Blue Board search options
Thread poster: inkweaver
inkweaver
inkweaver  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 08:07
French to German
+ ...
Nov 24, 2010

I was wondering whether it might be possible to add some search options to the Blue Board. I am looking for new agencies to apply to and the BB is quite a good starting point. However, it is a bit tedious to go through seemingly endless lists of agencies in order to find a few that I would consider applying to.

After displaying agencies in a specific country, it is only possible to sort by name or LWA average. It would be nice, though, to be able to add search options like most rec
... See more
I was wondering whether it might be possible to add some search options to the Blue Board. I am looking for new agencies to apply to and the BB is quite a good starting point. However, it is a bit tedious to go through seemingly endless lists of agencies in order to find a few that I would consider applying to.

After displaying agencies in a specific country, it is only possible to sort by name or LWA average. It would be nice, though, to be able to add search options like most recent entry and number of total entries and, of course, to be able to combine all these options.

That way it would be possible to filter out those agencies which got their last rating five years ago or which only ever got two in the last 10 years, for example, and which don't seem to worth applying to.
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Helen Shepelenko
Helen Shepelenko
SITE STAFF
Such an area already exists. Nov 24, 2010

Hello inkweaver,

Thank you for your suggestion but there is already an area where you can see a list of outsourcers looking for applications from translators and/or interpreters, http://www.proz.com/blueboard/?sp_mode=applications

There you will find a list of outsourcers that are looking for applications from translators and/or interpreters. Only the outsour
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Hello inkweaver,

Thank you for your suggestion but there is already an area where you can see a list of outsourcers looking for applications from translators and/or interpreters, http://www.proz.com/blueboard/?sp_mode=applications

There you will find a list of outsourcers that are looking for applications from translators and/or interpreters. Only the outsourcers you qualify to apply for are shown.

To submit your application, just click on Apply now and complete the application form.

It is not allowed to contact outsourcers using another means as it can be considered as self-advertising (Unauthorized solicitation, sent via the forums, profile messages or elsewhere, is not allowed), http://www.proz.com/siterules/general/3#3

Remember that a great majority of the jobs passed go straight through the directory, with outsourcers searching for language professionals in specific language pairs and fields of expertise.

There are a few easy things to do to make sure outsourcers see you and get interested in your services. The ProZ.com winning strategies described in the ProZ.com wiki right here, http://wiki.proz.com/wiki/index.php/ProZ.com_winning_strategies

Also, you might wish to attend a free webinar "Meeting clients at ProZ.com" regularly held on ProZ.com, http://www.proz.com/translator-training/format/webinar-presentations

Hope this helps.

My bests,
Helen
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inkweaver
inkweaver  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 08:07
French to German
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thanks, but... Nov 24, 2010

I am well aware of this function but it is not what I had in mind.

There are quite a few agencies which have an online application form on their website or invite freelancers to apply who are not in that list. Since the number of agencies there is rather limited I would still appreciate improved search functions as described in my initial posting.


 
Soonthon LUPKITARO(Ph.D.)
Soonthon LUPKITARO(Ph.D.)  Identity Verified
Thailand
Local time: 14:07
English to Thai
+ ...
Target is an agency with good LWAs Nov 24, 2010

Your search aim is at many agencies but good LWA agencies already have many subcontractors. You will get negative impression by contacting via Blueboard. I prefer not to modify Blueboard functions now.

Soonthon Lupkitaro


 
inkweaver
inkweaver  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 08:07
French to German
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
? Nov 24, 2010

Soonthon LUPKITARO(Ph.D.) wrote:

Your search aim is at many agencies but good LWA agencies already have many subcontractors. You will get negative impression by contacting via Blueboard.

Why?

Soonthon LUPKITARO(Ph.D.) wrote: I prefer not to modify Blueboard functions now.

Nobody would be forced to use functions they don't want/like/need, so where is the problem?


 
Helen Shepelenko
Helen Shepelenko
SITE STAFF
Blue Board outsourcers, ranked by average LWA Nov 24, 2010

Hello inkweaver,

Let me suggest you to check the Feedback management - Blue Board (LWA) page here: http://www.proz.com/lwa?sp_mode=stats

The page shows statistics for entries made within the last 12 months and average LWA.

Please let me know if you have any other doubts.

My bests,
Helen


 
Claudio Porcellana (X)
Claudio Porcellana (X)  Identity Verified
Italy
Blue Board search options Nov 24, 2010

Hi all

1 - many outsourcers have an Apply button that simply doesn't work: i.e. if you click on it a message appears saying that outsourcer no longer accepts applications

2 - the LWA ranking is not alphabetical, nor logical/mathematical:
i.e. first outsourcers aren't the ones with a better "LWA points/contractors ratio", nor the ones with a better "LWA points/contractors ratio in the last year"

to me, these two elements are two of the m
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Hi all

1 - many outsourcers have an Apply button that simply doesn't work: i.e. if you click on it a message appears saying that outsourcer no longer accepts applications

2 - the LWA ranking is not alphabetical, nor logical/mathematical:
i.e. first outsourcers aren't the ones with a better "LWA points/contractors ratio", nor the ones with a better "LWA points/contractors ratio in the last year"

to me, these two elements are two of the more realiable to consider in this field

for example, you can find in this area outsourcers that were simply already gone bankrupt, so useless to us, or outsourcers whose last LWA point was received 2 years ago, that can put them in the first case or simply meaning that their translator's pool is full to overflowing, and all them are not interesting at all by our point of view ...


thanks anyway for the http://www.proz.com/blueboard/?sp_mode=applications page: I didn't noticed it, but note that many Applies buttons in the BB are not working

Claudio



[Modificato alle 2010-11-24 13:38 GMT]
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Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT
Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 08:07
Member (2005)
English to Spanish
+ ...
A futile effort? Nov 24, 2010

inkweaver wrote:
I was wondering whether it might be possible to add some search options to the Blue Board. I am looking for new agencies to apply to and the BB is quite a good starting point. However, it is a bit tedious to go through seemingly endless lists of agencies in order to find a few that I would consider applying to.

I wonder whether the approach you are following will yield results in the long run. In my opinion, agencies' databases are already too full of people they rarely use. PMs end up asking each other who will do the job quickly and with quality, so people who are already working for agencies are to stay, unless they make big mistakes.

Maybe a better thing to do would be to create a nice website and good CV, cooperate in areas like Kudoz and fora in translator portals, obtain certification from more institutions, and improving visibility. I really think that applying to 400 agencies will yield no practical result.


 
inkweaver
inkweaver  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 08:07
French to German
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Not to worry, Nov 25, 2010

Tomás, I'm usually quite busy as it is and have mainly worked to or even over capacity this year. Still, I thought it might not hurt to contact a few new agencies - certainly not hundreds of them, but a few well-chosen ones. That's how I found some of the agencies I have been working for almost since I started as a freelancer and you never know, it just might work again.

I certainly won't publish my CV on the internet (of course it is available on request for potential clients) and
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Tomás, I'm usually quite busy as it is and have mainly worked to or even over capacity this year. Still, I thought it might not hurt to contact a few new agencies - certainly not hundreds of them, but a few well-chosen ones. That's how I found some of the agencies I have been working for almost since I started as a freelancer and you never know, it just might work again.

I certainly won't publish my CV on the internet (of course it is available on request for potential clients) and I've done quite well without a website for over three years now so I don't feel the need for one at the moment. I don't feel comfortable with publishing all my personal data on the internet (which I would be required to do by German law) and since some German lawyers are very eager to send rather costly warning letters as soon as you make the tiniest mistake on your website, I will need to mull this over just a little bit longer...
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