Translators - Precaution is better than cure…

Internet has become an inherent part of people’s lives and their businesses. It has revolutionized the way business is done in this global market; but the other side of coin is that it has also paved way for some mischievous acts.

Online business is one of the major sources of jobs for freelancers. The translation industry churns out a lot of translation work for these freelancers.

As a freelance translator, when you approach new client for business; it’s very important to check their reliability in advance.  When money is involved in these dealings, one needs to exercise extra caution. A ship in harbor is safe – but that is not what ships are for.  It is very similar in new ventures; even if there is risk, one will have to take it.  To mitigate these risks, you need to ensure that some of the key things are addressed before you start your work –

Study and understand all necessary things about your client - their work culture, practices of project deals, payment system etc.

1. Visit website of agency for details like address, contact numbers, email IDs.
2. Find out agency’s registration information.
3. Read reviews and testimonials of agency.

In spite of verifying all the necessary information, at times you may face some issues. Issues related to remuneration often arise at this point. There could be some common reasons like

1. Poor communication, errors in fund transfers, lack of decision making authority, etc.
2. Sometimes payment delays might be the act of deliberate negligence to thwart someone’s attempt to establish business.

In the second case you should take some action against the agency which will indicate your non-tolerance for such acts. You can send polite reminders by using different means: Email, Fax or phone calls. If there is no response after repeated reminders; you may need to give ultimatum to the translation agency. However you should use this as a last resort in a way that it doesn’t tarnish your image.









Visit: - Professional languages translation services

6 things to remember when translators send mail to translation agency

I think the scenario of the translation industry, today is quite simple. First of all the translator finds projects and starts writing mails hoping that he or she might get that project. However, sometimes they succeed and sometimes they not. Here are some of the important points which I would like to list in order to learn how to structure the emails in an effective way.

·         Subject lines

Most of the translation companies generally ask the translator to put the job number or simple phrase in subject line while composing the mail. However, I have seen many suppliers who do not pay attention to this aspect which can be harmful. For instance if I am running the translation company, Ieveryday get a lot of mails regarding the new projects and therefore, it becomes very difficult for us to identify the mails if they are not numbered according to the protocol. So, if you do not use the requested phrase, it is also possible that your mail may not be even read.

Moreover, if the client has not put emphasis on any specific phrase, then you can also use their offer in the subject of the mail. Additionally, if you are sending the unsolicited mail, it can be a good idea to use an attractive subject line which catches the attention of an individual.

·         Addressing reader

This is one of the golden rules which I have observed while addressing the reader in the mail. If you are replying to an offer in a mail, then it is important to address with the name of an individual instead of using “Dear Sir/Mam”. However, in case when the name is not mentioned I would suggest you to write “Dear Project Manager.”

·         Mention source

In addition to the above point is also important to make sure that you mention the source from where you got the information about the offer. For example if I receive a mail then I will obviously want to confirm that you are not a time waster and I will need your services.

·         Showing interest

If you are really willing to get the project then it is important that you should have some interest in the project. This can be done in many ways. For instance, you can congratulate his work on the website. It is important to appreciate their work first and then start giving your information and why you are interested in the project.

·         Best Experience

In the Professional language translation industry it is normally observed that the project managers do not spend their much time on reading the cover mails therefore it is important to give only your experience and qualifications necessary for the project. After giving this information then you can refer the reader to your CV for more information.