Does anyone know Iterracom and SDL International?
Thread poster: Nina Khmielnitzky
Nina Khmielnitzky
Nina Khmielnitzky  Identity Verified
Canada
Local time: 08:03
Member (2004)
English to French
Feb 25, 2002

Hi,

A few weeks ago, I did a test for an agency called Iterracom. I haven\'t received any news so far about how I did. Does anyone know it or received contracts from it?



I also did another test for SDL International and succeeded. Since then, no news except an offer that was cancelled almost immediately. Any comment about this agency?



Thanks,

Nina


 
Fernando Galv�n (X)
Fernando Galv�n (X)
English to Spanish
+ ...
I know both of them Feb 25, 2002

Hi Nina,



Iterracom is an agency based in Alicante, Spain. I did a sample test for them some time ago too and it was accepted. Last week, I was offered a 2000 word job, but they finally delivered it to another translator, and that\'s all the contact I have had with them so far. Nevertheless, they seem quite serious and reliable. Be patient, sometimes sample tests take several weeks.



As for SDL International, I passed a test for an inhouse position one ye
... See more
Hi Nina,



Iterracom is an agency based in Alicante, Spain. I did a sample test for them some time ago too and it was accepted. Last week, I was offered a 2000 word job, but they finally delivered it to another translator, and that\'s all the contact I have had with them so far. Nevertheless, they seem quite serious and reliable. Be patient, sometimes sample tests take several weeks.



As for SDL International, I passed a test for an inhouse position one year ago. I had originally applied for a position in Maidenhead (UK) but I was offered the only position available at that time, in Sheffield. I decided to decline the offer, or rather both parties agreed to keep it on hold until a suitable position arised in Maidenhead. No news so far, and I don\'t expect to have any news at all.





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Carolina Lopez Garcia
Carolina Lopez Garcia  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 13:03
English to Spanish
+ ...
Hi Nina Feb 25, 2002

I also made some tests for Iterracom late in October, but I think the process was different from yours. First I made a subscription. Then they send me and e-mail with tests in all the fields I knew and a contract. They asked me to send them my c.v. and the contract signed. They also asked me to do the tests only if I wanted to, for I could do only a brief test before every project if I prefered. When I answer, they told me I just had to wait for a project to fit my fields and languages. Unfortun... See more
I also made some tests for Iterracom late in October, but I think the process was different from yours. First I made a subscription. Then they send me and e-mail with tests in all the fields I knew and a contract. They asked me to send them my c.v. and the contract signed. They also asked me to do the tests only if I wanted to, for I could do only a brief test before every project if I prefered. When I answer, they told me I just had to wait for a project to fit my fields and languages. Unfortunately, my fields and language pair (Economics, English-Spanish) are quite usual, and so far I have received no job from them. Anyway, they eventually send me and e-mail asking me to update my c.v. etc. I have a pretty good image from them, it\'s just I have been terribly unlucky so far.Collapse


 
Erika Pavelka (X)
Erika Pavelka (X)  Identity Verified
Local time: 08:03
French to English
Tests Feb 25, 2002

Hi Nina,



I\'m not familiar with these agencies, but from my experience, I\'ve almost never received work from agencies that asked me to do a test. That\'s one reason that I no longer do tests (instead, I offer to send samples of my work).



My advice is to prepare some samples that you could send to potential clients and continue marketing. And if you do accept to do an unpaid test, it should never be more than 300-400 words.



Bonne cha
... See more
Hi Nina,



I\'m not familiar with these agencies, but from my experience, I\'ve almost never received work from agencies that asked me to do a test. That\'s one reason that I no longer do tests (instead, I offer to send samples of my work).



My advice is to prepare some samples that you could send to potential clients and continue marketing. And if you do accept to do an unpaid test, it should never be more than 300-400 words.



Bonne chance!



Erika

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Marisapad
Marisapad  Identity Verified
Local time: 13:03
English to Italian
+ ...
I know both Feb 25, 2002

Me too I did a test for Terracom long ago and I never got a job from them. This does not mean they are not serious, I regularly receive from them several circular letters, meaning that I still am in their mailing lists, and probably the only reason they did not give me anything to do is that they don\'t have anything for my language pair.



SDL on the contrary is a client of mine. I became SDL vendor with a normal test (it\'s a huge company: why not to trust it?) and now I som
... See more
Me too I did a test for Terracom long ago and I never got a job from them. This does not mean they are not serious, I regularly receive from them several circular letters, meaning that I still am in their mailing lists, and probably the only reason they did not give me anything to do is that they don\'t have anything for my language pair.



SDL on the contrary is a client of mine. I became SDL vendor with a normal test (it\'s a huge company: why not to trust it?) and now I sometimes receive something to do. The only negative aspect of SDL is that they are recruiting too much, so they continuously get and enlist new translators when they don\'t have job enough for the existing ones. It\'s their policy and that\'s why they are not so popular among translators: I told them all that and also told them what sometimes translators say: SDL is so intensively recruiting just to acquire new contacts to sell them their SDLX (CAT program). I don\'t know if that is true, but sounds likely!



In any case, stay tuned!
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Laura Gentili
Laura Gentili  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 13:03
Member (2003)
English to Italian
+ ...
SDL Feb 26, 2002

I passed their tests 2 years ago and NO JOB so far, only 2-3 block e-mails, immediately followed by a second e-mail saying that the job had already been assigned. My suggestion: forget about them. Try with other companies, be creative in looking for new opportunities, and work will come. Other translators are also an excellent source of contacts/work. I got my 2 best clients through referrals of other colleagues.

 
Alfonso Campos Folgado
Alfonso Campos Folgado
Spain
Local time: 13:03
English to Spanish
+ ...
Feb 26, 2002

I know both agencies. I also filled in a form and did a test for Iterracom, but have not received any job from them.

As I live in Alicante, I decided to pay them a visit at the address they advertise. To my suprise I only found a country house in the middle of a field of orange trees.

As for SDL, I also did a long test for them and signed two freelance contracts about a year ago, and I haven\'t heard from them since.


 
Silvina Beatriz Codina
Silvina Beatriz Codina  Identity Verified
Argentina
Local time: 09:03
English to Spanish
I know SDL... Feb 26, 2002

... not personally, but a friend of mine and colleague completed their test (which was quite complex) about a year ago. Some weeks later she received a mail about a job that was quite large; as it is usual with this agency this same mail was sent to several translators, and apparently she was the first to answer. She completed the job (I helped with it, so I am quite familiar with it), and about a month later she was paid without any problem or incident. After that, she received another bulk mai... See more
... not personally, but a friend of mine and colleague completed their test (which was quite complex) about a year ago. Some weeks later she received a mail about a job that was quite large; as it is usual with this agency this same mail was sent to several translators, and apparently she was the first to answer. She completed the job (I helped with it, so I am quite familiar with it), and about a month later she was paid without any problem or incident. After that, she received another bulk mail about a job, but apparently this time someone else answered first, so the job was not granted to her. After that, nothing.



I don\'t refuse to do tests because I have got engaged by agencies and have got work after completing a test, but it seems to me that it is hardly worth contacting these overlarge agencies such as SDL. They are constantly engaging new translators, and, as I suspected and as I can glean from the other people in this forum say, you can hardly expect to obtain more than one job from them.
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Does anyone know Iterracom and SDL International?







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