| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3] | Powwow: London - United Kingdom
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| | | Following the powwow's discussion on how and where translators and interpreters can find clients... | Apr 8, 2012 |
Dear colleagues,
The powwow was a success, and I really enjoyed it! I'd like to thank Alp Berker for getting us together this month and everyone who was able to attend for a fruitful and pleasant discussion.
As I've already mentioned during the discussion, finding clients and projects might be a tough issue, but it's not something you cannot learn and improve!
When I switched from in-house to freelance earlier in my career, I had to deal with the same issue, and I was not ha... See more Dear colleagues,
The powwow was a success, and I really enjoyed it! I'd like to thank Alp Berker for getting us together this month and everyone who was able to attend for a fruitful and pleasant discussion.
As I've already mentioned during the discussion, finding clients and projects might be a tough issue, but it's not something you cannot learn and improve!
When I switched from in-house to freelance earlier in my career, I had to deal with the same issue, and I was not happy about the results. It took me a couple of years to accumulate the knowledge that can be found and applied incredibly fast nowadays (even though you need to be ready to invest your time and efforts and "to do your homework" if you need the results ASAP). The most important here is to allocate some time each week for marketing, even if you are fully booked right now (I've heard of colleagues that are too busy working on low-paid projects and therefore have no time for looking for better clients).
I will now give you several links and tips that I found particularly useful for marketing (there are hundreds more, but I'm only writing a quick note here, ain't I?).
1. Make sure your ProZ profile is complete, up to date and has no grammar errors ("poofread, proofred, profread!"). Check the website for free webinars (http://www.proz.com/about/overview/education/) or be ready to invest in some other activities. Read the forum (most of the questions people ask here are not new!). Most tips are not only meant for beginners: you can apply them when you want clients to come to YOU (as opposed to spending time applying for jobs and waiting for them to consider your applications).
2. Do you have a website? If you don't, ask yourself whether it's a good time to consider having one (and if you do, make sure it's complete, up to date and has no grammar errors). You might consider writing a free report or a short ebook on something you know really well (it must be something your clients need and you provide) and sharing it with your website visitors when they register. Some experts issue a regular newsletter, and I am always glad to read the ones I am subscribed to. The key here is to be a real expert in what you do, so that clients could think of you when they need a translator or an interpreter.
3. You can collaborate with one or two colleagues, as team work can be very useful when, say, one team member finds clients and another one offers fast turnaround (or 2 interpreters with similar areas of expertise). I found that a team of 1 or 2 translators + 1 proofreader could work really well if they are all experts and are able to cooperate.
4. I am subscribed to weekly training video and articles by http://internationalfreelancersacademy.com/ and try to read everything that comes from its founders (http://internationalfreelancersacademy.com/about-the-founders/). These guys are experts in everything related to freelance (including clients and how to get them), and I am so fond of their book, The Wealthy Freelancer (http://thewealthyfreelancer.com/), that I might consider translating it into Russian as my next large project (my recent project, a book translation, is now over, so I've started looking for something else that will be useful to my Russian colleagues). I can recommend The Wealthy Freelancer as a great source of ideas and tips to those who want to shape their strategies and focus on their goals as freelancers, as reading a useful book saves time and gives a much better understanding of your work than when you do everything on your own and invent strategies that are already known to the authors of this book.
5. I am also subscribed to newsletters (by email) and updates (on Facebook) from http://freelanceswitch.com/, http://www.copyblogger.com/ etc., and even though they are not specifically meant for translators and interpreters, I find their advice on writing and getting clients extremely valuable.
It's quite late now, and I initially planned to be quick and to write a short message.
You can leave your questions or comments below and do your own research.
Have a Happy Easter!
Best regards,
Natalia Mackevics
London, UK
http://www.proz.com/translator/788647
(Russian, Romanian/Moldavian, English translator) ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Some more links... | Apr 8, 2012 |
Another good idea to consider is an account @ LinkedIn. If you join professional groups there, you might follow various discussions. Here's today's useful link from one of the groups: ... See more Another good idea to consider is an account @ LinkedIn. If you join professional groups there, you might follow various discussions. Here's today's useful link from one of the groups: http://www.linkedin.com/news?viewArticle=&articleID=5594386999726313551&gid=90376&type=member&item=106206719&articleURL=http://www.foodfortranslators.com/2012/04/07/six-must-books-for-translators/&urlhash=Oi6t&goback=.gde_90376_member_106206719 (Six must-read books for translators) etc. As a member of various groups subscribed to several newsletters I often see current special offers to something that is relevant to my career (webinars, books, CAT-tools, etc.). For example, last month I received an information on a limited offer to purchase an ebook for freelancers that are looking to land work now (i.e. to get clients and projects), and I'm really glad I chose to get the bargain, as it was stuffed with advice that really works!
In short, the more information you get, the more options become available to you in your job search.
Good luck! ▲ Collapse
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