| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: Would you help fellow translators to find a job if they needed it? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Would you help fellow translators to find a job if they needed it?".
This poll was originally submitted by Ikram Mahyuddin. View the poll results »
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 03:33
Spanish to English
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I sometimes pass work on to other translator colleagues in my language pair when I can't or don't want to do it myself.
| | | | Martha Schwan 
Brazil
Local time: 23:33
Member
English to Portuguese
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Nobody in this life ever helped me in anything in my life. In fact, I began searching for translation jobs online by myself.
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Of course, I would and I did exactly that every time I knew the EU institutions were looking for new translators to be recruited… I have also passed on work to a few colleagues when I’m busy and recommend colleagues for language pairs I don’t cover.
[Edited at 2016-07-03 11:39 GMT]
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Adnan Özdemir
Türkiye
Local time: 05:33
Member (2007)
German to Turkish
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| Yesssssssssss! | Jul 3, 2016 |
I was a younger translator at the beginnig of 90's and never became a helpful hand.
It was very diffucult for me. Internet was not invented; Proz maybe was a vitamin "P" on the brain of Henry and was not yet established at that time...
Welcome younger translators. You will survive with translation. I will help you with my Turkish Forum entries...
We are all human.
Thank you.
[Edited at 2016-07-03 11:09 GMT]
| | | | Klára Kalamár
Romania
Local time: 04:33
English to Hungarian
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Helping fellow translators to find a job does not mean I renounce to my job(s) on their favour.
And if they want to compete with me, they must be better than I am, don't you agree?
| | | | | Other: I always do, but passively | Jul 3, 2016 |
When a fellow translator approaches me, on account of my web site (possibly larger than some translation agencies'), with their unsolicited CV, usually begging for a job, I take no action, and merely delete the message.
On the other hand, I am well networked in the translation milieu, and I keep track of the good translators I know, as well as their specialties. Every time I am offered a job where I don't consider myself a good choice on account of the specialized subject area, or i... See more When a fellow translator approaches me, on account of my web site (possibly larger than some translation agencies'), with their unsolicited CV, usually begging for a job, I take no action, and merely delete the message.
On the other hand, I am well networked in the translation milieu, and I keep track of the good translators I know, as well as their specialties. Every time I am offered a job where I don't consider myself a good choice on account of the specialized subject area, or if it requires a different language pair from mine, or if I won't have time to do it by the deadline required, I immediately refer the prospect to one or two colleagues in my network that I consider most suitable to do it, wish them all good luck, and step out.
Yesterday I received a thank-you e-mail from a colleague who specializes in dentistry translation, after I referred her to a good and relatively frequent client of mine who needed that kind of expertise, something I really don't have.
I don't expect thanks. As a matter of fact, I was dining out when I got the client's message about it on my phone. He said he needed it in a rush, and was at some nondescript airport, about to board a plane. I merely gave him the colleague's full name, being careful with the proper spelling, and told him to google her. In her thanks, she mentioned the name of an associate of that client's (who incidentally knows me), so it was all indirect. The point here is that it would be absolutely normal if my assistance became anonymous in the process.
Likewise, I don't expect direct retribution, as many of my beneficiaries promised they would give. I tell them they owe gratitude to "the network", not me.
If I can't or shouldn't do any translation job, I throw it over the fence to someone more suitable in "my network". Now and then "the network" throws jobs 'over the fence' to me. While I relay jobs to people who are on "my" network, I get jobs relayed from people who have me in "their" network. It is not necessarily mutual.
Furthermore, now and then I relay jobs to clients. If they need a bunch of different languages, I suggest they get a translation agency, and recommend a client of mine, one I think would be best equipped to take care of that specific request. If a video dubbing process is overwhelming, and translation will be just a small item on the bill, I suggest they hire a dubbing studio I usually work with, one which would be likely to use my translation services.
Yet answering the question, no, I don't go job-hunting as a proxy for a colleague. ▲ Collapse
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I don't want to sound like am bragging about myself, but I've always done it, and always will. "What goes around, comes around", for good and bad things. And it really doesn't matter whether other colleagues did the same for me or not (they did though!)
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Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 21:33
English to Spanish
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| Again, the wording of the question… | Jul 3, 2016 |
…is a turnoff for me.
One of the few useful things I've learned from the Bible decades ago was the value of anonymous service, of doing something kind or helpful without drawing attention to oneself.
If a translator approached me with the words I am a translator and I need a job. Can you help me find it? I would possibly reply with a stock answer (“join a translators' organization” or “offer to proofread someone else's work”). It's a lot like giving di... See more …is a turnoff for me.
One of the few useful things I've learned from the Bible decades ago was the value of anonymous service, of doing something kind or helpful without drawing attention to oneself.
If a translator approached me with the words I am a translator and I need a job. Can you help me find it? I would possibly reply with a stock answer (“join a translators' organization” or “offer to proofread someone else's work”). It's a lot like giving directions to a tourist.
I have done other active things for colleagues and translation students over the years, but I will not mention them here because there's always the longsuffering pietistic reader who finds fault. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 23:33
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
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Giuseppina Gatta, MA (Hons) wrote:
I don't want to sound like am bragging about myself, but I've always done it, and always will. "What goes around, comes around", for good and bad things. And it really doesn't matter whether other colleagues did the same for me or not (they did though!)
I've done it many times before and people have done it for me too. This is the main purpose of networking, IMO. But if yo only participate in the quick polls and other discussions but not in the KudoZ, actually helping colleagues, you may not be able to enjoy this type of cooperation among peers.
[Edited at 2016-07-03 15:32 GMT]
| | | | Andres Caro
Venezuela
Local time: 03:33
English to Spanish
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| Says a lot about yourself | Jul 3, 2016 |
Martha Schwan wrote:
Nobody in this life ever helped me in anything in my life. In fact, I began searching for translation jobs online by myself.
Your reasoning is just sad.
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Giuseppina Gatta, MA (Hons) wrote:
I don't want to sound like am bragging about myself, but I've always done it, and always will. "What goes around, comes around", for good and bad things. And it really doesn't matter whether other colleagues did the same for me or not (they did though!)
Ditto.
Laws of Karma.
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| I have done it many times | Jul 3, 2016 |
And I was helped in the ancient early days,
someone said that he/she never received help, I can say the opposite, in fact, in my life I was always helped when in need.
| | | | Michael Harris
Germany
Local time: 03:33
Member (2006)
German to English
Andres Caro wrote:
Martha Schwan wrote:
Nobody in this life ever helped me in anything in my life. In fact, I began searching for translation jobs online by myself.
Your reasoning is just sad.
I have helped others in the past, but not in finding a job.
@ Andres, I find it a bit narrow minded writing that about someone you do not even know.
Everyone has their own reasons for their actions!
| | | | Daniel Penso
United States
Local time: 18:33
Member (2012)
Japanese to English
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Martha Schwan wrote:
Nobody in this life ever helped me in anything in my life. In fact, I began searching for translation jobs online by myself.
It's a competitive world and your statement may sound repulsive to some but it is honest to me.
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