As a PM myself, I want to echo Lucas' point about responsiveness and reliability. If I know I can count on a freelancer replying timely to my request, I will send this person a lot more work than an unresponsive person. Even if the jobs aren't urgent; As a PM you have to keep track of so many things at the same time and every job that gets accepted by a freelancer is one thing less to regularly check on. Of course the quality of your work plays a huge role but responsiveness and reliability is a factor that might be overlooked by many people. If anybody wants to "up their freelancer game", make it a point to reply to emails as soon as you see them and I can almost guarantee you the amount of (agency) jobs you'll get will increase.
Thanks so much for the comment, Bastian. Super insightful that responsivness is so important. I'll keep that in mind as well. Sometimes it can be tough to find the right balance between focusing on a translation and keeping track of emails. So, everybody: always check your inboxes!! :) Thanks, Bastian, for the support as always.
Really insightful! Getting started is hard... I have been writing personal emails to 30-40 agencies already, I created a website, I handcrafted a complete translator's resume with my strength, experience, translation degree, computer skills etc., and for each agency, I have been trying to identify the needs and to point out details from the websites each time - to adapt my approach. Unfortunately, I will have to find some kind of alimentary job for now since I received positive feedback from only 2/3 agencies so far, and I know that work won't come directly. Thing is, I am afraid to miss the first missions if I have to work another job the first months... Which is also why I have been training and prospecting full time these two past months (more than this actually, 12 hours a day in average I'd say, Sundays included). But well, it looks like that it won't be enough and that I'll have to wait 😜 keep up with the great content Adrien, and many thanks to your guest for all these advices!
Hi Antoine, good to hear that you're still going strong. Definitely don't give up. It takes time and you need that lucky break that will come eventually. I'd suggest to get a part time job just to have the basic needs covered, that gives you so much peace of mind and there is still more than enough time to work on it next to it. Sometimes it's good to gain a bit of perspective on it as well. Starting next to a degree or a part-time job seems to work out for most people I talk to. Your approach sounds very good though and I also see you're interacting a lot on LinkedIn ... the right thing will come eventually :) Thanks for watching and the support as always!
An interesting insider's information from an agency is that all new freelancers should pay attention. Thank you, Adrian and Lucas, all the best to you guys
Really awesome video, Guys, with very useful informations! Thank you a lot! I would actually have a question to Lucas: Let's say, a freelancer with Slovak would like to collaborate with them, but Lucas' agency doesn't have clients at that specific moment, who need Slovak translations. Do they look for one after the freelancer's application or they wait until one comes? Have a nice day and I wish you both a merry Christmas! (:
Thanks so much for the feedback :) merry Christmas to you too! I'm sure Lucas will answer your question once he finds the time, thanks for asking! -Adrian
Hi! Thank you for your question. In general we (and probably also most agencies) base their recruitment needs on our client portfolio. So let‘s say we have a new big client that requires Slovak as target language, we would then start actively recruiting new freelancers. If we participate in a tender that requires languages we don‘t have enough freelancers, then we would also recruit more in these specific languages even though we don‘t know yet whether we‘re going to win the tender. The other way around (aquire clients based on freelancers‘ languages) isn‘t very common. I hope this answers your questions :)
Regarding CAT Tools, I would like to point out that this is something that, yes, many agencies request, but not all agencies do it, and direct clients even less. My best clients at the moment are three agencies for which I do not use any CAT Tool. 2 of them even requested me NOT to use CAT Tools and work directly on Word layout. And I am a translator who specializes in the legal field, with already 4.5 years of experience. So, this thing about CAT Tools is something which, in my opinion, is too convenient to agencies. The translator has to get a perfect result (which is a document translated into another language and which serves to its specific purpose), regardless of the means. The lawyer, for example, has the obligation to use all available, relevant and pertinent means to try to get a result, but it is not obliged to get that result because it depends on a third party. So, for me, CAT tools should not be (and are not) necessary, if the translator has already a lot of experience in only one or 2 fields max., works with glossars and has their brain so well trained, that they can work as fast and accurate as a CAT Tool. In my case, e.g., I can perfectly translate a contract with more than 4,000 of words in 1 day with no CAT Tool. Too sad that many agencies require this aspect of translation instead of requiring translators who are experts in 1 or 2 fields only, and with their respective degrees in their fields of specialization. This is the most important to me, in my humble opinion.
