Have you sent tons of e-mail applications and nobody replied?
Thread poster: Claudio Porcellana (X)
Claudio Porcellana (X)
Claudio Porcellana (X)  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 09:31
English to Italian
Mar 11, 2021

Hi there

I just read this article on Nature, and I think it's very interesting for any kind of business, our included

It is particularly useful for newbies, but not just them: I learned something useful as well

... See more
Hi there

I just read this article on Nature, and I think it's very interesting for any kind of business, our included

It is particularly useful for newbies, but not just them: I learned something useful as well

Enjoy it

What I learnt from 700 e-mail applications
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Dan Lucas
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
P.L.F. Persio
Petra Machado (X)
 
3089491 (X)
3089491 (X)  Identity Verified
Luxembourg
Local time: 09:31
Unlikely in the translation industry Mar 11, 2021

You would usually get either a link to their online database or a form to fill in and send back.

Often, no initial email exchange is actually necessary, since the database is linked from their website (therefore, public).

An interesting read, though. Creativity and persistence pay off. Thanks!


P.L.F. Persio
 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 08:31
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Interesting read Mar 12, 2021

I run my business as a micro-enterprise which since the very beginning decided for a question of quality control to translate exclusively from and into European Portuguese as my website and all the platforms and associations I belong to say clearly. Nevertheless, since the start of the pandemic my inbox has been flooded every day with CVs from translators all over the world who don’t care to do their homework (so far none had any kind of understanding of spoken and/or written Portuguese). I wo... See more
I run my business as a micro-enterprise which since the very beginning decided for a question of quality control to translate exclusively from and into European Portuguese as my website and all the platforms and associations I belong to say clearly. Nevertheless, since the start of the pandemic my inbox has been flooded every day with CVs from translators all over the world who don’t care to do their homework (so far none had any kind of understanding of spoken and/or written Portuguese). I wonder what the use of sending CVs indiscriminately is. Isn’t that a complete waste of time? Curiously enough, some claim having 25 years of experience, shouldn’t they know better? Maybe after reading this thread somebody might just save his/her CV from the bin…Collapse


Claudio Porcellana (X)
Tom in London
 
Claudio Porcellana (X)
Claudio Porcellana (X)  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 09:31
English to Italian
TOPIC STARTER
Have you sent tons of e-mail applications and nobody replied? Mar 12, 2021

Mihai Badea wrote:
You would usually get either a link to their online database or a form to fill in and send back.
Often, no initial email exchange is actually necessary, since the database is linked from their website (therefore, public). An interesting read, though. Creativity and persistence pay off. Thanks!


It depends on the premise Mihai

When you receive an offer, e.g. through Proz, you will be mostly offered to fill a form

But when you do what I call "caccia grossa" (big game hunting) that means searching proactively for new customers, you will be possibly offered to fill a form ONLY AFTER a communication started and evolved...

This is why the Nature article can be useful, even for a seasoned professional like me, and I must admit it was a lesson to me

my 2 cents


Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Jorge Payan
 
Baran Keki
Baran Keki  Identity Verified
Türkiye
Local time: 11:31
Member
English to Turkish
Inspiring, but offers nothing original Mar 12, 2021

I think more or less all the 'self proclaimed translation gurus' give the same advice in their 'thought-provoking, game-changing, awe-inspiring, mind boggling business and self improvement' webinars, where they kindly ask you to fork out $99.99 (or get an 'early bird special' at $59.99, if you're lucky), or in their "10 things to do to become a super duper translator" articles, which they let you read free of charge, but ask you to share it with as many people as possible on Facebook, LinkedIn e... See more
I think more or less all the 'self proclaimed translation gurus' give the same advice in their 'thought-provoking, game-changing, awe-inspiring, mind boggling business and self improvement' webinars, where they kindly ask you to fork out $99.99 (or get an 'early bird special' at $59.99, if you're lucky), or in their "10 things to do to become a super duper translator" articles, which they let you read free of charge, but ask you to share it with as many people as possible on Facebook, LinkedIn etc.: never send generic emails, never start with "Dear Sir/Madam", try and find out the person's name and address them with their name, do your homework and study their website and fashion your email acc. to the requirements of the agency, ask a question or two to provoke a reply and thereby initiate further contact etc etc.
Don't get me wrong, I applaud the doggedness of the author, more power to his elbow, but in my opinion it offers nothing original for freelance translators.
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Claudio Porcellana (X)
Christopher Schröder
William Bowley
Oriana W.
Carlos Teran
Eric Azevedo
 
Claudio Porcellana (X)
Claudio Porcellana (X)  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 09:31
English to Italian
TOPIC STARTER
Have you sent tons of e-mail applications and nobody replied? Mar 12, 2021

Baran Keki wrote:

I think more or less all the 'self proclaimed translation gurus' give the same advice in their 'thought-provoking,...


Well... according to Teresa Borges, it still happens that peers send useless CVs despite the hordes of useless gurus around, so maybe useful for somebody...


P.L.F. Persio
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
 


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