Hi there, Im feeling a bit lost at the moment...
Thread poster: Richard Mendes Ribeiro
Richard Mendes Ribeiro
Richard Mendes Ribeiro
Brazil
Local time: 12:28
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Oct 31, 2018

Hello there everyone,

It's me again, Richard, some of you may remember me, I sometimes post here asking for advice...

Anyways, as the title says, I feel a bit lost at the moment, let me tell you a bit about myself:

You see, I started my career (officially) back on April 13 of this year, and a lot has been happening since then;

I started, as many do, on the job platforms, upwork delivered a few results, PPh once, but I only really found palpabl
... See more
Hello there everyone,

It's me again, Richard, some of you may remember me, I sometimes post here asking for advice...

Anyways, as the title says, I feel a bit lost at the moment, let me tell you a bit about myself:

You see, I started my career (officially) back on April 13 of this year, and a lot has been happening since then;

I started, as many do, on the job platforms, upwork delivered a few results, PPh once, but I only really found palpable success on Fiverr (and a similar national platform in the same model), I got quite a few jobs on Fiverr and learned a new skill, subtitling videos!

I found some work with a translation company in Peru, I have been working with them for 4 months (they have been a bit silent for around a week and a half or so, but they have been silent for longer before, so I'm not that worried), and recently I have been accepted by another company and invited to create a profile in their platform, though I have yet to receive any work from them, but its been only a week so....

I got a couple jobs from direct clients, localizing software, translating ebooks and transcribing videos.

And, last but not less important, I have legalized my profession, and now I am officially a translator in the eyes of my local government.

I have got a few returning clients there that give me semi-regular jobs, but now I find myself a bit lost on how to progress forward...

It's not that I don't know what to do per se... As I said before, I have asked for advice before, My plan right now still is as follows:

* Compose a decent resume and presentation letter.

* Polish my profiles

* contact translation companies

* create a translator website/blog

* Network on LinkedIn/Proz/Tc/Others

But I find myself in a cycle of worrying about not getting jobs or being too busy to give any big leaps forward, somedays I am just not motivated to do that much motivated, a bit burned out you know....

Anyone here has any tips for me about the plan above? for contacting companies or other steps I can follow? any suggestions?

I also welcome any support, advice, or insight you may have or just a good conversation to be honest.

Thank you in advance,

Best regards,

Richard.
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Ebrahim Mohammed
Elisabeth Purkis
e_marisa
 
Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Nikki Scott-Despaigne  Identity Verified
Local time: 16:28
French to English
Normal Nov 1, 2018

What you describe is perfectly normal and the regular functioning of a translator's life. Indeed, you have had a number of different clients since April which is already a good sign. Many start out with one or two agencies as clients and when the agency stops sending work, they suddenly find they have no work at all. So I'd suggest you continue as you are.

Continue contacting agencies and direct clients. You will probably fill in registration forms with a number of agencies and some
... See more
What you describe is perfectly normal and the regular functioning of a translator's life. Indeed, you have had a number of different clients since April which is already a good sign. Many start out with one or two agencies as clients and when the agency stops sending work, they suddenly find they have no work at all. So I'd suggest you continue as you are.

Continue contacting agencies and direct clients. You will probably fill in registration forms with a number of agencies and some will never call you. Others will send you work, but it might be tomorrow or in two months. Uncertainty is a risk of being your own boss. It can take a year or two to get a number of clients who will send you work fairly regularly. It can be stressful, but it should not lead to burn-out. Burn-out is generally a sign of being over-worked. Learning to cope with the stress of not having work is a fact of being your own boss. It can be a time to relax, spend time with your family, do sport. However, if it means you are in immediate financial difficulty, then the only way to change that will be to find another source of income so that you can meet your needs when work is low. Translation is an activity you can combine with other forms of work.

[Edited at 2018-11-01 09:15 GMT]
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Morano El-Kholy
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Natalia Pedrosa
Sandra & Kenneth Grossman
Joe France
Gareth Callagy
Wioleta Kwiatkowska
 
Richard Mendes Ribeiro
Richard Mendes Ribeiro
Brazil
Local time: 12:28
English to Portuguese
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thank you Nov 1, 2018

Thank you, just hearing that "you are ok" and "keep on" helps a lot you know.

e_marisa
 
Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 15:28
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
You really aren't alone Nov 1, 2018

Richard Mendes Ribeiro wrote:
upwork ... PPh ... Fiverr

learned a new skill, subtitling videos!

translation company in Peru

accepted by another company and invited to create a profile

direct clients, localizing software, translating ebooks and transcribing videos.

a few returning clients

TBH, I think many translators starting out would be happy to achieve that lot in just six months.

But I find myself in a cycle of worrying about not getting jobs or being too busy to give any big leaps forward, somedays I am just not motivated to do that much

I also welcome any support, advice, or insight you may have or just a good conversation to be honest.

I don't want to read too much into those two statements, as perhaps you're just feeling a bit down, but do ask yourself if translation actually fits your personality. It is a very solitary job that calls for a lot of independence and self-reliance. That's why it appeals to introverted and/or socially awkward people like me. Maybe you’d be happier in teaching, interpreting, or a job such as tourist guide, bilingual customer services, import/export, ...

Anyone here has any tips for me about the plan above? for contacting companies or other steps I can follow? any suggestions?

Well, I've seen worse profiles and CVs so perhaps now is the time to start hitting the agencies? You can do that here, using the outsourcers directory and the BB to make shortlists and then checking each one out more thoroughly. Choose smaller ones with the best fit as well the giants who cover everything. Then apply to them by their preferred method - that's important. Many will say on their own profiles here, or they'll have a page on their websites. Research to see if there's something in particular that interests you or might interest them, as anything that makes your application stand out is good. Keep careful notes of applications (I learnt that the hard way ) and send some every day. Ten just won't do; even a hundred is borderline! If you ever get a positive response from 1 in 10 you'll be doing well, and if a job actually materialises in the first month from 1 in 50 that will be magnificent. But don't despair as many will put your details on file and may contact you even a year later. If you can be available for rush jobs at weekends, on public holidays, etc., then tell them so.


Luximar Arenas Petty
Joshua Parker
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
e_marisa
Richard Mendes Ribeiro
 


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