Video Greetings.
Thread poster: Rachael Clayton
Rachael Clayton
Rachael Clayton  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:54
French to English
+ ...
Jun 18, 2019

Do those who have them think that it has had a positive influence on potential clients/agencies contacting them?

 
Lincoln Hui
Lincoln Hui  Identity Verified
Hong Kong
Local time: 07:54
Member
Chinese to English
+ ...
No Jun 18, 2019

I'm a bit of a Luddite when it comes to video, but if I were looking for a translator I would certainly not play any video on their profile/website. If the video auto-plays, I'm stopping it immediately at best, or closing the browser tab there and then at worst.

[Edited at 2019-06-18 18:39 GMT]


Kay Denney
Joe France
Philip Lees
Michele Fauble
Morano El-Kholy
 
Kay Denney
Kay Denney  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 00:54
French to English
. Jun 19, 2019

I wouldn't ever make a video for a client. I don't "perform". For an interpreter it might be good for clients to hear your accent, but I hope to be judged solely on my sample translations. I even dislike using a photo, but I reasoned with myself that people need to see a face, to be sure that you're a human being.

I don't actually want to work for somebody who expects me to put on a video performance. I don't intend to sing for my supper!

What would you put anyway? Foot
... See more
I wouldn't ever make a video for a client. I don't "perform". For an interpreter it might be good for clients to hear your accent, but I hope to be judged solely on my sample translations. I even dislike using a photo, but I reasoned with myself that people need to see a face, to be sure that you're a human being.

I don't actually want to work for somebody who expects me to put on a video performance. I don't intend to sing for my supper!

What would you put anyway? Footage of you doing the hokey cokey at your cousin's wedding? sitting at your desk learnedly perusing a dictionary or volume two of some obscure translation theory treatise, or juggling a hundred different web pages with the cat waving its rear end over your keyboard, dangerously close to your cup of cold coffee?
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Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Ester Vidal
Rachael Clayton
Morano El-Kholy
 
Kay-Viktor Stegemann
Kay-Viktor Stegemann
Germany
Local time: 00:54
English to German
In memoriam
Depends very much on your target audience Jun 19, 2019

Normally, we translators deal in the written word, so that should be the main point of your presentation. But there might be exceptions, and every translator has their own niche and target audience. If your clients will communicate with you directly very much (in person, by video chat or whatever), for whatever reason, it might be useful to show that you are a good communicator in both your source and target languages.
As Kay said, the main point of your presentation is to show that you ar
... See more
Normally, we translators deal in the written word, so that should be the main point of your presentation. But there might be exceptions, and every translator has their own niche and target audience. If your clients will communicate with you directly very much (in person, by video chat or whatever), for whatever reason, it might be useful to show that you are a good communicator in both your source and target languages.
As Kay said, the main point of your presentation is to show that you are a real, identifiable person, qualified for your work, and reliable and good to work with. And all this should be visible at a glance. Most potential clients/agencies will not spend much time scanning your information, so you should make your point as quickly and concisely as possible. I have doubts that many clients will take the time to watch a video about you.
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Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Morano El-Kholy
 
Rachael Clayton
Rachael Clayton  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:54
French to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Good to hear your thoughts Jun 20, 2019

Kay Denney wrote:

What would you put anyway? Footage of you doing the hokey cokey at your cousin's wedding? sitting at your desk learnedly perusing a dictionary or volume two of some obscure translation theory treatise, or juggling a hundred different web pages with the cat waving its rear end over your keyboard, dangerously close to your cup of cold coffee?


Haha, doing the hokey cokey with my cousins would be fun. I just envisaged a straight forward video of me talking about why I am a *good translator*


Thanks everyone for your ideas. It's true that I'm not offering interpreting so there would be no reason for agencies to hear my voice. I'm just eager I suppos

[Edited at 2019-06-20 23:34 GMT]

[Edited at 2019-06-20 23:34 GMT]

[Edited at 2019-06-20 23:35 GMT]

[Edited at 2019-06-20 23:35 GMT]

[Edited at 2019-06-21 14:06 GMT]


 


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Video Greetings.







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