For years, ProZ.com's translation industry forums have been a place for open discussion on topics related to translation, interpreting and localization. The topics are always an interesting read, they are often entertaining, worthy of hours of your time for education, and an opportunity to engage with the world's largest community of language professionals.

Mike Donlin

When agreeing to work with a client, it is important to discuss or understand the employer's process for sending out payroll. Is there one unified method or outside service used for sending payments? Are there multiple ways to receive your money? Can this company pay you in your country?

Mike Donlin

Most online freelancers will never meet their clients in real life, which is why it is crucial to understand how to make a good first impression on a new client without ever leaving home. Here are some tips on making a good first impression on your new client.

Mike Donlin

Many of us are used to the sounds of city life from the moment we wake up. The cars revving, the trundle of the city cleaners, the distant siren and the dog barking. Not to mention the all-night amber haze of streetlamps, the low cloud of light pollution obscuring the stars, and the lingering smell of petrol fumes…

Andrew Morris

As a freelancer, personal business development is key to improving your business model and increasing your client load. However, with the past year's restrictions on in-person meetings, it can be harder to pitch your services when you don't get to speak with someone face to face.

So, how can you entice prospective clients?



Email, of course. Unfortunately, getting someone to open, let alone read, your email can be challenging. You need to utilize high-quality email practices, and here is how you do it.

Mike Donlin

Last year, ProZ.com launched a new service called Meetups for members to engage in online networking during this new normal where networking in person became nearly impossible. 

This year,  ProZ.com teamed up with Terra Localizations to bring you a series of Meetups about game localization. Divided in six levels, the first one —open to members and non-members— took place on June 24.

Rocío Tempone

Who needs an alarm clock when you have screeching seagulls to do the job? Especially in summer, when the influx of food-bearing tourists attracts flocks in search of tasty tidbits. But your auditory senses are not the only ones assailed in the little seaside town of Courseulles-sur-Mer in Normandy, northwestern France. When the tide is low, the air is rich with the smell of fish, seafood, weeds and salt, flooding in the moment you open the window…

Andrew Morris

Are you new to the translation industry? Would you like to work as a translator, but you are unsure about how to get started? Do you have questions about ProZ.com, the platform, the community, the tools available? Then this post is for you. Just keep the following in mind, and you'll find your way in the ProZ.com translation workplace in no time:

« ProZ.com is different than what you may be expecting »

The following questions and answers will show you why.

Lucía Leszinsky

How do I answer job offers at ProZ.com? That question came up in the ProZ.com Facebook group recently and I'm borrowing the well-crafted answer from Lu Leszinsky to include on this blog.



Highlights:
1. Browse jobs that interest you
2. Confirm you meet quoting requirements
3. Click on submit quote

Mike Donlin

As a freelancer, one of many benefits is the freedom that it allows. However, at one point or another, most freelancers fall into the trap of overworking themselves and feeling unable to take a vacation. The numerous benefits of taking time off have been well documented: relaxing, connecting with family, and giving ourselves that much-needed mental break. If you want to go on vacation but don't know where to start,  try taking these four steps.

Mike Donlin

It’s 480 years old and is one of the largest cities in the Americas. Santiago de Chile (St James of Chile), to give it its full name, was founded in 1541 by the Spanish conquistador Pedro de Valdivia, and has been the capital since colonial times. With a downtown core of 19th-century neoclassical architecture and winding side-streets, dotted by art deco, neo-gothic, and other styles. Santiago's cityscape is shaped by several stand-alone hills and also the soaring, if unimaginatively named, Gran Torre Santiago, the tallest skyscraper in Latin America.

Andrew Morris

Ulrike Michiels, Trados savvy professional trainer, joins Paul Urwin, the Head of ProZ.com Training, to discuss CAT tool basics. Ulrike explains what a CAT tool is and how using a CAT tool can help a translator to increase speed and improve consistency. She also explains what's included in the upcoming Trados workshop.

Helen Shepelenko | Head of Training, Tools and Events at ProZ

How often do you look at reviews before doing or buying something? Most of the time, right? Nearly everyone will investigate a business or product before making a purchase, including your freelance language services. Public feedback inspires trust via its transparency.

Mike Donlin

What do you do when you’re a rebellious tomboy growing up in a conservative country dominated by the Catholic Church, with education run mostly by nuns and priests, 25% unemployment, the shadow of the Troubles looming further to the North, and a national tradition for exporting its people?

Andrew Morris

Did you know that you can include a logo on invoices sent through ProZ.com? Adding a logo to the invoice is one way to personalize this ProZ.com membership tool for your needs.

Mike Donlin