Hi Bea, thanks so much for sharing your opinion :) You definitely got a point there. Agencies might miss out on the 'perfect' translator by putting up too many requirements. I guess that's what they have to accept in order to follow their internal workflow. You know, in my opinion, it's illogical from a business standpoint to not use a CAT tool. Data is the new oil, so it feels like a huge waste of resources not to collect previous translations. Makes sense that agencies have this workflow in place. Maybe Lucas can answer - when he sees this - whether there is a way for great translators that don't use CATs to still work with their agency. Would be interesting to know. Because you don't need to have one necessarily to work on their server. They can also lend you 1-time-licenses etc.
@@Freelanceverse Thank you for your response. I do have a system (not CAT tool) which collects all legal terms used in previous translations. This definitely makes my work much faster, accurate and consistent. So, to my humble point of view, was is illogical is to ask for CAT tools when there is the possibility to work perfectly without them and, very especially, when the translator's job is to create a result, not to use a means (like the lawyer does).
@@beal.6266 Great that you have your own system! :) yes, that's definitely a drawback of CAT tools. Luckily, there are now free and compatible ones, so at least we are not 100% bound to the requirements anymore.
wait guys i have a question! so when i apply for an agency i already need to be registert as a freelancer ? can u alaborate more on that or people in the comments thank u
"Avoid spelling mistaks!" - I see what you did there!
;)
Super useful video still in 2024! Thanks Adrian!
Glad it was helpful!
As a PM myself, I want to echo Lucas' point about responsiveness and reliability. If I know I can count on a freelancer replying timely to my request, I will send this person a lot more work than an unresponsive person. Even if the jobs aren't urgent; As a PM you have to keep track of so many things at the same time and every job that gets accepted by a freelancer is one thing less to regularly check on.
Of course the quality of your work plays a huge role but responsiveness and reliability is a factor that might be overlooked by many people. If anybody wants to "up their freelancer game", make it a point to reply to emails as soon as you see them and I can almost guarantee you the amount of (agency) jobs you'll get will increase.
Thanks so much for the comment, Bastian. Super insightful that responsivness is so important. I'll keep that in mind as well. Sometimes it can be tough to find the right balance between focusing on a translation and keeping track of emails. So, everybody: always check your inboxes!! :) Thanks, Bastian, for the support as always.
Hey Bastian, are you still working as a PM at a translation agency?
@@annbusygina I still work at the same agency but have switched positions since. Why do you ask?
@@Maegrol I am a reliable translator who would like to build longterm cooperation :)
Really insightful! Getting started is hard... I have been writing personal emails to 30-40 agencies already, I created a website, I handcrafted a complete translator's resume with my strength, experience, translation degree, computer skills etc., and for each agency, I have been trying to identify the needs and to point out details from the websites each time - to adapt my approach. Unfortunately, I will have to find some kind of alimentary job for now since I received positive feedback from only 2/3 agencies so far, and I know that work won't come directly. Thing is, I am afraid to miss the first missions if I have to work another job the first months... Which is also why I have been training and prospecting full time these two past months (more than this actually, 12 hours a day in average I'd say, Sundays included). But well, it looks like that it won't be enough and that I'll have to wait 😜 keep up with the great content Adrien, and many thanks to your guest for all these advices!
Und ja, ab heute bist du Franzose und heißt du Adrien! Oops 🙊
Hi Antoine, good to hear that you're still going strong. Definitely don't give up. It takes time and you need that lucky break that will come eventually. I'd suggest to get a part time job just to have the basic needs covered, that gives you so much peace of mind and there is still more than enough time to work on it next to it. Sometimes it's good to gain a bit of perspective on it as well. Starting next to a degree or a part-time job seems to work out for most people I talk to. Your approach sounds very good though and I also see you're interacting a lot on LinkedIn ... the right thing will come eventually :) Thanks for watching and the support as always!
