tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518334.post492708141102183192..comments2024-02-26T03:12:14.514-07:00Comments on About Translation: Translation tests v. translation samplesRiccardohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08033214185364578008noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518334.post-2145595901289111542018-10-22T02:37:22.238-06:002018-10-22T02:37:22.238-06:00I totally agree with you Ryan! The best way to tes...I totally agree with you Ryan! The best way to test a translator applying for a <a href="http://translating-genius.blogspot.com/2018/07/polyglots-getting-attention-of.html" rel="nofollow">job in a translation company</a> is to hire them on project basis, trial or giving them probationary period that would give them regularization benefits if the clients would love their job.Andrew Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13703247472006591602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518334.post-35735169673225954482009-12-08T10:58:50.627-07:002009-12-08T10:58:50.627-07:00Nice post Ricardo. I agree with most of your point...Nice post Ricardo. I agree with most of your points.Portuguese translation companyhttp://www.wordexpress.net/portuguese_website_translation.htmlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518334.post-43142948555355764942009-07-18T18:16:47.620-06:002009-07-18T18:16:47.620-06:00One of my regular clients was an agency in Delhi. ...One of my regular clients was an agency in Delhi. It was competing for a big assignment from a new client, who wanted a test translation. This test was passed on to me with the request that I should not charge it as the agency itself will not be paid.<br /><br />I pointed out very politely, while the agency is a new service provider for the end client, I am already well-known to the agency and I need not prove myself to it. Further, this was the agency's bid to get a new client and it has to invest something in that process, which in this case is represented by its payment to me.<br /><br />The agency was convinced and paid me. It got the work and I got the maximum of the same forwarded to me afterwards.<br /><br />Regards,<br />Dondu N. Raghavandondu(#11168674346665545885)https://www.blogger.com/profile/11168674346665545885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518334.post-51044274155376211492009-04-06T09:01:00.000-06:002009-04-06T09:01:00.000-06:00Never heard of a translation test for a translatio...Never heard of a translation test for a translation company that required it to be done without a dictionary. <BR/>These are not exams in a classroom... they are tests done by the translators at their own computers.Riccardohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08033214185364578008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518334.post-9675486785353418422009-04-05T17:19:00.000-06:002009-04-05T17:19:00.000-06:00Maybe my question may sound quite silly (but, it a...Maybe my question may sound quite silly (but, it always comes to my mind that people from the law field are allowed to do tests using some "tools", such as rules, and regulation books - Context: Brazil). So, may translators be also permitted to use dictionaries in tests?Sandro Sousahttp://www.cefetrn.br/~sandroluisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518334.post-75637878153756289372009-03-23T04:12:00.000-06:002009-03-23T04:12:00.000-06:00many customers prefer to get translation test samp...many customers prefer to get translation test samples before they choose a translation company. so the translation companies request the translators to try a sample before they get assigned with the work. this applies to large volumes of work. for small ones i think we go straight with the preferred translators.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518334.post-53259708150364672012009-03-16T14:56:00.000-06:002009-03-16T14:56:00.000-06:00Riccardo's points very much apply also to tests fo...Riccardo's points very much apply also to tests for localizer, language specialist and terminologist positions. Over the years I designed quite a few and also in my experience a surprisingly large number of candidates failed to follow instructions and/or did not realize the importance of an additional section where they were asked to comment on the test itself (e.g. how they had dealt with any problem they might have found). It was disappointing but it made the first screening much quicker.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518334.post-16099587922949163652009-03-16T10:38:00.000-06:002009-03-16T10:38:00.000-06:00Great post, Riccardo. I agree with everything you'...Great post, Riccardo. I agree with everything you've said, I just wish that more agencies would pay for test translations and realize that they are a cost of doing business. Yes, you're taking a gamble that the person will fail, but the translator is absorbing the cost of the rest of the application process; filling out the application form, providing references, etc.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10636176514309881029noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518334.post-52203735319040632672009-03-15T17:11:00.000-06:002009-03-15T17:11:00.000-06:00Hi Riccardo: By "generic" I mean an open call for ...Hi Riccardo: By "generic" I mean an open call for resumes, rather than one targeted to specific people.<BR/><BR/>Of course, if you need a lot of people right away, that's pretty much your only option, but you'll have to know that a good portion of chaff is going to get through (you'll also miss out on some wheat, but that isn't really the problem in this scenario).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518334.post-16112292137151167902009-03-15T09:09:00.000-06:002009-03-15T09:09:00.000-06:00Hi Ryan:I don't think that the difference is gener...Hi Ryan:<BR/><BR/>I don't think that the difference is generic v. specific (specific to a particular project or to certain particular requirements, I presume), but rather on such things as how many translators you are looking for, how much time you have available to find the right ones, and the resources you have for the evaluation process.<BR/><BR/>For a small company which is looking for one translator only (or at most just a few of them), and that has time enough that if the first one doesn't pan out, they can try a second (or third) one, small assignments as you described are indeed a good strategy (it is in fact what we normally do, given our very small size and the fact that we look for outside translators only very infrequently).Riccardohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08033214185364578008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518334.post-57410152910615545532009-03-14T21:01:00.000-06:002009-03-14T21:01:00.000-06:00This is true when you're sending out a generic cal...This is true when you're sending out a generic call for translators. The best way to test a new translator (IMHO) is to have them do a small, paid job. You'll only know how good a translator really is when you pay them. This way, you also avoid the problem that most of the people submitting the unpaid trials will be scrubs, while the established translators will be too busy to bother.<BR/><BR/>Of course, this approach is impossible when you're dealing with hundreds of applications. It does work, however, when you identify and approach a few potential new translators yourself. It's probably also more effective.<BR/><BR/>This is also why, as a translator, I much prefer to have potential clients come to me via word-of-mouth introductions, rather than responding to the monthly resume trawls by McAgencies.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com