Why do agencies post jobs here? Thread poster: Kate Tomkins
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Kate Tomkins
Local time: 20:23
Member (2012)
German to English
I can understand direct customers and small agencies posting jobs on Proz. However, I often see jobs posted by larger agencies as well - involving quite common languages.
The only reason I can think of for this is that all of their regular translators are on holiday or too busy to fit this particular project in.
Surely they have a good group of trusted translators and proofreaders to turn to before trying their luck on the internet?
| | | | | My understanding of what is going on | Jun 6, 2014 |
I believe they might be seeking a rare breed: highly-skilled and experienced translators who just happen to be new on the international scene, and, therefore, unaware of what they should or could charge for their services.
Most often they are quick enough to understand their own worth, which forces some agencies go head-hunting again.
I might be completely wrong, though, in my assumptions (sorry, good boys and girls representing translation agencies in this community)... See more I believe they might be seeking a rare breed: highly-skilled and experienced translators who just happen to be new on the international scene, and, therefore, unaware of what they should or could charge for their services.
Most often they are quick enough to understand their own worth, which forces some agencies go head-hunting again.
I might be completely wrong, though, in my assumptions (sorry, good boys and girls representing translation agencies in this community) ▲ Collapse
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Kate, 'the Internet' is a communication channel like any other. There is no shame in looking for business relationships 'on the Internet'.
Agencies need to keep finding new translators, just like translators need to keep finding new clients or agencies even just in case some of the old ones go out of business or choose to work with someone else. It's basically a cycle.
Once an agency gets in touch with a new translator via Proz.com, it would be a safe bet to say there's... See more Kate, 'the Internet' is a communication channel like any other. There is no shame in looking for business relationships 'on the Internet'.
Agencies need to keep finding new translators, just like translators need to keep finding new clients or agencies even just in case some of the old ones go out of business or choose to work with someone else. It's basically a cycle.
Once an agency gets in touch with a new translator via Proz.com, it would be a safe bet to say there's going to be a lot of bureaucracy with tests and contracts and registrations and online systems and all that jazz. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Why? To find the lowest rates possible | Jun 6, 2014 |
As far as agencies is concerned, small or big ones, the reason they post jobs on the ProZ job board is finding translators offering the lowest rates available.
Judging by the high numbers of freelancers willing to take on jobs for the low rates agencies are willing to pay (rates which they specify in the jobs they post), the ProZ job board is the ideal plataform for the agencies' goals.
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| Some possibilities | Jun 6, 2014 |
A) "Good" agencies
They got some request that is unusual for them, a new specialty field, and/or involving a language pair for which they have no time-proven translators yet.
B) "Bad" agencies
They got some repeat-like order, and were unhappy with the previous job's outcome.
Most likely the cheap translator they hired delivered late and/or the work had serious quality issues.
Perhaps they gave previous translators such a hard time to get paid, that none of t... See more A) "Good" agencies
They got some request that is unusual for them, a new specialty field, and/or involving a language pair for which they have no time-proven translators yet.
B) "Bad" agencies
They got some repeat-like order, and were unhappy with the previous job's outcome.
Most likely the cheap translator they hired delivered late and/or the work had serious quality issues.
Perhaps they gave previous translators such a hard time to get paid, that none of these is willing to work for them again, so they are hunting for new patsies.
Or maybe, in order to grab and avoid losing that high-potential client, they hired a pro just this once. Now they are on the lookout for someone who can wing it cheaper.
C) "Fledgling" agencies
They just want to populate their database with translators, to enable them to brag about how many thousand translators they "work" with.
"Potential job" is often a telltale sign of these. ▲ Collapse
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José Henrique Lamensdorf wrote:
"Potential job" is often a telltale sign of these.
Along with the buzzwords "huge volume" and/or "long-term collaboration"
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Orrin Cummins wrote:
Along with the buzzwords "huge volume" and/or "long-term collaboration"
I am currently interested in experienced language professionals or high-potential younger talents, due to the steadily increasing volume of UN-related work. Understandably, I am interested in those suitable for "long-term collaboration", i.e. capable of producing quality deliverables in a professional and reliable manner. However, being a perfectionist when it comes to my professional career, I am quite selective, and I would always prefer working with a few handpicked fellow translators to bragging about thousands of translators just waiting for a job I might send their way
| | | | | Glad to hear that | Jun 7, 2014 |
Vladimir Pochinov wrote:
Orrin Cummins wrote:
Along with the buzzwords "huge volume" and/or "long-term collaboration"
I am currently interested in experienced language professionals or high-potential younger talents, due to the steadily increasing volume of UN-related work. Understandably, I am interested in those suitable for "long-term collaboration", i.e. capable of producing quality deliverables in a professional and reliable manner. However, being a perfectionist when it comes to my professional career, I am quite selective, and I would always prefer working with a few handpicked fellow translators to bragging about thousands of translators just waiting for a job I might send their way
You are definitely the exception rather than the rule. Keep fighting the good fight, though!
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Kay Denney 
France
Local time: 21:23
French to English
| translators are human | Jun 7, 2014 |
KateKaminski wrote:
I can understand direct customers and small agencies posting jobs on Proz. However, I often see jobs posted by larger agencies as well - involving quite common languages.
The only reason I can think of for this is that all of their regular translators are on holiday or too busy to fit this particular project in.
Surely they have a good group of trusted translators and proofreaders to turn to before trying their luck on the internet?
Yes they do have databases with many translators.
However translators are human. they have holidays, babies, other clients who pay more, some get sick or retire and others die. As a PM, I had to find translators to replace our tried and tested team for all these reasons and many more.
| | | | jyuan_us
United States
Local time: 15:23
Member (2005)
English to Chinese
+ ...
KateKaminski wrote:
I can understand direct customers and small agencies posting jobs on Proz. However, I often see jobs posted by larger agencies as well - involving quite common languages.
Direct customers and small agencies RARELY post jobs on Proz. This is a platform established for translation agencies and freelancers.
| | | | Radian Yazynin
Local time: 23:23
Member (2004)
English to Russian
+ ...
| Better to say | Jun 11, 2014 |
Miguel Carmona wrote:
As far as agencies is concerned, small or big ones, the reason they post jobs on the ProZ job board is finding translators offering the lowest rates available.
... and possibly doing their jobs far better than you can expect it at such rates.
[Edited at 2014-06-11 13:15 GMT]
[Edited at 2014-06-11 13:15 GMT]
| | | | | Rates need to be adequate | Jun 11, 2014 |
Radian Yazynin wrote:
Miguel Carmona wrote:
As far as agencies is concerned, small or big ones, the reason they post jobs on the ProZ job board is finding translators offering the lowest rates available.
... and possibly doing their jobs far better than you can expect it at such rates.
... and letting themselves be exploited ... that only works for a while. But it affects all of us translators in a bad way. It's good there are still clients out there that know better and are willing to pay professional rates for professional work.
[Edited at 2014-06-11 19:58 GMT]
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