The Linguist is a languages magazine for professional linguists, translators, interpreters, language professionals, language teachers, trainers, students and academics with articles on translation, interpreting, business, government, technology
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28 The Linguist Vol/54 No/3 2015 www.ciol.org.uk FEATURES Paul McGee's Writing a CV that Works is excellent. It goes without saying that your language combinations should be indicated. Address all queries, and accurately. Otherwise the person will either repeat it or delete you from their list. If they reiterate the question, apologise for the omission. If asked for an hourly rate, don't send a per-word rate instead (if you much prefer a per-word rate, say so and indicate both rates); if asked for a CV, be sure to send one; and if asked for your website but you don't have one, say so. Rates: be assertive and confident. Low rates can make you sound unsure, look unprofessional, and make the other party wonder whether you are trying to undercut the market, damaging the industry as a result. Put the stress on the expertise and value you offer, showing that you are worth every penny. What does your signature say? Your email signature, like your business card, is important for first impressions. How professional does it look? Does it include your full name, language What are the do's and don'ts when replying to a fellow linguist putting work your way, asks Karine Leroux A dvice for translators on how to present their skills to agencies and direct clients abounds, but what about responding to a request from a fellow linguist trying to help one of their direct clients? Occasionally, I contact fellow translators for a particular language pair and specialism with a lead to offer. As with agencies and direct clients, there are do's and don'ts about how to reply to such inquiries. Be professional. However relaxed and friendly the partnership may become, you can never make too professional a first impression. Bear in mind that the person will be putting their professional reputation on the line when recommending you, so they will assess your application on the basis of your professionalism as much as a client would. Be responsive. If you are too busy to reply fully within 24 hours, briefly acknowledge the email and say when you are likely to reply (two or three days later may be the limit). If you are so busy that you cannot help, thank the person and say that you would be happy to help another time. Failure to respond at all will rule out the chance of the person contacting you again, so if you were unable to reply in good time, send a short email explaining this and expressing your willingness to help in future. Be enthusiastic. Flatly stating facts will trigger a flat response. Do you want the work? Are you excited about the topic? Show it! Be interested and interesting by demonstrating that you have relevant experience in the subject matter and that you genuinely enjoy this sort of work. Polish your CV. Do your research and make sure your CV is clear and easy-to-read, with neither too little nor too much information. Among the many resources on the subject, Gaining a partner combinations, designatory letters, phone number, a link to your website (if applicable), and possibly specialisms, if the list is short? Show initiative. If you have other relevant information that could help your profile, mention it. For instance, if you do not have a website, share your LinkedIn, Translators' Café or ProZ profile; a fellow translator will be interested in these, so keep them up-to-date. If anything is unclear, ask. If you have a confident telephone manner, why not call? A human touch never goes amiss and the call could send you to the top of the list. Time is precious, so answer all the questions, mention the most relevant information only, and be concise. And above all, remember that professionalism remains your golden key to any new partnership. Translator Karine Leroux MCIL specialises in visual arts, psychology and the media. TL © SHUTTERSTOCK