Agency giving out 8 hours long translation "test" first then hold interview for applicants who pass Thread poster: Binh An
| Binh An Vietnam Local time: 18:11 English to Vietnamese + ...
I'm new to the translating scene. One of the agencies I've applied to wants me to do 8 hours long translation "test" first then if I do happen to pass then they will hold an interview later. This is beyond sketchy, I don't even have any speck of hope for it to not be a scam but I'm just putting it up here for now. Will update when I get more details.
[Edited at 2019-05-29 00:08 GMT]
[Edited at 2019-05-29 00:08 GMT] | | | Binh An Vietnam Local time: 18:11 English to Vietnamese + ... TOPIC STARTER
They sent me a contract with 2600 words to translate for the first 2 hours oh god. | | | Binh An Vietnam Local time: 18:11 English to Vietnamese + ... TOPIC STARTER
Got another batch of "test", total up to 10000 words and they said to just translate as much as I can in 6 hours. If this is a real test I still don't even want to work with the place that uses such kind of shoddy practice.
[Edited at 2019-05-29 09:09 GMT] | | | Just forget it! | May 29, 2019 |
A free test shouldn't have more than 300/400 words and you should first agree on rates and payment terms... | |
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Thayenga Germany Local time: 12:11 Member (2009) English to German + ... Test translations | May 29, 2019 |
If they're paid for, fine. If they're not paid for, then it's a definite rip-off. By the time all translators have completed the "free" tests, that agencies has saved thousands of dollars. | | | Samuel Murray Netherlands Local time: 12:11 Member (2006) English to Afrikaans + ...
Binh An wrote: One of the agencies I've applied to wants me to do 8 hours long translation "test" first then if I do happen to pass then they will hold an interview later. It's a scam. But if you have nothing better to do, you might as well do it, to test yourself. | | | Chris Pr United Kingdom Local time: 11:11 German to English And if this scam arrived through the ProZ system, then appropriate actions should be taken. | May 29, 2019 |
Samuel Murray wrote: Binh An wrote: One of the agencies I've applied to wants me to do 8 hours long translation "test" first then if I do happen to pass then they will hold an interview later. It's a scam. But if you have nothing better to do, you might as well do it, to test yourself. | | | Abiodun Adeleye Nigeria Local time: 12:11 Member (2019) English to Yoruba + ...
This is a rip-off, don't fall for it. | |
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Kay Denney France Local time: 12:11 French to English
This is akin to hiring practices at some shady places. A while back I went for a job interview. When I was asked if I had any questions, I asked about salary (rather shocked that it hadn't yet come up!). The guy said I would first have to work for a couple of days for free, then he'd tell me how much he was prepared to pay me. I walked straight out of there! I already had a job so I would have had to take two days' leave, and while I was prepared to do a short test to prove my abili... See more This is akin to hiring practices at some shady places. A while back I went for a job interview. When I was asked if I had any questions, I asked about salary (rather shocked that it hadn't yet come up!). The guy said I would first have to work for a couple of days for free, then he'd tell me how much he was prepared to pay me. I walked straight out of there! I already had a job so I would have had to take two days' leave, and while I was prepared to do a short test to prove my ability, no way did he need two whole days to tell. ▲ Collapse | | | IrinaN United States Local time: 06:11 English to Russian + ... Run, Forrest, run! | May 29, 2019 |
And name and shame the bastards anywhere you can, using any translation and social platforms you visit. This is worse than a scam. I delete all scams without replies no matter how I was tempted a couple of times, but in your case I'd celebrate my ability to get nasty in more than 1 language. This should be a clear case of the justified Proz rule waiver. | | | Short tests can be useful, but otherwise you should be paid | May 29, 2019 |
In these days of machine translation, human translators need to go for the top end of the market and show they can do better than the machines. That may include style as well as other factors. I have seen numerous tests done for agencies, and it is quite possible to find a passage of 200-300 words with one or two common issues, to see how a translator solves them. It could be something like an idiom or special terminology, depending on the type of text and subject area. That i... See more In these days of machine translation, human translators need to go for the top end of the market and show they can do better than the machines. That may include style as well as other factors. I have seen numerous tests done for agencies, and it is quite possible to find a passage of 200-300 words with one or two common issues, to see how a translator solves them. It could be something like an idiom or special terminology, depending on the type of text and subject area. That is enough to spot a promising beginner, who may not have a lot of experience, but is qualified. It should also show up those who are not suited to the job. The client can then begin to offer small paid jobs (if they did not pay for the test) or look more closely at one or two translators to work with. If a test takes more than an hour to do properly, it is quite reasonable to ask for payment. Check before you do anything for free, that the client agrees to your rates for work they send later. A test goes both ways - it also gives the translator an idea of what the client is like. If you feel unsure about anything, ask, and see how they react! Use it as a test to see whether you want to work with the client. If they don't pass YOUR test, drop them! ▲ Collapse | | | Adam Warren France Local time: 12:11 Member (2005) French to English A day's work... | May 29, 2019 |
Binh An wrote: They sent me a contract with 2600 words to translate for the first 2 hours oh god. ... is 2500 words, so caveat traductor: this operator has all the trappings of a bucket shop: steer clear! | |
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Sheila Wilson Spain Local time: 11:11 Member (2007) English + ... This really is beyond the pale | May 29, 2019 |
Binh An wrote: They sent me a contract with 2600 words to translate for the first 2 hours oh god. Got another batch of "test", total up to 10000 words and they said to just translate as much as I can in 6 hours. But that first freebie is going to take you all of the eight hours they want from you! This really is ridiculous! If you were approached through ProZ.com, I urge you to send a support ticket to staff in the hope that they can do something in this extreme example. Fortunately, you're doing better things with your time, but more naive translators may be duped into doing the work. | | | Binh An Vietnam Local time: 18:11 English to Vietnamese + ... TOPIC STARTER
Thayenga wrote: If they're paid for, fine. If they're not paid for, then it's a definite rip-off. By the time all translators have completed the "free" tests, that agencies has saved thousands of dollars. No money involved at all. Samuel Murray wrote: It's a scam. But if you have nothing better to do, you might as well do it, to test yourself. I went along with them a bit for the first one, made to around 500 words. However after seeing the second batch I stopped bothering completely and went to dig some info about them instead. Kay Denney wrote: This is akin to hiring practices at some shady places. A while back I went for a job interview. When I was asked if I had any questions, I asked about salary (rather shocked that it hadn't yet come up!). The guy said I would first have to work for a couple of days for free, then he'd tell me how much he was prepared to pay me. I walked straight out of there! I already had a job so I would have had to take two days' leave, and while I was prepared to do a short test to prove my ability, no way did he need two whole days to tell. This agency of mine is even worse. After digging up some more about this 8 hours test agency I've found out that people didn't get paid for the first 2 months with various reasons like "due to the cost of training you, we have deducted the cost off your salary" or "we are short on money so please wait for the next month". Those unfamiliar with Labor Law end up getting exploited the most from this place. | | | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Agency giving out 8 hours long translation "test" first then hold interview for applicants who pass Protemos translation business management system | Create your account in minutes, and start working! 3-month trial for agencies, and free for freelancers!
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