What am I supposed to do in this case? Thread poster: Morano El-Kholy
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Morano El-Kholy 
Egypt
Local time: 01:50
Member (2011)
English to Arabic
+ ...
Dear colleagues,
I have encountered a very difficult situation in which I do not know how to act? I am very disappointed and frustrated!
Two days ago, an agency contacted me and asked me to send them my university certificate so as to bid in an international tender (maybe this
was for the UN organization). I sent them my BA certificate collected from Al-Alsun faculty, Ain Shams University. My faculty is very
famous/reputable one. It was found... See more Dear colleagues,
I have encountered a very difficult situation in which I do not know how to act? I am very disappointed and frustrated!
Two days ago, an agency contacted me and asked me to send them my university certificate so as to bid in an international tender (maybe this
was for the UN organization). I sent them my BA certificate collected from Al-Alsun faculty, Ain Shams University. My faculty is very
famous/reputable one. It was founded in 1835 by Rifa'a al-Tahtawi. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rifa'a_al-Tahtawi
http://alsun.asu.edu.eg//english/
The next day they emailed me and apologized for not being able to include me in their bid. The reason was simply that my certificate did not
contain the term "translation/translator" but only denoted that I attained the English Language.
I tried to explain to her that my faculty was the first and only one all over Egypt to specialize in translation but in vain!
Another reason for their rejection is that many years later another faculty was founded that included "Translation" term as part of its name.
Faculty of Languages and Translation - Al-Azhar University http://www.egyco-egypt.com/depdetails.aspx?ID=297
Whereas Al-Alsun is an ancient faculty and a very famous college that was founded specifically to teach translation and its related sciences.
Of course, I was thus deprived of my right to enter the bid because of the requirements of this organization.
Now, I do not know what to do! Your kind feedback would be much appreciated. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Eva Stoppa
Germany
Local time: 00:50
English to German
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| A bid is no guarantee for jobs | Jan 7, 2020 |
A bid is just that. A bid. Even if you had been allowed to go ahead with your bid it doesn't mean, the agency would ever use your Services when assigning Translation Jobs from this given Institution to translators.
So don't worry! It was just a Translation agency! You weren't rejected for some permanent well-paid Job at the United nations!
| | | | Morano El-Kholy
Egypt
Local time: 01:50
Member (2011)
English to Arabic
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Thank you very much. | Jan 7, 2020 |
Yes, you are absolutely correct.
Thank you very much.
| | | | Woodstock (X)
Germany
Local time: 00:50
German to English
+ ...
| Don't be discouraged | Jan 7, 2020 |
I agree with Eva. These bids end up going nowhere more often than not, but the words used are important as they are probably required for the bidding entity to be considered for the potential project at all. The rejection was not of you or your university, but simply because the word "translation/translator" was missing! That is certainly no reflection on you or your expertise. When I was starting out as a translator, there were often requests for my info for various bids, but after supplying lo... See more I agree with Eva. These bids end up going nowhere more often than not, but the words used are important as they are probably required for the bidding entity to be considered for the potential project at all. The rejection was not of you or your university, but simply because the word "translation/translator" was missing! That is certainly no reflection on you or your expertise. When I was starting out as a translator, there were often requests for my info for various bids, but after supplying loads of information and paperwork, nothing ever came of any of them, so I just began rejecting all such offers. It seems likely to me that the agencies - the less reputable ones, at least - use your qualifications to get the bids, then farm out the actual work to cheaper, less qualified translators if they are successful. ▲ Collapse
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Morano El-Kholy
Egypt
Local time: 01:50
Member (2011)
English to Arabic
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Thanks Woodstock. | Jan 7, 2020 |
Yes, thanks for this encouragement 
Many thanks, dear.
| | | | | If an agency looks at tiny things like that, do you really want to work with them? | Jan 7, 2020 |
Many agencies look at the wider picture, and would recognise at once that your qualification was excellent, no matter what the precise wording was.
Over the years I have run into a lot of questions, because my first degree was a BSc. One academic institution told me firmly that ´Language degrees are BA, not BSc´, even though I had in fact more German as a secondary subject - technical German, not literary German... than they offered in their own study programme.
Anoth... See more Many agencies look at the wider picture, and would recognise at once that your qualification was excellent, no matter what the precise wording was.
Over the years I have run into a lot of questions, because my first degree was a BSc. One academic institution told me firmly that ´Language degrees are BA, not BSc´, even though I had in fact more German as a secondary subject - technical German, not literary German... than they offered in their own study programme.
Another university looked at the content of the programme and admitted me at a higher level on their own programme, so that I did not need to repeat work I had already done. But I never did qualify as a Danish State Authorized Translator.
It is a long story, but over the years I have worked with a lot of clients - and State Authorized Translators - who looked at the actual qualifications I had, and although my BSc from the 1970s is outdated in many ways, it is still a useful foundation in others for further study and experience.
The best clients recognise that, and send work! So I hope the same happens for you.
[Edited at 2020-01-07 13:06 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Morano El-Kholy
Egypt
Local time: 01:50
Member (2011)
English to Arabic
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Agree with you Christine. | Jan 7, 2020 |
Christine Andersen wrote:
If an agency looks at tiny things like that, do you really want to work with them?
No, I do not.
Thank you, dear
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