Test to do for agencies Thread poster: cendrine marrouat (X)
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cendrine marrouat (X)
English to French
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I am back again with another question!
Some agencies ask me to do a short test for them, which can be understandable. But there is something I don't understand: why don't some of them never answer once you did the test for them?
I wrote a test for that company in July 2003, and even though I emailed them at least 6 or 7 times to know what's going on (even if it is a negative response), nobody has ever even sent me anyth... See more I am back again with another question!
Some agencies ask me to do a short test for them, which can be understandable. But there is something I don't understand: why don't some of them never answer once you did the test for them?
I wrote a test for that company in July 2003, and even though I emailed them at least 6 or 7 times to know what's going on (even if it is a negative response), nobody has ever even sent me anything.
I came to get the point: they needed someone to do the job for nothing!
Have you already encoutered that type of situation? If so, can you tell me what you did? ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Search the forums with the word test (test translation) | Dec 30, 2003 |
Hi Cendrine,
You might be new to proz, I'm not sure that I've "met" you yet, but I want to say welcome to you anyway. This subject has come up many times in the forums and I'm sure that if you put in a sewrch for the key words, you'll find lots to read about it. I think that you may be right, the agency just wanted a free translation, but it could be that the agency is just not very polite and doesn't answer mail unless the translator was selected. Whatever the case, it doesn't sound lik... See more Hi Cendrine,
You might be new to proz, I'm not sure that I've "met" you yet, but I want to say welcome to you anyway. This subject has come up many times in the forums and I'm sure that if you put in a sewrch for the key words, you'll find lots to read about it. I think that you may be right, the agency just wanted a free translation, but it could be that the agency is just not very polite and doesn't answer mail unless the translator was selected. Whatever the case, it doesn't sound like a very good agency to work with. I sympathize with you, although I have never been in your specific situation.
Gayle ▲ Collapse
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Don't get discouraged Cendrine. This is quite normal. It is very rare that you do hear something back. I am usually very picky when it comes to tests. Basically I decline unless I know beforehand it is a reputable company and the test is serious (i.e. for a long-term business relationship and not just for the one job). In such cases, I treat it as a job and give it all the care and attention it deserves (even when it is unpaid).
I see it as follows. If the local council is looking f... See more Don't get discouraged Cendrine. This is quite normal. It is very rare that you do hear something back. I am usually very picky when it comes to tests. Basically I decline unless I know beforehand it is a reputable company and the test is serious (i.e. for a long-term business relationship and not just for the one job). In such cases, I treat it as a job and give it all the care and attention it deserves (even when it is unpaid).
I see it as follows. If the local council is looking for plumbers, they will put an ad in the papers and all those that apply will have to come for an interview, show their papers and do tests before they get the job. However, when I ring up a plumber for a one-off job, I will not test him or her first. He or she would laugh in my face. 8 times out of 10, I will have found a good plumber who does the work correctly. The other 2 times I will be out of luck. That is business.
The same applies to translation work. Most translators will translate in an appropriate way and so now and again a translation agency will encounter someone who does not deliver. That is the risk they should shoulder and deal with in my opinion. That is why they can ask for more money in the first place. If it is a serious agency they will have contingency plans in place and will be able to deal with most situations.
Asking translators to do tests willy-nilly is wasting our time and obviously theirs since they don’t tell you the result! ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Another possibility | Dec 30, 2003 |
What often happens is that the agency simply puts your test on file. The situation you have described is not uncommon. Some simply do not take the time to reply. Although this may mean that your test did not correspond to what they were looking for, it may also mean that they don't have anything for you right now.
In any event, an agency which does not take the time to reply may also be an agency which is slow to react in other ways too - paying you for example. Might not be worth followi... See more What often happens is that the agency simply puts your test on file. The situation you have described is not uncommon. Some simply do not take the time to reply. Although this may mean that your test did not correspond to what they were looking for, it may also mean that they don't have anything for you right now.
In any event, an agency which does not take the time to reply may also be an agency which is slow to react in other ways too - paying you for example. Might not be worth following up for much longer! ▲ Collapse
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cendrine marrouat (X)
English to French
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TOPIC STARTER | Test to do for agencies | Dec 30, 2003 |
Merci à tous pour vos réponses!
Je ne suis pas nouvelles du tout mais je ne lis pas vraiment les sujets des forums. Je vais et je viens au gré des journées et ds semaines.
Thanks a lot!
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