| Pages in topic: [1 2 3 4 5 6] > | Finding work, fast, lost my previous client(s) Thread poster: S_G_C
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S_G_C
Romania
Local time: 01:21
English to Romanian
Hi, guys.
So I'm in a bit of a tough situation here, and I could really use your help...
Me, my partner, and our daughter have been tenants for a long time. In September, our landlord decided to sell the apartment and did so around October 20th. The buyer would have wanted us out by November 15th at the latest, but I managed to negotiate November 30th as our last day there. Finding a new place took us longer than expected and the move itself was physically and mentally exhaust... See more Hi, guys.
So I'm in a bit of a tough situation here, and I could really use your help...
Me, my partner, and our daughter have been tenants for a long time. In September, our landlord decided to sell the apartment and did so around October 20th. The buyer would have wanted us out by November 15th at the latest, but I managed to negotiate November 30th as our last day there. Finding a new place took us longer than expected and the move itself was physically and mentally exhausting for me.
In October I was working for this national publisher's house and waiting to receive new translation projects. In November, when I had finally managed to install an Internet line at the new location, I found out the publisher's house didn't wait for me to settle in, as they considered things were taking too long, and that they had assigned the two projects "stored" for me to other translators. So no more work for me.
Since then I have been trying to find new translation projects or anything else suitable, for that matter.
- I applied to both national and international translation jobs. Most of the companies didn't reply, and those that did offered me lower rates than my minimum comfortable rate, so that was a "no, thank you";
- I browsed the national FB groups and job sites, dropping a line or applying to possibly suitable remote jobs. Only got one reply so far - "we are sorry, not hiring anymore";
- I browsed the local FB groups and job sites, looking for something suitable, even below my qualifications, even totally different than my qualifications, whether remote or on-site. Nothing so far.
So I'm kind of getting desperate here. My daughter is turning 14 this Sunday, she is still recovering after a nasty relapse (a neurological condition), missing school a lot, Christmas is coming, bills will be piling up, some are already due... I need to find work, and fast.
So any advice would be appreciated, thank you. What else should I do and where else should I try? We do not qualify for benefits at all since my partner is working. To qualify for benefits here one has to have 0 taxable income for several months. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Lieven Malaise
Belgium
Local time: 00:21
Member (2020)
French to Dutch
+ ...
| Not pleasant. | Dec 15, 2022 |
That's a very unpleasant situation. Are you prepared to work for translation agencies ? If so, I would send my cv to hundreds or even more of them in your situation. They also often have a website with an option to register as a freelancer.
Of course this also depends on your rates. If you have only worked with direct clients so far, you may have to lower your rates to be able to work for a translation agency (agencies also want a piece of the pie, so you probably can't charge the s... See more That's a very unpleasant situation. Are you prepared to work for translation agencies ? If so, I would send my cv to hundreds or even more of them in your situation. They also often have a website with an option to register as a freelancer.
Of course this also depends on your rates. If you have only worked with direct clients so far, you may have to lower your rates to be able to work for a translation agency (agencies also want a piece of the pie, so you probably can't charge the same as for direct clients).
I wish you good luck.
[Edited at 2022-12-15 09:19 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | S_G_C
Romania
Local time: 01:21
English to Romanian
TOPIC STARTER | Already done | Dec 15, 2022 |
Lieven Malaise wrote:
If so, I would send my cv to hundreds or even more of them in your situation. They also often have a website with an option to register as a freelancer.
My CV has been stored in hundreds of databases so far, in many countries. I have been working for translation agencies in the past, they are listed in my CV. I know about lowering one's rates, but what rates I am being offered could - maybe - have covered my needs in 2018-2019, not now, when living costs keep getting higher and higher (in my country, Romania, this increasing trend doesn't seem to stop).
Thank you, hopefully something will come up.
| | | | Hayley Wakenshaw 
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:21
Member (2018)
Dutch to English
| I might be stating the obvious here... | Dec 15, 2022 |
...and unfortunately, this is not the quick fix you need right now, but have you written to translation agencies who might need your language pair?
