It’s vital to inhabit the right mindset as a freelancer, which includes both the story we tell ourselves, and the emotional state we inhabit. But none of that means we don’t have to have the core skills to do the job, day in day out, or the strategies to get the word out and begin to interact with clients.

Whether that’s in your website, your marketing, your social media pronouncements, or your attendance at trade fairs and industry conferences… the list goes on.

Mike Donlin

Any business or individual can outsource via ProZ.com using any of these two methods:  job postings and the directory.

The directory allows outsourcers to search over 1 million linguists with over 20 search criteria, and contact them directly through their profiles. The directory represents the primary means that outsourcers use to find translators and interpreters at ProZ.com.

Job postings, on the other hand, allow outsourcers to share an offer and receive quotes from suitable language professionals. 

Lucía Leszinsky

A Purchase Order (PO) --or Project Order-- is a commercial document issued by a buyer to a seller, indicating types, quantities, and agreed prices for products or services the seller will provide to the buyer. Sending a project order to a supplier constitutes a legal offer to buy products or services. Acceptance of a project order by a seller usually forms a contract between the buyer and seller, so no contract exists until the project order is accepted.

On today's quick poll, freelancers are being asked whether they required a PO before starting a project or not.

Lucía Leszinsky

While most experienced language professionals know how to invoice their clients, sometimes calculating taxes, keeping a good backup or sending reminders complicates the process and takes time, extra time they could use on actual projects, marketing or learning. Not to mention the number of late or incomplete invoices that result in non-payment issues!

Lucía Leszinsky

At the end of 2005, ProZ.com released a feature called "Project history".  The tool was created to allow freelancers to track past projects completed and list them in profiles with information such as language pairs, fields, volume, keewords, clients and collaborators. Since then, more than 17,300 site members have listed projects, 11,733 of which show as corroborated.

Lucía Leszinsky

The ProZ.com Blue Board is the complete, searchable database of business records containing service providers' feedback and rating.  When leaving feedback on a client / translation agency / company, linguists are asked to enter a number from 1 to 5 corresponding to their likelihood of working again (LWA) with them. Entries may also contain information about quality management, on-boarding processes and payment procedures. 

Lucía Leszinsky

"I officially retired" said Sheila Wilson in a recent email message. "Thank you and all the team at ProZ.com for everything the site has provided for me since 2007."

Lucía Leszinsky

Many jobs are posted by outsourcers at ProZ.com every day. Each one competes for the attention of the 1.2 million registered language professionals. 

How might your business get great responses to job posts?

Mike Donlin

Here is the latest update to the challenges involved with meeting Ukrainian language needs. The updated list of available professionals working in Ukrainian languages already features 580 linguists offering services in Ukrainian language, with more currently being processed.

Mike Donlin

ProZ.com's unique membership model means that when outsourcers and service providers connect via ProZ.com, neither side is charged any commissions or fees. When a translator, interpreter, subtitler or transcriber meets a client or provider, the relationship is yours, unencumbered, forever.

Mike Donlin

ProZ.com expresses its heartfelt solidarity with all translators and interpreters in Ukraine. All team members feel a particular connection to the country as we have an office with four close colleagues operating out of Ukraine. We are monitoring the situation with alarm, but also with solidarity and hope that the situation will be resolved peacefully and quickly.

Mike Donlin

Your profile picture

Nowadays your profile picture is required almost everywhere: networking platforms like ProZ.com, resumes, and even interpreting platforms. So you should know how to use your profile picture to your advantage.

Enrique

Crowdin, a cloud-based localization management solution that speeds up and automates localization, has integrated with the ProZ.com API and added three new apps to its store that can enhance the experience of its users. Managers and translators can benefit from these additions to search multiple glossaries, hire freelancers, and make payments. 

Mike Donlin

The 2021 year-end membership campaign, Stay safe, ended last week. (What? You missed it? Send me a line and we'll figure something out). After three full weeks of intense work, sixteen staff members involved, and great conversations with new and returning members, the largest community of language professionals just got bigger. Thank you, members, once again for your support!

Lucía Leszinsky