Poll: Has Facebook proved useful to you in getting work?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Nov 8, 2017

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Has Facebook proved useful to you in getting work?".

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Kay Denney
Kay Denney  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 22:41
French to English
NO, I don't use it for that. Nov 8, 2017

I suppose "No" just on its own is supposed to mean "No, even though I've tried".

I don't use it for that, but it just so happens I was asked recently to translate the other way and the only translator I could think of that could do justice to this client's texts is someone I am in contact with only on FB and not on LinkedIn, so I contacted them that way. We switched to e-mail immediately so FB was only really acting as an address book.


 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 21:41
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
I don't use it at all! Nov 8, 2017

I have no interest whatsoever in social media (Facebook and the like)…

 
Noni Gilbert Riley
Noni Gilbert Riley
Spain
Local time: 22:41
Spanish to English
+ ...
No sure.... Nov 8, 2017

Couldn't someone correct this? This is supposed to be a professional website after all.

Thank you for correcting it!

[Edited at 2017-11-09 07:56 GMT]


 
Maxi Schwarz
Maxi Schwarz  Identity Verified
Local time: 16:41
German to English
+ ...
This has never made sense to me Nov 8, 2017

for example, some of my recent clients included a nurse, a forester, and an executive doing international work. I expect if any of them used Facebook, the nurse would frequent nursing related sites, the forester forestry related sites, etc., and any of them might be involved where family and friends are concerned, or their hobbies. Why would any of them show interest in translation? I see a dentist: I expected the dentist to be competent and have no interest in dentistry myself. If my dentis... See more
for example, some of my recent clients included a nurse, a forester, and an executive doing international work. I expect if any of them used Facebook, the nurse would frequent nursing related sites, the forester forestry related sites, etc., and any of them might be involved where family and friends are concerned, or their hobbies. Why would any of them show interest in translation? I see a dentist: I expected the dentist to be competent and have no interest in dentistry myself. If my dentist is in a group about horticulture, I won't be checking a horticulture site to find a dentist. But I won't be on a site discussing dentistry either.

I am, in fact, on a Facebook site for adult students studying violin. I don't expect any of them will be needing German to English translations. The "advice" to join social media such as Facebook in order to get customers is given repeatedly. So I understand why the question was asked.
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Laureana Pavon
Laureana Pavon  Identity Verified
Uruguay
Local time: 18:41
Member (2007)
English to Spanish
+ ...

MODERATOR
Not really Nov 8, 2017

Maxi Schwarz wrote:
for example, some of my recent clients included a nurse, a forester, and an executive doing international work. I expect if any of them used Facebook, the nurse would frequent nursing related sites, the forester forestry related sites, etc., and any of them might be involved where family and friends are concerned, or their hobbies. Why would any of them show interest in translation?


I could give you many examples that would prove you wrong.

For instance, I am a member of a parenting group where we discuss certain specific parenting issues. This group has not only helped and supported me with parenting advice but also resulted in translation work. People tend to be friendly and chat. Once they know you're a translator, if someone needs a translation you might be the one that comes to mind.


 
Yaotl Altan
Yaotl Altan  Identity Verified
Mexico
Local time: 15:41
Member (2006)
English to Spanish
+ ...
No Nov 8, 2017

Proz is more useful than FB for that purpose.

 
Tiffany Le
Tiffany Le
Canada
Local time: 14:41
Member
Vietnamese to English
+ ...
FB is just for my personal stuffs Nov 8, 2017

Although sometimes I post on my FaceBook of me doing interpreting jobs, I don't expect to get clients from it. My FB network includes my high school and college friends, and family members and relatives as well. So mainly it's for my personal stuffs like posting pictures, commenting on some nonsense articles, etc. I join some professional closed groups on FB too, but I haven't got any jobs from there - but it's good if I need to outsource... See more
Although sometimes I post on my FaceBook of me doing interpreting jobs, I don't expect to get clients from it. My FB network includes my high school and college friends, and family members and relatives as well. So mainly it's for my personal stuffs like posting pictures, commenting on some nonsense articles, etc. I join some professional closed groups on FB too, but I haven't got any jobs from there - but it's good if I need to outsource
I use Proz more for seeking translation jobs.
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Vanda Nissen
Vanda Nissen  Identity Verified
Australia
Local time: 07:41
Member (2008)
English to Russian
+ ...
Yes Nov 9, 2017

For individual clients though. I am a member of several groups and people often tag me when they need translations from Russian/Ukrainian into English, the initial contact often happens via Facebook Messenger.

 
Mario Freitas
Mario Freitas  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 18:41
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Not its purpose Nov 9, 2017

Social media actually works for professional networking for commercial areas. For translators, it's not that efficient. I have actually received some job proposals from people I met in Facebook, but I never tried to use it for that purpose, simply because I see other people doing that and failing regularly. It's not the purpose really.

 


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Poll: Has Facebook proved useful to you in getting work?






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