Work from some reliable clients dried up for me a year or two ago. I took a low-paid, unskilled part-time job with hours that fit around my family commitments to make ends meet. There are always lots of those around here in the UK, and employers are desperate for staff. Maybe it's the same where you live? (I'd love to see the faces of th... See more ...and unfortunately, this is not the quick fix you need right now, but have you written to translation agencies who might need your language pair?
Work from some reliable clients dried up for me a year or two ago. I took a low-paid, unskilled part-time job with hours that fit around my family commitments to make ends meet. There are always lots of those around here in the UK, and employers are desperate for staff. Maybe it's the same where you live? (I'd love to see the faces of those who turn their noses up at MTPE if they knew what work I actually had to do to pay the bills!)
Meanwhile, I worked on marketing myself. I'd never marketed myself before. (Imposter syndrome!) But it was worth the effort. I created a brand identity (of sorts) and built a website. I lurked on many, many Proz.com profiles and used them as inspiration for my own. And I learned everything I could about marketing myself to agencies.
I wrote to agencies with five-star Blue Board ratings and above in the country of my source language. Many of the emails I've sent to agencies have had positive results. They either very quickly resulted in work or a 'We can't use you right now, but you sound great, and we'll keep you in mind,' replies. Some of them did actually get back to me with work later.
There are some great books out there for marketing for translators if you're new to it. The biggest takeaway from them is that, if you want potential clients to respond, you have to make your marketing about THEM, not you. What can you do for them? How will you reduce some of the headaches they have? How will you help them delight their own clients? I think it also helps if you can show them the quality of your work with a portfolio on Proz and on your website. Otherwise, how do they know that you'll actually produce good translations?
Your profile shows that you are a good, qualified translator able to translate texts on subjects that agencies will be looking for. I am confident that, if you sell yourself better, you'll be rolling in work.
I know this doesn't help you right now. But maybe it will offer you a little hope for the future. ▲ Collapse
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S_G_C
Romania
Local time: 01:21
English to Romanian
TOPIC STARTER
Hayley Wakenshaw wrote:
...and unfortunately, this is not the quick fix you need right now, but have you written to translation agencies who might need your language pair?
Some years ago, I sent like 3,000 e-mails in 10 days. To every viable agency here and on another portal.
Of those, maybe 30 replied. Maybe.
Of those, maybe 5 offered me a real job. Maybe.
But revisiting the database might be an idea.
| | | | S_G_C
Romania
Local time: 01:21
English to Romanian
TOPIC STARTER
Hayley Wakenshaw wrote:
There are always lots of those around here in the UK, and employers are desperate for staff. Maybe it's the same where you live? (I'd love to see the faces of those who turn their noses up at MTPE if they knew what work I actually had to do to pay the bills!
There aren't any such jobs in my area and that's a BIG problem.
I don't have a proz.com portfolio or a personal website. But my full name is on Google, as it appears under various translations (published articles and books). And I do have references.
Thank you for your tips!
(I've actually been translating since 1998... )
[Edited at 2022-12-15 10:01 GMT]
| | | | Dan Lucas
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:21
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
| Work outside translation? | Dec 15, 2022 |
Sorana_M. wrote:
There aren't any such jobs in my area and that's a BIG problem.
I appreciate that the flexible nature of translation may make it difficult to consider other employment, but if there are jobs available locally outside translation that may be a better option than betting everything on finding new clients / work at a translation agency.
As a previous poster has mentioned, the UK (and many other countries) are experiencing a severe shortage of staff in some industries. I don't know if the same applies to Romania.
