Disclosing agency work in LinkedIn: what's the best practice? Thread poster: Ricardo Castaño
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Hello everyone,
I'd like to update my LinkedIn profile to start looking for new opportunities, but I'm confused about something: Is it okay to disclose all the agencies you work and have worked with on your LinkedIn profile? Currently, I do consistent work for about three agencies (could there be any issues if they see you're working simultaneously for several agencies?) and historically have worked for about ten. Do you post all your experience on LinkedIn, or is there any reason t... See more Hello everyone,
I'd like to update my LinkedIn profile to start looking for new opportunities, but I'm confused about something: Is it okay to disclose all the agencies you work and have worked with on your LinkedIn profile? Currently, I do consistent work for about three agencies (could there be any issues if they see you're working simultaneously for several agencies?) and historically have worked for about ten. Do you post all your experience on LinkedIn, or is there any reason to keep this information private?
Also, if you have worked for major companies (such as Microsoft, Samsung...) or important titles (like a famous book or video game) within these agencies, is it okay to mention these names?
I think my confusion arises from all the NDAs they make you sign.
I appreciate your insights! ▲ Collapse
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I’m probably not the best person to give advice on matters related to LinkedIn as my profile there has been uncompleted for ages, but in what regards other forms of direct marketing I don’t mention indirect clients (those obtained through the agencies I work with), but I always list direct clients and the subject matters I’ve dealt with and am more interested in. Anyway, I would have a good look at what other translators have done…
| | | | Adieu 
Ukrainian to English
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"Local agency", "3 global translation agencies", "a major pharmaceutical company", "regular interpreter for 10 local healthcare providers" etc. + details on topics and volumes if you want.
Same in CVs and on other professional and/or social media.
Never name anyone unless you haven't heard from them in years or they are out of business.
| | | | Oriol VIP (X)
Spain
Local time: 16:13
English to Spanish
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| You can say which company you've worked for in any CV, now and always | Feb 23 |
Otherwise, how are they going to get those precious references and recommendation letters?
Unless you have been a bad professional. Then maybe you want to keep your experience to yourself.
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Niina Lahokoski
Finland
Local time: 17:13
Member (2008)
English to Finnish
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| A question of confidentiality | Feb 23 |
Have you signed an NDA with any of them? Sometimes they contain clauses that prohibit even mentioning the existence of a collaboration relationship. Your best bet would be to ask your regular clients whether they would be willing to give you a reference (here on Proz or on LinkedIn). Otherwise I would avoid mentioning any names and doing as Adieu suggested.
[Edited at 2024-02-23 14:15 GMT]
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Oriol VIP wrote:
You can say which company you've worked for in any CV, now and always
You haven't been employed by them. There's a difference.
I would never ask an agency for a reference. Why would they want to recommend you to their competitors?
| | | | Lingua 5B
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 16:13
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
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I wouldn’t do it due to NDA. You may describe projects instead, without names.
| | | | Niina Lahokoski
Finland
Local time: 17:13
Member (2008)
English to Finnish
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Christopher Schröder wrote:
I would never ask an agency for a reference. Why would they want to recommend you to their competitors?
Well, there is a whole Proz.com feature created for this purpose (WWA), and you can find many translators that have received feedback from agencies, myself included. Never hurts to ask! Agencies should understand that a freelancer must have several clients.
[Edited at 2024-02-23 21:38 GMT]
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Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 16:13
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
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Oriol VIP wrote:
You can say which company you've worked for in any CV, now and always
Otherwise, how are they going to get those precious references and recommendation letters?
A public profile is not a CV, though (even though some people do make complete or privacy-enhanced CVs available on their profile pages). A CV is a semi-confidential document that you share with someone that you trust will use the information responsibly. And if you mention the names of others in your CV, you have a duty of care towards them as well.
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 16:13
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
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Ricardo Castaño wrote:
Is it okay to disclose all the agencies you work and have worked with on your LinkedIn profile?
There is a principle in translators' ethics that the identity of your client is always confidential, but I think that that applies mostly to direct clients and to situations where the translation is either ongoing or in the very, very recent past. If you have worked for an agency very regularly for several years, then there is little danger that an end-client's competitor will be able to deduce something useful from the fact that you reveal that you are a regular translator for agency X.
Still, I would ask the agency for permission to mention their name on any public profile of yours. Many agencies would have no objection, but it is the polite and professional thing to do to ask.
There is a school of thought among translators that you are allowed to reveal the names of end-clients if they are multinational corporations, e.g. if you translated a file that is clearly something that Microsoft is involved in, then you can mention Microsoft.
I have seen many translators' LinkedIn profiles where they, indeed, mention the agencies and even some of their direct clients that they have worked for. I've even seen (not too uncommonly) specific projects mentioned in CVs and public profiles. Well, I was taught differently.
[Edited at 2024-02-24 09:52 GMT]
| | | | Ricardo Castaño
Colombia
Local time: 10:13
English to Spanish
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TOPIC STARTER
Thank you for your feedback. I didn't expect so many opposing opinions, although most of you agree that mentioning agencies should be done with discretion, and mentioning direct clients even more so.
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