Translator s Guide to Contacting Translation Agencies by . Best Practices, Things to Avoid, Advanced Techniques & Example Translator Resumes

Transcription

1 Translator s Guide to Contacting Translation Agencies by Best Practices, Things to Avoid, Advanced Techniques & Example Translator Resumes VERSION 1 January 2015

2 CONTENTS Introduction... 3 Section One: Best Practices... 5 Section Two: Things to Avoid... 7 Section Three: Advanced Techniques Section Four: Example Resumes Closing Message Affinity Translation Denver, Colorado Pg. 2

3 Introduction Although Affinity Translation s agency is a relatively small one, each day we receive numerous s from translators interested in working with us. On an average day we receive in the range of s of this nature from translators worldwide. It s reasonable to speculate that larger translation agencies receive proportionately even greater numbers of similar s. When we began our translation business in 2007 we saved every ed resume we received. Over time we ve become more selective. is a wonderful tool and without it our business model would be much different, probably much less efficient. After all is not only a means of communication, it s one of the ways we deliver translations (our products ). It makes perfect sense for translators to use to contact agencies in the course of seeking project work. Advantages of using to contact translation agencies include: can be sent any time of day, no matter the time zone of origination. This is especially important considering the global nature of the translation business and worldwide geographic distribution of translators. A permanent, written record is available for archiving and long term reference by the agency 2015 Affinity Translation Denver, Colorado Pg. 3

4 is less disruptive (and therefore more favorably received by agencies) compared to other electronic communication means such as telephone calls and faxing. Despite s advantages, we regularly see ineffective use of from translators. These types of s have less chance of succeeding in establishing a relationship between translators and agencies. This document has been prepared as a guide to help translators use more effectively in the course of contacting translation agencies by to seek project work Affinity Translation Denver, Colorado Pg. 4

5 SECTION ONE: Best Practices 1. Include a brief introductory message within the body of the . List essential main bullet points that can be quickly reviewed. 2. In addition to attaching your resume in a standard file format (e.g., MS Word or PDF), paste a text version into the to give readers the option to read everything without opening an attachment. 3. Name any attachments accurately and descriptively (e.g., translator_name_resume, translator_name_cover_letter, etc.). 4. Keep file sizes of attached documents as small as possible. Larger sizes are be more likely to be deleted, other things being equal. 5. Meticulously check spellings and grammar. If you re writing your in English, and English is not your native language, consider having a native English speaking person proofread it. 6. Write an attention getting subject line. The subject line will more than anything else influence whether the is opened. 7. Consider adding a professional photo. Adding a photo is not only a personal touch, it can favorably differentiate your since very few translators do this Affinity Translation Denver, Colorado Pg. 5

6 8. Incorporate social media and/or a link to your blog or website. Social media accounts are free and websites are inexpensive. Translators who are serious about their profession will have an online presence and feature it. 9. Make content not only visually scannable (e.g., bullet points) but also searchable (use relevant keywords). Make sure software such as Outlook will identify your when searching on the most important keywords (e.g., Spanish medical translator). 10. Consider the timing of sending the . Many European based translators send s to US agencies during their work day. This means that US based agencies receive a large batch of s at the start of the business day. We recommend timing transmissions so they re received during the recipient s local normal business hours, at a time later than first thing in the morning Affinity Translation Denver, Colorado Pg. 6

7 SECTION TWO: Things to Avoid Here are a few things translators should avoid when contacting translation agencies by with the intention of establishing a long term association. 1. Mass Outreach with No Customization or Personalization If translators think that mass bombardment of translation agencies with an impersonal, canned will be effective, go ahead and try it, but don t be surprised if the results are disappointing. This approach might be more likely to work if you re one of the few translators in the world in your language combination and there just happens to be a high demand for that service. For most translators that s not the case. 2. Bad Subject Lines For a while we regularly received s from a translator with the heading Translation Quality Is Not Too High For Me. We believe that the person was trying to make the point that delivering high quality translations was well within their ability. However, this non native speaking translator s headline left a less favorable meaning open to interpretation Affinity Translation Denver, Colorado Pg. 7

8 3. Not Including or Making Key Information Prominent Some of the key information points include: a) Your language combination: This should be obvious but occasionally we have to dig deep into an just to find this basic information. b) Your rates: Yes this is important. Translation agencies need to know if there s an economic fit for doing business. Since many translators do include this information, agencies are less likely to take the time to contact translators that do not include this information. Simply stating rates are negotiable is neither as strong nor effective as including actual rates. Rate information is often more appropriate to include in a cover message than in a resume. c) Your experience and subject domain areas of specialization: This is important and at least at our agency, we do look for this information and pay attention to it. 4. One-and Done ing Just because a translator has ed an agency once don t think you should never contact them again. It s possible your was mishandled or not properly saved the first time. There s also value of repeated contacts (within a reasonable period) just to maintain awareness Affinity Translation Denver, Colorado Pg. 8

9 5. Failing to Differentiate Yourself from Other Translators In a competitive market (and translation is one) differentiation is often a key to success. Agencies must differentiate themselves to compete. Translators must do it also. Marketing differentiation is a big topic but translators would be well served to do some online research and read an authoritative article on this subject. Finding the right differentiation strategy may take some time and experimentation, but the alternative is to settle for being a commodity Affinity Translation Denver, Colorado Pg. 9

10 SECTION THREE: Advanced Techniques While the following ing techniques might not be well suited or practical in every case, we ve found these to approaches to be effective. Consider testing them out by applying them selectively. 1) Name Dropping Referral In our experience this may be one of the best approaches. To use this approach first obtain a referral from another translator already working for the agency. The referring translator should also be able to provide a specific contact name at the agency. Include the referring translator s name prominently in an headline and/or body of a cover message. Strategic name dropping can be very effective. When a translator already regularly working for an agency recommends a fellow translator, credibility is conveyed by association. Network with translator colleagues and friends to identify opportunities to apply this technique. 2) Vanity Approach Translation companies love to see publicity about their organization appear online. This can be considered something of a vanity approach. Begin by doing research about a translation agency of interest. Then create an online profile or review about a translation agency. Publish it 2015 Affinity Translation Denver, Colorado Pg. 10

11 on your website, blog, or social media account. Use this creatively in your contact with the agency. For example you might send a link of the review to the agency along with your introductory message and resume. Try variations on this approach. 3) Periodic Updates To cultivate and maintain awareness over a period of time consider publishing an newsletter, or some other form of regular communication. ing professionally designed translation project profiles to agency contacts can help gain attention and differentiate a translator s unique qualifications. Translation companies often feature their work in this way, although individual translators rarely do. ing project profiles to highlight completed projects will help establish a translator s brand and set individual translators apart from the crowd. Whatever the form of the make sure it s professionally designed and formatted. Consider using one of the popular template based ing services such as Constant Contact or others, to achieve a professional look to the Affinity Translation Denver, Colorado Pg. 11

12 SECTION FOUR: Selected Translator Resumes/CVs The following are actual translator resumes received by our company. Contact information is removed. The resumes/cvs selected were chosen as examples of a variety of formats, languages, and experience levels of the translators. These formats are not necessarily endorsed. Instead they re provided as examples only Affinity Translation Denver, Colorado Pg. 12

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27 Do you have tips for ing translation agencies not included here? Please send us your ideas and we may include them (with credit of course) in our next update of this publication. ideas to Please note: This publication may not be made available online except as posted on our website at Otherwise this publication is free to use and disseminate without restriction. Affinity Translation 2015 Affinity Translation Denver, Colorado Pg. 27