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Thread poster: Abdul Katawazai
Abdul Katawazai
Abdul Katawazai
Canada
Local time: 01:59
English to Dari
+ ...
Nov 1, 2006

Hi,

I would like to know if there could be translation jobs that never get into the whole system of internet?
I mean do governemnts, organizations, or companies offer jobs with out posting them at the translation website e.g proz.com or getting freelancer's information from these type of websites?
 
Angela Arnone
Angela Arnone  Identity Verified
Local time: 09:59
Member (2004)
Italian to English
+ ...
Very much so Nov 1, 2006

Mohammad, the old system still works extensively.
My major customer now is just up the road. It's a publisher who does tons of non-fiction and never translated into English until I persuaded them it was a good idea.
So get out there and do some direct marketing!
Good luck
Angela


Mohammad Khan wrote:

Hi,

I would like to know if there could be translation jobs that never get into the whole system of internet?
I mean do governemnts, organizations, or companies offer jobs with out posting them at the translation website e.g proz.com or getting freelancer's information from these type of websites?


 
PRen (X)
PRen (X)  Identity Verified
Local time: 03:59
French to English
+ ...
Wow!! Nov 1, 2006

Mohammad Khan wrote:

Hi,

I would like to know if there could be translation jobs that never get into the whole system of internet?
I mean do governemnts, organizations, or companies offer jobs with out posting them at the translation website e.g proz.com or getting freelancer's information from these type of websites?


I guess Henry and Anatoly's marketing must be working if you think that jobs get posted only here (and there)! I think since these sites were created I've bid on exactly two jobs, purely to see what would happen (nothing, as predicted). I'm working 8 days a week, and NONE of my work comes from the Internet. Angela's right - get out there and find out where the real translation market is. Hint: you're in Canada - check out your provincial translator's association.

Paula
 
Niina Lahokoski
Niina Lahokoski  Identity Verified
Finland
Local time: 10:59
Member (2008)
English to Finnish
+ ...
Much work outside the Internet Nov 1, 2006

I must be the opposite of PaulaRen then. I'm rather new to the business and I think I would not have gotten started so quickly if it wasn't for Proz.com and other similar sites. I rarely send quotes for projects, but I believe that all of my foreign clients have found me through these sites. The local agencies I work for were looking for freelancers through my university's "job board" where I found their announcement.

... See more
I must be the opposite of PaulaRen then. I'm rather new to the business and I think I would not have gotten started so quickly if it wasn't for Proz.com and other similar sites. I rarely send quotes for projects, but I believe that all of my foreign clients have found me through these sites. The local agencies I work for were looking for freelancers through my university's "job board" where I found their announcement.

But yes, I'm sure there is very much work outside the Internet. Perhaps it is just harder to find when you're a beginner.

[Edited at 2006-11-01 22:20] ▲ Collapse
 
Latin_Hellas (X)
Latin_Hellas (X)
United States
Local time: 09:59
Italian to English
+ ...
Quite The Opposite Nov 2, 2006

As the two previous posters have already alluded to, the question should be inverted. What tiny percentage of translation jobs is actually "brokered" through the internet?

There is an old saying, "it's not what you know, it's whom you know."

Though I have started up some professional translation relationships through the internet (proz.com in particular), the most profitable and long-lasting are those that start up through personal contact.
 


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