска
Local time: 15:05
Член (2010)
француски на англиски
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a listed member of the ITIA (Irish Translators and Interpreters Association) for 2 years now but have yet to get any enquiry re jobs through them
Just to add that I've had a fair few enquiries through Proz some of which have worked out fairly well...(in others the rates were too low or....)
[Edited at 2014-04-13 11:32 GMT]
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Sophie Dzhygir 
Франција
Local time: 16:05
германски на француски
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Maria Bruessler wrote:
I used to be but one of the reasons I cancelled the membership is that I never received any enquiries, let alone jobs, through their directory. I rarely receive enquiries that way, but I don't mind at all, since the point of being in a translator's association is not to find jobs, in my opinion. Well, I don't know what other associations in other countries do, but here in France, the advantages I find in my membership is: networking opportunities, up-to-date information about the profession, trainings, group buys and some other services of the same kind and above all: LOBBYING!
If a job comes across too, that's a plus, but that's really not the goal.
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Can’t remember ever receiving an enquiry that way. I do agree with Sophie that the point of being a member of a translators’ association is not to find jobs, but networking! The majority of the job enquiries I have had over the years have come via my site, through Proz and other similar portals, and by word of mouth.
| | | | Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 10:05
англиски на шпански
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| What professional organization was that? | Apr 13, 2014 |
Maria Bruessler wrote:
I used to be but one of the reasons I cancelled the membership is that I never received any enquiries, let alone jobs, through their directory.
Allow me to share my own experience, Maria. When I arrived in New York City in 1990, I had read about the American Translators Association. I didn't know anybody in NYC, but I started attending their monthly meetings, then became a member.
Did I receive job inquiries? No, never through the NYC chapter. Nonetheless, I became an ATA member in 1992 and offered to give conference presentations. I saw it as an opportunity to network and get my name out there.
It was not until the decade of the aughs (after 2001) that I started getting inquiries (a few times a year) for work because my name was on the ATA directory.
I see it as a long-term investment and participation.
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In Canada, many types of translations need to be done by a certified translator; things going to the government, but also universities want to see a certification stamp, and businesses trust the reputation. So end clients will contact my professional organization by phone or go to the web-site. Agencies want to know that I am certified so indirectly it plays into that as well. Indirectly it's daily; directly it's several times a week on average.
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Triston Goodwin
Соединети Американски Држави
Local time: 08:05
шпански на англиски
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I recently joined a state association called the Association of Missouri Interpreters. I was very excited to add that membership to my CV and hopefully get in contact with some new clients. I happily mailed in my $15 registration fee (Woot!!) and patiently waited for my new credentials.
Nothing came...
So I sent them a message through Facebook and asked what was going on. I spent the next couple of days talking to, literally, everyone in the association. They were conf... See more I recently joined a state association called the Association of Missouri Interpreters. I was very excited to add that membership to my CV and hopefully get in contact with some new clients. I happily mailed in my $15 registration fee (Woot!!) and patiently waited for my new credentials.
Nothing came...
So I sent them a message through Facebook and asked what was going on. I spent the next couple of days talking to, literally, everyone in the association. They were confused why I would be so interested in joining their group, and I was surprised none of them spoke a second language.
Turns out they "interpret nature..." and are the folks in charge of the state parks. It still turned out to be a good contact because I'm trying to sell them my services now, but it wasn't exactly what I had in mind.
Hippies.
^_^ ▲ Collapse
| | | | Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 10:05
англиски на шпански
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Triston & Gaby wrote:
I recently joined a state association called the Association of Missouri Interpreters. I was very excited to add that membership to my CV and hopefully get in contact with some new clients. I happily mailed in my $15 registration fee (Woot!!) and patiently waited for my new credentials.
Nothing came...
So I sent them a message through Facebook and asked what was going on. I spent the next couple of days talking to, literally, everyone in the association. They were confused why I would be so interested in joining their group, and I was surprised none of them spoke a second language.
Turns out they "interpret nature..." and are the folks in charge of the state parks. It still turned out to be a good contact because I'm trying to sell them my services now, but it wasn't exactly what I had in mind.
Hippies.
^_^
Hahahah, that's one story for the ages...and for Twitter.
| | | | Elina Sellgren
Финска
Local time: 17:05
Член (2013)
англиски на фински
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But I've only been a member for 6 months now. I don't expect to receive inquiries from there in any case - however, I have actually referred a couple of clients to search the directory for sworn translators, as I'm not one. But this shows just how invisible it is to potential clients! Finnish clients might find it but would rather look for agencies instead than browse through name lists. And non-Finnish speakers just won't find the site unless you give the url to them.
And while it... See more But I've only been a member for 6 months now. I don't expect to receive inquiries from there in any case - however, I have actually referred a couple of clients to search the directory for sworn translators, as I'm not one. But this shows just how invisible it is to potential clients! Finnish clients might find it but would rather look for agencies instead than browse through name lists. And non-Finnish speakers just won't find the site unless you give the url to them.
And while it's a nice idea even though it probably isn't much use for most, I don't think it's necessary. I'm paying for my membership for very different reasons. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Evans (X)
Local time: 15:05
шпански на англиски
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| Not that often, but usually very high quality. | Apr 14, 2014 |
I have been a member of the ITI since 1991 and the TA since 1997. I too joined for networking, conferences, CPD and other benefits of membership and have no regrets at all. The language and subject email forums are particularly valuable.
I do get work inquiries from my listing in the ITI directory, and they are almost always high-quality inquiries (unlike those from many other sources), and I have developed several long-term relationships with clients I obtained through this channel.
... See more I have been a member of the ITI since 1991 and the TA since 1997. I too joined for networking, conferences, CPD and other benefits of membership and have no regrets at all. The language and subject email forums are particularly valuable.
I do get work inquiries from my listing in the ITI directory, and they are almost always high-quality inquiries (unlike those from many other sources), and I have developed several long-term relationships with clients I obtained through this channel.
When I was a PM, we took membership of professional associations seriously when considering translators new to us, and also searched for them in the ITI directory. Even as a freelancer, if a client or potential client asks me to recommend a translator if I don't know one personally who fits the bill, I refer them to the ITI directory. ▲ Collapse
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Maria Simmen
Германија
Local time: 16:05
англиски на германски
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with all of you who mention the networking and lobbying aspects of a professional organisation as well as discounted rates on CPD or books. However, I was a satisfied member of the "Bundesverband der Dolmetscher und Übersetzer" in Germany for several years but after moving to the UK their mainly local offers of meetups and courses were less relevant to me. That was actually my main reason for not renewing my membership.
Gilla, I used to be a PM for an agency as well and we routinel... See more with all of you who mention the networking and lobbying aspects of a professional organisation as well as discounted rates on CPD or books. However, I was a satisfied member of the "Bundesverband der Dolmetscher und Übersetzer" in Germany for several years but after moving to the UK their mainly local offers of meetups and courses were less relevant to me. That was actually my main reason for not renewing my membership.
Gilla, I used to be a PM for an agency as well and we routinely checked the ITI, IoL and ATA websites if we needed a new freelancer, too! So I'm not saying that the membership is a waste of money if you don't get a job out of it. ▲ Collapse
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