Poll: Where do outsourcers typically look for freelance language professionals?
Penulis thread: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
STAF SITUS
Jan 30

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Where do outsourcers typically look for freelance language professionals?".

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Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugis
Local time: 06:54
Anggota sejak (2007)
Inggris ke Portugis
+ ...
Other Jan 30

Shouldn’t this question be directed to the agencies? As far as I know, they are not involved with these Quick Polls. In any case, I very occasionally outsource work at the request of some clients, and in such cases, I have been working with the same pool of translators for many years. Some are former colleagues, others are also (or were) members of Proz.

Sylvie Pelissier
Emily Scott
Claudio Machado Junior
Luis M. Sosa
Maria Laura Curzi
Philip Lees
María Domí­nguez Camba
 
Gregor Trebec
Gregor Trebec
Slovenia
Local time: 07:54
Inggris ke Slovenia
+ ...
All Jan 30

Again, i couldn't vote because the answer is: all of them.

Ian Keith Jones Williams
Claudio Machado Junior
Maria Laura Curzi
 
Jennifer Levey
Jennifer Levey  Identity Verified
Chili
Local time: 01:54
Spanyol ke Inggris
+ ...
Let's say it again... Jan 30

It would be nice to think that outsourcers looking for freelance language professionals still come to Proz.com, like they did in the past.

However, there seem to be fewer and fewer outsourcers who appreciate the benefits of engaging skilled and experienced professional translators and interpreters, and see no reason why they shouldn't accept the cheapest offer from among the 'I can English' wannabees they find on other platforms and on the anti-social media.

Mean
... See more
It would be nice to think that outsourcers looking for freelance language professionals still come to Proz.com, like they did in the past.

However, there seem to be fewer and fewer outsourcers who appreciate the benefits of engaging skilled and experienced professional translators and interpreters, and see no reason why they shouldn't accept the cheapest offer from among the 'I can English' wannabees they find on other platforms and on the anti-social media.

Meanwhile, we are witnessing an increasing number of 'job' offers on the Proz Job Board in which it is very clear that unscrupulous agencies (and some end-users from big-tech), and droves of scammers, are knowingly exploiting the Proz.com 'open-to-all-at-all-hours', free-of-charge, totally unfiltered 'job' message handling system (and the associated Proz API) to target members/users, worldwide, with 'job' offers that have nothing whatsoever to do with translation or interpretation, specifically state that no experience is necessary, and are in some cases potentially illegal in terms of the protection of sensitive personal data of third parties, the exploitation of minors, etc.

Anyone here who isn't aware of what's going on can learn more here:
https://www.proz.com/forum/prozcom_job_systems/376024-job_adverts_for_work_"for_ai_training".html and
https://www.proz.com/forum/money_matters/377356-voice_data_collection.html

I venture to suggest that if the Proz management doesn't turn the platform's whole attitude to AI around, and recentre its focus on making, and actively promoting, this a 'venue' exclusively for professional translators and interpreters - the human kind - then there will soon be little or no reason for translation/interpretation outsourcers to come here, to Proz.com, looking for professional services.

Why? - because many of the professionals who helped Henry to build this 'venue for freelance translators and interpreters', to make it what it was in its heyday, are not renewing their paid membership, or are leaving the platform altogether.
JL
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expressisverbis
Liena V.
Ian Keith Jones Williams
Claudio Machado Junior
Matthieu Ledoré
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Zea_Mays
 
No idea Jan 30

Every client I've worked with over the past twenty-five years has obtained my name through word of mouth, but I imagine that's not the case for everyone.

Of the sources suggested, I would imagine the first place they look is "Internal databases / past collaborators", which would include translators, agencies or networks if they've ever worked with them before.

If they don't have such resources, they might ask around ("Direct referrals" - I've given agencies the names
... See more
Every client I've worked with over the past twenty-five years has obtained my name through word of mouth, but I imagine that's not the case for everyone.

Of the sources suggested, I would imagine the first place they look is "Internal databases / past collaborators", which would include translators, agencies or networks if they've ever worked with them before.

If they don't have such resources, they might ask around ("Direct referrals" - I've given agencies the names of colleagues countless times). Many will have heard of LinkedIn, so that might be a possibility. On the other hand, "Professional networks (e.g. ProZ, etc)" that they don't already know would seem less likely. If I want a Swedish (or Dutch, or Thai) to Italian translator, let's say, I might write "Swedish Italian translator" in Italian without the quotes on Google, but I would not find Proz and similar sites among the first hundred sites, so I think that's a less likely option.