Dan
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Sorry to hear that. It looks that you did the same mistake as I did. When I started out translating some 40 years ago, I had just a single excellent client: a Belgian translation agency who gave me regular work (circa 150 pages every month) very well paid and on time until suddenly for no fault of mine their contract was cancelled and I found myself with no work at all. It was quite a blow and I learned my lesson the hard way: so, I advise you to diversify and not to put all your eggs in one bas... See more Sorry to hear that. It looks that you did the same mistake as I did. When I started out translating some 40 years ago, I had just a single excellent client: a Belgian translation agency who gave me regular work (circa 150 pages every month) very well paid and on time until suddenly for no fault of mine their contract was cancelled and I found myself with no work at all. It was quite a blow and I learned my lesson the hard way: so, I advise you to diversify and not to put all your eggs in one basket!
The other main piece of advice I can give you is to read very thoroughly all the lots of similar threads on Proz. Sheila Wilson, who has retired recently, has over the years given excellent advice and so have many others.
AFAIK there is no key formula to finding work and to make things worse we are in December, a month where things tend to slow down, and to add insult to injury we are amidst a crisis – the war in Ukraine, sharp increase in energy prices, inflationary pressures…
You need to gain visibility by using all the tools Proz has to offer. Upload some translation samples, answer questions in KudoZ, be active on the forums. Start searching for agencies who might be interested in what you have to offer, making sure they work in your language pair and areas of specialisation, and apply using their preferred method of contact, whether it’s a contact form on their site or directly by email.
Have you tried LinkedIn? Some Prozians have been successful there…
Hope this helps and good luck! ▲ Collapse
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Metin Demirel
Türkiye
Local time: 01:21
Member (2018)
Italian to Turkish
+ ...
| wonderful effort | Dec 15, 2022 |
Sorana_M. wrote:
Some years ago, I sent like 3,000 e-mails in 10 days.
That's a great number. It seems you have tried everything so far. I have one odd idea though. Just visit europages.com and filter the words "social media", "advertising", "digital marketing" etc. You will find many small & medium size advertising agencies, who need short translations every now and then. Maybe they will not send many and/or big projects, but it's something. And it can be fast. Their rates would be higher than agencies too and they wouldn't haggle much since they send mostly small projects.
| | | | | Couple of suggestions | Dec 15, 2022 |
Hi Sorana,
I'm really sorry you find yourself in this situation and I hope the excellent advice that others have already given is helpful.
I wonder if it might be worth getting your CV (and cover email) reviewed by a professional to see if there are any obvious typos or clumsy wording that is putting people off. Or just to give it a bit of a revamp.
Also, if you are sending 3000 CVs in a day, maybe a more targeted and personal approach might pay off. A coup... See more Hi Sorana,
I'm really sorry you find yourself in this situation and I hope the excellent advice that others have already given is helpful.
I wonder if it might be worth getting your CV (and cover email) reviewed by a professional to see if there are any obvious typos or clumsy wording that is putting people off. Or just to give it a bit of a revamp.
Also, if you are sending 3000 CVs in a day, maybe a more targeted and personal approach might pay off. A couple of highly personalised emails per day might work better than a bulk approach.
I wish you the very best of luck,
Rachel ▲ Collapse
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Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida wrote:
AFAIK there is no key formula to finding work and to make things worse we are in December, a month where things tend to slow down, and to add insult to injury we are amidst a crisis – the war in Ukraine, sharp increase in energy prices, inflationary pressures…
Hope this helps and good luck!
Yes ... but on the other hand, translators will be going off on Christmas breaks soon so a good time to let prospective clients know you are available and perhaps get a foot in the door.
| | | | Hayley Wakenshaw
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:21
Member (2018)
Dutch to English
| Quality over quantity helps when trying to find agencies to work with | Dec 15, 2022 |
Sorana_M. wrote: Hayley Wakenshaw wrote:
...and unfortunately, this is not the quick fix you need right now, but have you written to translation agencies who might need your language pair?
Some years ago, I sent like 3,000 e-mails in 10 days. To every viable agency here and on another portal. Of those, maybe 30 replied. Maybe. Of those, maybe 5 offered me a real job. Maybe. But revisiting the database might be an idea.
It's not about how many you send. It's about what you send.
