Would you apply to the same agency again, if you didn't heard from them in the last time?
Thread poster: Wai Hin Lee
Wai Hin Lee
Wai Hin Lee
Hong Kong
Local time: 21:57
Member (2020)
English to Chinese
+ ...
May 8, 2020

Hello everyone, this is my first post here. Greetings to you all.

I started freelancing in August last year. I was a news translator and editor before that, but as I didn't work for or work with translation agencies, I see myself as a newbie in this industry. Starting out, I apply to many agencies, have got a few clients now, and passed two units in DipTrans recently (didn't get the full Diploma unfortunately).

I am still eager to look for more clients, and found out th
... See more
Hello everyone, this is my first post here. Greetings to you all.

I started freelancing in August last year. I was a news translator and editor before that, but as I didn't work for or work with translation agencies, I see myself as a newbie in this industry. Starting out, I apply to many agencies, have got a few clients now, and passed two units in DipTrans recently (didn't get the full Diploma unfortunately).

I am still eager to look for more clients, and found out that one of the agencies I applied to when I just start out is still placing ads to recruit freelancers. When I first applied, I did a short test translation, and the recruiter never replied afterwards.

Now, with a little more experience under my belt, I wonder if I should apply again to the agency. As the agency is located in my city and have good rates on blueboard, I think that it may worth a second try. Would you apply to the same agency again in this situation? Thank you in advance.



[Edited at 2020-05-08 20:19 GMT]
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Thomas T. Frost
Thomas T. Frost  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 13:57
Danish to English
+ ...
Did they receive the test translation? May 8, 2020

Did they receive the test translation? Occasionally a spam filter gobbles up everything you send to an agency.

If they didn't confirm receipt, did you follow up?

If you know they received it and they never bothered to get back to you, I would leave them well alone and spend my energy elsewhere.


Josephine Cassar
 
Wai Hin Lee
Wai Hin Lee
Hong Kong
Local time: 21:57
Member (2020)
English to Chinese
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Yes, they did confirm receipt May 8, 2020

Thomas T. Frost wrote:

Did they receive the test translation? Occasionally a spam filter gobbles up everything you send to an agency.

If they didn't confirm receipt, did you follow up?

If you know they received it and they never bothered to get back to you, I would leave them well alone and spend my energy elsewhere.


I just checked my email records and yes, the recruiter did tell me that they received the completed test.

I see your point. Maybe it would be better for me to look for other potential clients.

[Edited at 2020-05-08 20:29 GMT]


Thomas T. Frost
 
Thomas T. Frost
Thomas T. Frost  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 13:57
Danish to English
+ ...
Time wasters May 8, 2020

Wai Hin Lee wrote:

I just checked my email records and yes, the recruiter did tell me that they received the completed test.

I see your point. Maybe it would be better for me to look for other potential clients.


They sound like time wasters – provided that your test was of decent quality, of course.

There are so many agencies out there and it does take time and patience to find the good ones.


Wai Hin Lee
Natalia Pedrosa
 
Hongxia LI
Hongxia LI  Identity Verified
English to Chinese
+ ...
I would not do it at all May 9, 2020

Maybe you can give them a call if you want because the agency is located at your area and you applied before.

Kuochoe Nikoi-Kotei
Natalia Pedrosa
Josephine Cassar
 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 14:57
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
@Wai May 9, 2020

Wai Hin Lee wrote:
I found out that one of the agencies I applied to when I just start out is still placing ads to recruit freelancers. When I first applied, I did a short test translation, and the recruiter [confirmed receipt but never sent me any work]. ... I wonder if I should apply again to the agency.


If you haven't heard from an agency at all, and a reasonable amount of time has passed (say, one year), then you may certainly try again. I'm sure some agencies treat all applicants the same, whether they applied ten years ago or ten days ago, but human nature is what it is, and I suspect you may sometimes stand a greater chance of being selected for if you applied more recently. So, unless an agency rejected you (or you rejected them, e.g. for too low rates), keep applying to them.

In this case, you did receive confirmation of your test, but nothing further, and the agency doesn't contact you directly for upcoming jobs. No doubt this lead you to suspect that you were rejected by them. However, you should not be timid -- unless they rejected you by saying so, you must assume that they simply forgot about you.

Also, sometimes it is the end-client that insists on test translations, so the tests (and their results) may not even be seen by the agency, or it may be that the end-client had very specific requirements along with the test, and you did not meet those specific requirements. If you don't mind doing test translations, then the fact that they do not hire you after you submitted a test should not be seen as a hidden message from them that you had failed the test.

Sometimes, agencies send test translations only to one or two translators that have reached a shortlist, but sometimes agencies let all their applicants do the test, even if only one out of a hundred will get the job. This can be frustrating if you don't like doing free test translations.

Thomas T. Frost wrote:
If you know they received it and they never bothered to get back to you, I would leave them well alone and spend my energy elsewhere.


W.r.t. what Thomas wrote, I think you should ask yourself how much energy you're spending. How much energy does it really sap from you for each application to an agency? How much paid work do you really have to set aside in order to do the free test translation?


[Edited at 2020-05-09 08:12 GMT]


Christine Andersen
Kuochoe Nikoi-Kotei
Philippe Etienne
 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 13:57
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
No, I wouldn’t contact them again May 10, 2020

That being said, I have been contacted several times by agencies two or three years after my first application… Good luck!

 
Wai Hin Lee
Wai Hin Lee
Hong Kong
Local time: 21:57
Member (2020)
English to Chinese
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thanks All May 10, 2020

Thanks all for your advice! All very useful.

 


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Would you apply to the same agency again, if you didn't heard from them in the last time?







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