| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3] | Ask for commitment when taking a translation test? Thread poster: Juan Pablo Sans
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| I don't see the problem | Apr 3, 2012 |
Free translation tests are no more abusive than unpaid job interviews/assessment centres.
While everyone on proz.com is of course a consummate professional with a profound insight into the linguistic and cultural nuances of the source language, as well as an irreproachable command of the target language, there is no way of knowing this through simple CV sifting.
The fact is that there are far more poor/mediocre translators than there are good/outstanding ones, even ... See more Free translation tests are no more abusive than unpaid job interviews/assessment centres.
While everyone on proz.com is of course a consummate professional with a profound insight into the linguistic and cultural nuances of the source language, as well as an irreproachable command of the target language, there is no way of knowing this through simple CV sifting.
The fact is that there are far more poor/mediocre translators than there are good/outstanding ones, even among the ostensibly well qualified (out of around 30 tests from BA/MSc students at a Russell Group university, 0 candidates were invited for interview). This means that a short translation test is a good way of sorting the wheat from the chaff, and can provide an insight into how well the translator may deal with a given text type.
At the company I work for, we actually require two test translations for both in-house translators and freelancers: one to test the candidate's general command in English, and another technical text to see how well they deal with unfamiliar subject matter. Personally, I provide feedback if requested, but I'm a decent chap.
Another truism is that people who work in translation agencies are more likely to be stressed and under significant time-pressure, than they are to be malevolent individuals who take pleasure in being rude to translators (although these doubtless exist, too, in all walks of life).
Perhaps agencies should be targeted more specifically, and mass requests avoided if it will lead to offence. There is far more chance of receiving feedback from a small, "boutique" agency than a large corporate monster. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Simon Davies 
Spain
Local time: 04:31
Member
Spanish to English
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| Totally Agree | Apr 3, 2012 |
I have no issues doing a test. If I get a knock back then I really have to reflect on the quality of the test that I have done and also the quality of the paid work I do.
I don't know about other translators, but if I have a few slow days, I tend to get out the old yellow pages and send of cvs, do tests and generally market myself. Its all time invested in my business which will sooner or later pay off.
The same can be applied for financial investments in your busines... See more I have no issues doing a test. If I get a knock back then I really have to reflect on the quality of the test that I have done and also the quality of the paid work I do.
I don't know about other translators, but if I have a few slow days, I tend to get out the old yellow pages and send of cvs, do tests and generally market myself. Its all time invested in my business which will sooner or later pay off.
The same can be applied for financial investments in your business, material and software, if done properly and responsbily, it will pay off. I've had Trados Studio for three months and I reckon the extra work I have been able to take on has paid for a good part of the investment, from here on it will be extra money in my pocket.
In short, no one is going to pay you to market yourself, so you just have to bite the bullet, or depend on the same agencies you have always worked with. But what are you going to do when they find someone better and cheaper? ▲ Collapse
| | | | Juan Pablo Sans
Mexico
Local time: 22:31
English to Spanish
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TOPIC STARTER | No translation test | Jun 1, 2012 |
Unpaid tests is a simple way to screw you all. What I am doing now is to select a little sample of my own about the topic and send it to the client. I refuse to take free samples
| | | | Juan Pablo Sans
Mexico
Local time: 22:31
English to Spanish
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TOPIC STARTER | Sorry for that last comment | Jun 6, 2013 |
Judging by the words I used in last comment, I think I was very upset because at that date a potential client told me: "You did it perfectly, but we chose another translator" after I pulled some time (which was not a surplus that time around) to do the job. No need to say that attitude set me up, but I think my words were not the most correct ones by then (with age comes maturity). Please, excuse me for that if anybody was offended. It was not appropiate...
[Editado a las 2013-06-06 07:50... See more Judging by the words I used in last comment, I think I was very upset because at that date a potential client told me: "You did it perfectly, but we chose another translator" after I pulled some time (which was not a surplus that time around) to do the job. No need to say that attitude set me up, but I think my words were not the most correct ones by then (with age comes maturity). Please, excuse me for that if anybody was offended. It was not appropiate...
[Editado a las 2013-06-06 07:50 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Paul Harrison wrote:
Free translation tests are no more abusive than unpaid job interviews/assessment centres.
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My thoughts exactly - in a nutshell.
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Kaisa Azriouli wrote:
I think any one appreciating the work of others as well as one's one would have the ethical codes in the mind not to let the one trying without proper response.
True. And someone who doesn't hold those values dear may always simply refuse to give you that test if you require some kind of commitment.
On the other hand, I always:
- require information as to how they graded the test,
- request to see any corrections (as tests are more likely than not to be graded by someone below my own competence level, especially in the legal field),
- call out all lies and embellishments, for example I won't let them thank me for participating in their recruitation if it were they who had sought me out and asked to take their test on the basis of my reputation, or idiotic excuses like they don't have the time to show me the graded sample (but have the time to talk to me about not having the time, you know, and had the time to follow social media),
- mince no words when they rely on a grader who doesn't understand the text, a native speaker who doesn't know the rules of his own language well enough to proofread, and so on. Which is not an infrequent occurrence.
[Edited at 2013-06-06 13:18 GMT]
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