Tailor each email to the agency. What makes you want to work with them? How are you a good fit for each other? Study their website and note down the things that resonate with you. Use these when you write to them. Even if it's an online application, send them an email or use the extra information box on the form to tell them why you chose them.
Make sure your email answers any questions they might have (rates, specialisms, CAT tools, etc.) in a way that's easy to read, like a bulleted list. Direct them to more information with hyperlinks. They aren't going to google you unless they're already very interested, so make it easy for them to find out everything they'll want to know about you with just a click.
The most common comment I got from agencies was that they get hundreds of applications, and they're all clearly boilerplate emails. They find this annoying and disappointing. They responded to mine because it was about them. That made them happy. It suggested that I would take the same care with their client's texts. Of course, a lot of my email was boilerplate, but the first two paragraphs were just about them and why I thought they were a good fit for me. And because of that, they wanted to know more, so they clicked the links and read my very wordy website.
Once you've applied to an agency, don't just leave it at that. Send them a handwritten message 2-4 weeks after you've applied. Use any excuse to remind them that you are there. Translation Day, Christmas, Easter... Make the communications you send uniquely and recognisably yours. Greetings cards and stiff compliments cards for dashing off a quick friendly note can be printed very cheaply. Design some (or have someone on fiverr.com design them) that match your brand so that every time they see something from you, you're improving your brand recognition. Your branding should be in your email, on your website, on your invoices. The more they see it, the more they remember you, and the more professional you look.
It's honestly less effort than it sounds. But it will bring you a variety of clients so you aren't just relying on a couple.
[Edited at 2022-12-15 12:00 GMT]
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Hayley Wakenshaw
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:21
Member (2018)
Dutch to English
| Yes! Work when everyone else is off! | Dec 15, 2022 |
Rachel Waddington wrote: Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida wrote:
AFAIK there is no key formula to finding work and to make things worse we are in December, a month where things tend to slow down, and to add insult to injury we are amidst a crisis – the war in Ukraine, sharp increase in energy prices, inflationary pressures…
Hope this helps and good luck!
Yes ... but on the other hand, translators will be going off on Christmas breaks soon so a good time to let prospective clients know you are available and perhaps get a foot in the door.
This is really good advice. I'd recommend sending agencies a note to say, 'Hey, I'm planning to work on these days over Christmas, so come to me when everyone else is drinking sherry and sleeping off turkey!'
| | | | Elena Feriani
Italy
Local time: 00:21
Member
French to Italian
+ ...
| Sorry to here that | Dec 15, 2022 |
The good part is that the client didn't look for someone else because they didn't like your work, but because you were not available. It is likely that they will contact you again in the future. Maybe you can contact them to inform them that you are all set up now and are available for proofreading jobs.
| | | | | Maybe it's time for another rate discussion - or new forms of cooperation | Dec 15, 2022 |
I have been a little out of the circuit myself in the last years, and still find somewhat adequate work in my language. But a relative who is trying to enter the translation industry is telling me the same about translation jobs into Portuguese. The rate doesn't allow to make a living from translation.
But the problem is not really the translation industry, it's that most work in Southern European countries doesn't allow people to live with dignity. Whatever the reasons for this (my... See more I have been a little out of the circuit myself in the last years, and still find somewhat adequate work in my language. But a relative who is trying to enter the translation industry is telling me the same about translation jobs into Portuguese. The rate doesn't allow to make a living from translation.
But the problem is not really the translation industry, it's that most work in Southern European countries doesn't allow people to live with dignity. Whatever the reasons for this (my personal favorite is neoliberalism together with widespread corruption [or are they the same thing], I guess we could have pages of discussions about it), how can we as individuals answer to this increased pressure?
I would be curious about the current views of colleagues in different countries concerning cooperatives and/or unions: could we get organized among language professionals? Are there ways to organize internationally?
It's not just in the translation industry that life increasingly seems to be a struggle between human needs and corporate profits, and even though I'm (still) financially secure I see the trend everywhere and keep a vegetable garden to be at least somewhat independent from the various economic follies out there. ▲ Collapse
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