| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Poll: Does a picture in your profile increase your chances of being contacted by outsourcers? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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Muriel Vasconcellos (X) 
United States
Local time: 15:14
Spanish to English
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| It creates a level of comfort | Sep 19, 2008 |
I have a long-time client who never met me. After she saw my photo on ProZ, she said she now feels more comfortable communicating with me. If our clients feel comfortable reaching out to us, it should increase the chances they will reach out more often!
On ProZ, I must confess I feel more rapport with colleagues whose pictures are posted. I want to see the person I'm talking to.
It's for this reason that I decided to post a picture of myself, even though I am camera-shy... See more I have a long-time client who never met me. After she saw my photo on ProZ, she said she now feels more comfortable communicating with me. If our clients feel comfortable reaching out to us, it should increase the chances they will reach out more often!
On ProZ, I must confess I feel more rapport with colleagues whose pictures are posted. I want to see the person I'm talking to.
It's for this reason that I decided to post a picture of myself, even though I am camera-shy and would prefer not to be "seen." ▲ Collapse
| | | | Leo Viëtor
Netherlands
Local time: 00:14
English to Dutch
| It all depends on the picture | Sep 19, 2008 |
It all depends on the picture. I think the C.V. comes first. Every picture can be photoshopped, which is allowed. You cannot photoshop your C.V..
| | | | Stephen Gobin
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:14
German to English
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| A good way to feel connected | Sep 19, 2008 |
This reminds me of a Forum entry a day or two ago when someone was a little taken aback that an outsourcer was asking for a photo to be attached to a CV.
I actually think that a photo of oneself is important because it is part and parcel of how we are as social beings. We respond to other people on a daily basis just as much by sight as by the way we communicate with each other and the way we react to each other's opinions. An image of a person helps us to make sense of and locate s... See more This reminds me of a Forum entry a day or two ago when someone was a little taken aback that an outsourcer was asking for a photo to be attached to a CV.
I actually think that a photo of oneself is important because it is part and parcel of how we are as social beings. We respond to other people on a daily basis just as much by sight as by the way we communicate with each other and the way we react to each other's opinions. An image of a person helps us to make sense of and locate someone in the real world.
I tend to take more interest and note in the people on Proz who have included a photo of themselves simply because they are a real person I can identify with. I find it very difficult connecting with people who have put pictures of their pets or children, a logo or cartoon, a flag or landscape on their profile. Having said that, I do think there's a gender issue involved as well: men, I guess, are probably less concerned about having a photo of themselves than women.
[Edited at 2008-09-19 08:34] ▲ Collapse
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I just started outsourcing, and I found myself leaning more towards people who have pictures.
It gives me more of a sense of contact. I also prefer contacting people by phone rather than just by email. For me, it's more about developing a good working relationship for the future and not a one-off job.
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inkweaver
Germany
Local time: 00:14
French to German
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| Sorry Sonja... | Sep 19, 2008 |
Sonja Kroll wrote:
referring to the people who asked for the photo, not to those who found that weird.
I hadn't thought this could be confounded. I'm sorry!
... perhaps my fault
| | | | Sunny Sky
Local time: 00:14
Member (2005)
English to German
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| Yes, yes, yes! | Sep 19, 2008 |
Actually, I am quite surprised to see that so far only a rather small percentage voted "Yes".
When you send a CV in order to apply for a job, you also quite naturally include a photo, don't you? Plus, as others already pointed out, it is a good way of giving a personal touch to a rather impersonal virtual world.
| | | | Henk Peelen
Netherlands
Local time: 00:14
Member (2003)
German to Dutch
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SITE LOCALIZER
I think so, because probable clients want to know something about a translator. An own website might help. I think a photo might help as well. It gives them the idea the translator is creative, flexible and willing to combine findings, experience, knowledge and so on to a usefull and shareable end product.
| | | | cmwilliams (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:14
French to English
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Sabine Schlottky wrote:
When you send a CV in order to apply for a job, you also quite naturally include a photo, don't you?
As far as I know, it's not normal practice to send a photo with a CV here in the UK.
I answered 'other' in the poll because I don't know. I would have said 'maybe' but not 'probably'. I think that other factors such as qualifications and experience are (or should be) top of the list. All things being equal, a photo just might sway it, but who knows?
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Boris Rogowski
Germany
Local time: 00:14
Member (2008)
English to German
A picture might or might not be a criterion for an outsourcer, I really don't know. But this topic might spawn an interesting debate as to what somebody might be looking for in a translator's appearance. Spruceness as an indicator for tidy TMs and compliance with deadlines? Signs of intellectual accomplishment (like... glasses haha).
I mean, we all know that judging a book by its cover is plain idiocy, and even more so when looking for a person you're not likely to ever get to know in the ... See more A picture might or might not be a criterion for an outsourcer, I really don't know. But this topic might spawn an interesting debate as to what somebody might be looking for in a translator's appearance. Spruceness as an indicator for tidy TMs and compliance with deadlines? Signs of intellectual accomplishment (like... glasses haha).
I mean, we all know that judging a book by its cover is plain idiocy, and even more so when looking for a person you're not likely to ever get to know in the real world, but we all do it nonetheless, so... how does the perfect translator look like?
[Edited at 2008-09-19 13:09]
[Edited at 2008-09-19 21:33] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Michelle Hertrich (X)
Germany
Local time: 00:14
German to English
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As most of my clients come from Germany, I would have to say yes. As Sabine pointed out, you usually include a photo of yourself in German CV´s. I know that it is also part of my professional identity. If I had a photo of Snoopy in my profile instead of myself, I´m sure I wouldn´t get quite as many enquiries.
But on the other hand I find it quite ridiculous. I grew up in Australia where it was deemed to be discriminatory if you included a photo, marital status, religion etc in yo... See more As most of my clients come from Germany, I would have to say yes. As Sabine pointed out, you usually include a photo of yourself in German CV´s. I know that it is also part of my professional identity. If I had a photo of Snoopy in my profile instead of myself, I´m sure I wouldn´t get quite as many enquiries.
But on the other hand I find it quite ridiculous. I grew up in Australia where it was deemed to be discriminatory if you included a photo, marital status, religion etc in your CV. How I look doesn´t correspond to how I translate. So in the end, I have a photo of myself on my website and in my ProZ.com profile for my potential German clients, but I don´t particularly feel comfortable with it. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Interlangue (X)
Angola
Local time: 00:14
English to French
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Honestly? I don't care!
Looks are no guarantee of quality.
Tone of voice is far more important in my experience as well as meeting customers IRL.
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