Translation - art & business » Business issues »
Pages in topic:   < [1 2 3]
How to stop unsolicited applications from freelance translators
Thread poster: Andy S
Łukasz Gos-Furmankiewicz
Łukasz Gos-Furmankiewicz  Identity Verified
Poland
Local time: 01:02
English to Polish
+ ...
Yup, put it in writing on your website that you aren't interested May 31, 2013

'Outsourcers' by definition need both clients and subcontractors. Even 'agencies' still need someone to do the job. It is only natural to presume that they have at least a general interest in offers. Something like 'Smith Translations' or 'Jones Translation Services' is perhaps a different cup of tea, but even then you can't really be presumed not to want offers, nor is it rude or unbusinesslike to send you any (unless you're simply a translator rather than a small agency). You need to make a sp... See more
'Outsourcers' by definition need both clients and subcontractors. Even 'agencies' still need someone to do the job. It is only natural to presume that they have at least a general interest in offers. Something like 'Smith Translations' or 'Jones Translation Services' is perhaps a different cup of tea, but even then you can't really be presumed not to want offers, nor is it rude or unbusinesslike to send you any (unless you're simply a translator rather than a small agency). You need to make a specific disclaimer somewhere. ▲ Collapse
 
Andy S
Andy S
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:02
German to English
TOPIC STARTER
Industrial-scale scamming May 31, 2013

There appears to be an "agency" based in the Middle East that sends out these unsolicited applications on an industrial scale, with a handful of e-mail addresses in common. E-mails offering to translate English-French and vice-versa, for example, are a dead giveaway and I delete these "bilingual" applications automatically.

Meanwhile if you are asked to pay [email protected] be very wary.

I got sucked in and rece... See more
There appears to be an "agency" based in the Middle East that sends out these unsolicited applications on an industrial scale, with a handful of e-mail addresses in common. E-mails offering to translate English-French and vice-versa, for example, are a dead giveaway and I delete these "bilingual" applications automatically.

Meanwhile if you are asked to pay [email protected] be very wary.

I got sucked in and received an appalling English-French "translation" from this "agency" that even with my limited French I could see was utterly error-strewn. It looked for all the world like a Google Translate or Babelfish job, maybe bot even that good.

I wonder how far the translation business has woken up to the problem of machine translation by scammers. It seems to me a massive one.

[Edited at 2013-05-31 20:33 GMT] ▲ Collapse
 
Bernie Williams
Bernie Williams
Local time: 09:02
English to German
+ ...
Train a good spam filter and scan your spam Jul 26, 2021

For the last couple of years, I have received hundreds of unsolicited applications a month. Although my website clearly states that my language pair is German English, I receive applications for the strangest combinations...

Applicants are *not* looking at my website - and a notice on my website will not stop the applications flooding in.

I use Airmail on iMac and have trained SpamSieve - it does a great job. I simply scan down the list of spam emails every couple of... See more
For the last couple of years, I have received hundreds of unsolicited applications a month. Although my website clearly states that my language pair is German English, I receive applications for the strangest combinations...

Applicants are *not* looking at my website - and a notice on my website will not stop the applications flooding in.

I use Airmail on iMac and have trained SpamSieve - it does a great job. I simply scan down the list of spam emails every couple of days (having sorted them by sender) and delete them en masse.

BTW, I occasionally look at the cover letters or CVs for DE-EN, and the standard of some of them is often atrocious... ▲ Collapse
 
Pages in topic:   < [1 2 3]


To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator:

Moderator(s) of this forum
Margarita[Call to this topic]
Jorge Rodrigues[Call to this topic]
James Heppe-Smith[Call to this topic]

You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request »

How to stop unsolicited applications from freelance translators







Wordfast Pro
Translation Memory Software for Any Platform

Exclusive discount for ProZ.com users! Save over 13% when purchasing Wordfast Pro through ProZ.com. Wordfast is the world's #1 provider of platform-independent Translation Memory software. Consistently ranked the most user-friendly and highest value

Buy now! »
CafeTran Espresso
You've never met a CAT tool this clever!

Translate faster & easier, using a sophisticated CAT tool built by a translator / developer. Accept jobs from clients who use Trados, MemoQ, Wordfast & major CAT tools. Download and start using CafeTran Espresso -- for free

Buy now! »