Maybe the best way would be to ask ChatGPT or similar? I haven't tried, so I wouldn't know.
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Harishankar Shahi
Harishankar Shahi  Identity Verified
India
Anggota sejak (2014)
Inggris ke Hindi
+ ...
Couldn't agree more Jan 31

Jennifer Levey wrote:

It would be nice to think that outsourcers looking for freelance language professionals still come to Proz.com, like they did in the past.

However, there seem to be fewer and fewer outsourcers who appreciate the benefits of engaging skilled and experienced professional translators and interpreters, and see no reason why they shouldn't accept the cheapest offer from among the 'I can English' wannabees they find on other platforms and on the anti-social media.

Meanwhile, we are witnessing an increasing number of 'job' offers on the Proz Job Board in which it is very clear that unscrupulous agencies (and some end-users from big-tech), and droves of scammers, are knowingly exploiting the Proz.com 'open-to-all-at-all-hours', free-of-charge, totally unfiltered 'job' message handling system (and the associated Proz API) to target members/users, worldwide, with 'job' offers that have nothing whatsoever to do with translation or interpretation, specifically state that no experience is necessary, and are in some cases potentially illegal in terms of the protection of sensitive personal data of third parties, the exploitation of minors, etc.

Anyone here who isn't aware of what's going on can learn more here:
https://www.proz.com/forum/prozcom_job_systems/376024-job_adverts_for_work_"for_ai_training".html and
https://www.proz.com/forum/money_matters/377356-voice_data_collection.html

I venture to suggest that if the Proz management doesn't turn the platform's whole attitude to AI around, and recentre its focus on making, and actively promoting, this a 'venue' exclusively for professional translators and interpreters - the human kind - then there will soon be little or no reason for translation/interpretation outsourcers to come here, to Proz.com, looking for professional services.

Why? - because many of the professionals who helped Henry to build this 'venue for freelance translators and interpreters', to make it what it was in its heyday, are not renewing their paid membership, or are leaving the platform altogether.
JL


Renewing Proz membership is now feeling as waste of money.


Philip Lees
Jorge Payan
Maria Laura Curzi
Edwige Thomas
 
Bruno Pavesi
Bruno Pavesi  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 02:54
Inggris ke Portugis
+ ...
Absolutely true Jan 31

Jennifer Levey wrote:

It would be nice to think that outsourcers looking for freelance language professionals still come to Proz.com, like they did in the past.

However, there seem to be fewer and fewer outsourcers who appreciate the benefits of engaging skilled and experienced professional translators and interpreters, and see no reason why they shouldn't accept the cheapest offer from among the 'I can English' wannabees they find on other platforms and on the anti-social media.

Meanwhile, we are witnessing an increasing number of 'job' offers on the Proz Job Board in which it is very clear that unscrupulous agencies (and some end-users from big-tech), and droves of scammers, are knowingly exploiting the Proz.com 'open-to-all-at-all-hours', free-of-charge, totally unfiltered 'job' message handling system (and the associated Proz API) to target members/users, worldwide, with 'job' offers that have nothing whatsoever to do with translation or interpretation, specifically state that no experience is necessary, and are in some cases potentially illegal in terms of the protection of sensitive personal data of third parties, the exploitation of minors, etc.

Anyone here who isn't aware of what's going on can learn more here:
https://www.proz.com/forum/prozcom_job_systems/376024-job_adverts_for_work_"for_ai_training".html and
https://www.proz.com/forum/money_matters/377356-voice_data_collection.html

I venture to suggest that if the Proz management doesn't turn the platform's whole attitude to AI around, and recentre its focus on making, and actively promoting, this a 'venue' exclusively for professional translators and interpreters - the human kind - then there will soon be little or no reason for translation/interpretation outsourcers to come here, to Proz.com, looking for professional services.

Why? - because many of the professionals who helped Henry to build this 'venue for freelance translators and interpreters', to make it what it was in its heyday, are not renewing their paid membership, or are leaving the platform altogether.
JL


I am finding it increasingly harder to justify paying my ProZ membership. So far, it's been hordes of spam email and awful job postings.


AllegroTrans (X)
Maria Laura Curzi
Edwige Thomas
 


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Poll: Where do outsourcers typically look for freelance language professionals?






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