@@antoinewicquart225 lol alle nennen mich Adrien in Brüssel, kein Problem ;)
@@Freelanceverse Thank you for YOUR support, you don't realize how helpful your channel is for beginners ;)
Feel free to ask your questions to Lucas :)
An interesting insider's information from an agency is that all new freelancers should pay attention. Thank you, Adrian and Lucas, all the best to you guys
♥️
Excellent choice of questions.
Great to hear :)
Really awesome video, Guys, with very useful informations! Thank you a lot!
I would actually have a question to Lucas:
Let's say, a freelancer with Slovak would like to collaborate with them, but Lucas' agency doesn't have clients at that specific moment, who need Slovak translations.
Do they look for one after the freelancer's application or they wait until one comes?
Have a nice day and I wish you both a merry Christmas! (:
Thanks so much for the feedback :) merry Christmas to you too! I'm sure Lucas will answer your question once he finds the time, thanks for asking! -Adrian
@@Freelanceverse Thank you, Adrian! (:
Hi! Thank you for your question.
In general we (and probably also most agencies) base their recruitment needs on our client portfolio. So let‘s say we have a new big client that requires Slovak as target language, we would then start actively recruiting new freelancers. If we participate in a tender that requires languages we don‘t have enough freelancers, then we would also recruit more in these specific languages even though we don‘t know yet whether we‘re going to win the tender. The other way around (aquire clients based on freelancers‘ languages) isn‘t very common.
I hope this answers your questions :)
@@lucasmaire1529 Yes, everything is clear now. Thank you! (:
❤
Regarding CAT Tools, I would like to point out that this is something that, yes, many agencies request, but not all agencies do it, and direct clients even less. My best clients at the moment are three agencies for which I do not use any CAT Tool. 2 of them even requested me NOT to use CAT Tools and work directly on Word layout. And I am a translator who specializes in the legal field, with already 4.5 years of experience. So, this thing about CAT Tools is something which, in my opinion, is too convenient to agencies. The translator has to get a perfect result (which is a document translated into another language and which serves to its specific purpose), regardless of the means. The lawyer, for example, has the obligation to use all available, relevant and pertinent means to try to get a result, but it is not obliged to get that result because it depends on a third party. So, for me, CAT tools should not be (and are not) necessary, if the translator has already a lot of experience in only one or 2 fields max., works with glossars and has their brain so well trained, that they can work as fast and accurate as a CAT Tool. In my case, e.g., I can perfectly translate a contract with more than 4,000 of words in 1 day with no CAT Tool.
Too sad that many agencies require this aspect of translation instead of requiring translators who are experts in 1 or 2 fields only, and with their respective degrees in their fields of specialization. This is the most important to me, in my humble opinion.
Hi Bea, thanks so much for sharing your opinion :) You definitely got a point there. Agencies might miss out on the 'perfect' translator by putting up too many requirements. I guess that's what they have to accept in order to follow their internal workflow. You know, in my opinion, it's illogical from a business standpoint to not use a CAT tool. Data is the new oil, so it feels like a huge waste of resources not to collect previous translations. Makes sense that agencies have this workflow in place. Maybe Lucas can answer - when he sees this - whether there is a way for great translators that don't use CATs to still work with their agency. Would be interesting to know. Because you don't need to have one necessarily to work on their server. They can also lend you 1-time-licenses etc.
@@Freelanceverse Thank you for your response. I do have a system (not CAT tool) which collects all legal terms used in previous translations. This definitely makes my work much faster, accurate and consistent. So, to my humble point of view, was is illogical is to ask for CAT tools when there is the possibility to work perfectly without them and, very especially, when the translator's job is to create a result, not to use a means (like the lawyer does).
@@beal.6266 Great that you have your own system! :) yes, that's definitely a drawback of CAT tools. Luckily, there are now free and compatible ones, so at least we are not 100% bound to the requirements anymore.
wait guys i have a question! so when i apply for an agency i already need to be registert as a freelancer ? can u alaborate more on that or people in the comments thank u
Yes definitely, you need to have the legal side put into place before you reach out to agencies.