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Official Academic Certificate as an Onboarding Translation Test
Initiator des Themas: Andrew Zink
Andrew Zink
Andrew Zink
Vereinigte Staaten
Local time: 11:03
Französisch > Englisch
+ ...
Apr 17, 2023

Hi everybody,

I was just contacted by an agency wanting to add me as a freelancer. Everything was completely normal until they sent along the actual translation test. The translation test sent to me is a PDF scan of an official academic certificate with names, signatures, etc. Due to the nature of the document, I can't help but feel like this is less a test and more an attempt at getting free labor.

Has anyone ever been asked to translate an official certificate as the... See more
Hi everybody,

I was just contacted by an agency wanting to add me as a freelancer. Everything was completely normal until they sent along the actual translation test. The translation test sent to me is a PDF scan of an official academic certificate with names, signatures, etc. Due to the nature of the document, I can't help but feel like this is less a test and more an attempt at getting free labor.

Has anyone ever been asked to translate an official certificate as their onboarding test? Based on my own logic and instincts, translation tests should be relatively general in nature (obviously depending on the area of specialization) to properly assess a translator's ability, so the fact that the test is an official document does raise a few red flags.

This is the first time I've ever seen this, so I thought I'd crowdsource to get fellow translators' opinions. What do you all think?

Thanks!
Andrew ▲ Collapse


Dler Piran
Daniel Fernandes
Yolanda Broad
Jefferson Pereira
Michael Newton
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Tony Keily
 
mohamed Adan
mohamed Adan  Identity Verified
Kenia
Local time: 21:03
Mitglied (2021)
Englisch > Somali
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Reject it! Apr 17, 2023

Tests should not contain private info or anything in that manner!

Yolanda Broad
Jefferson Pereira
Michael Newton
Kevin Fulton
IrinaN
Josephine Cassar
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 19:03
Mitglied (2007)
Englisch > Portugiesisch
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@Andrew Apr 18, 2023

It’s quite odd as a test, unless they deal exclusively with official documents. Have you searched the Internet to see if it is an actual official document belonging to a real person or did they build it from scratch looking official?

expressisverbis
Kevin Fulton
Laurent Di Raimondo
 
Laurent Di Raimondo
Laurent Di Raimondo  Identity Verified
Frankreich
Local time: 20:03
Englisch > Französisch
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SITE LOCALIZER
I smell a rat... but why not? Apr 18, 2023

That's sound a bit fishy indeed.

As our colleague Mohamed Adan said, no translation agency is supposed to disclose any sensible data regarding a private person, EVEN in the frame of a so-called translation test and EVEN if they deal exclusively with official documents (as Teresa rightfully suggested).

I never have been asked to translate such an official certificate as an onboarding test either. However, I would tend to say : It's just a question of translating a few wo... See more
That's sound a bit fishy indeed.

As our colleague Mohamed Adan said, no translation agency is supposed to disclose any sensible data regarding a private person, EVEN in the frame of a so-called translation test and EVEN if they deal exclusively with official documents (as Teresa rightfully suggested).

I never have been asked to translate such an official certificate as an onboarding test either. However, I would tend to say : It's just a question of translating a few words. What is at risk for you, save for wasting a little free time for nothing at the end of the day? And so what? Isn't that a part of our profession to market and drag new clients? I know full well it's time-consuming and mostly discouraging, but it's ultimately paid off.

In other words, I don't think you won't be constrained to sell your soul to the Devil by tempting this onboarding test. But you will have just been warned...

[Modifié le 2023-04-18 19:04 GMT] ▲ Collapse


expressisverbis
 


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Official Academic Certificate as an Onboarding Translation Test







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