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ProZ.com winning strategies

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Contents

Overview

The ProZ.com "winning strategies" are a set of basic considerations designed to help members get the most out of the tools and opportunities available to them at ProZ.com.

The strategies

The ProZ.com winning strategies are:

  1. Building a complete, professional profile that communicates what is unique about the services you offer.
  2. Specializing.
  3. Earning KudoZ PRO points in your top language pair(s) and fields of expertise.
  4. Becoming a ProZ.com member.
  5. Becoming a member of the Certified PRO Network.

Building a complete profile

ProZ.com profiles serve as business cards and directory listings in the site, and they are the first impression that colleagues and potential clients have of site members when they find them at ProZ.com. Hence, by having a complete profile and keeping it up to date, members help to ensure that they get the most out of their ProZ.com experience.

Some quick and easy starting points for filling out your profile are fields such as your sample translations, project history, and "About me". There are areas to show your translation education, years of experience, credentials, memberships, and the software you handle. Willingness to Work Again entries are another important aspect of your profile, and allow you to show potential clients that you have gained the trust of other outsourcers.

Remember to pay attention to the details. Fill in your location and time zone, this will also help clients locate you. Set and maintain your availability calendar, to let others know when you are available to work and when you might be more pressed for time to take on a project. Declare the payment methods you accept. And do not forget to work on your tagline and profile image. These two little details are among the first things a visitor to your profile will see, and are cues to remember you by as well.

Start completing your profile through your Profile Updater.

And watch the following videos for information on how to complete your profile effectively:

More information is also available in the profile-related FAQs section.

Specializing

Note that specializing does not necessarily mean giving up certain types of translation in fields you enjoy. "Specialization" refers in particular to marketing your services in one or a few fields, and tailoring your profile to highlight why you are the right translator for work in those fields.

80% of the community has chosen to specialize. Clients look for specialists, recognizing that specialization is closely related to quality and speed in translation. And 95% of translation agencies prefer to work with translators who specialize in their areas.

So, to specialize and show your this in your profile, make sure you have reported your top language pair first in the list of language pairs and that your fields of expertise are correctly displayed --top fields of expertise on top.

Then, earn KudoZ points in your top language pair and fields of expertise. Also, report specialization in the "About me" me section of your profile and through the "Project history" and "Portfolio" sections, by listing projects and samples in your top language pairs and fields of expertise too.

Check some more tips for becoming--and standing out as--a specialist here.

See also: Strategies - specializing

Earning KudoZ PRO points

When a potential client looks for freelancers in a given language pair and specialty, the results are ranked by membership status --members first-- and then by the amount of PRO KudoZ points in the given pair and specialty. KudoZ points in your top language pair and field of expertise are especially effective in boosting your exposure to clients in the directory.

The most immediate (and fun) way of moving up in the freelancer directory is by answering KudoZ questions then. KudoZ is a community-based terminology network through which ProZ.com users offer each other, and guests, free assistance in translating tough terms.

In simple terms, this is how it works: someone in need of term help posts a term question, colleagues suggest their proposed translation, backing up their suggestions with examples and references, and then the asker selects the most helpful answer and awards 1 to 4 KudoZ points to the asker whose answer has been chosen.

For more information on KudoZ and on how the term help network works, check the following videos:

More information is also available in KudoZ-related FAQs.

Becoming a member

Membership entitles site users to full participation in the ProZ.com community. Since the main channel to get jobs in ProZ.com are direct searches in the directories, and since members are ranked ahead of non-members in directories, becoming a member is one of the main strategies to attract clients' attention.

ProZ.com members are those site users who have a current paid membership subscription. If you are already a member, thanks for supporting the site! Your contribution helps ProZ.com to deliver a comprehensive network of essential services, resources and experiences that enhance the lives of its members.

If you have not yet joined as a member, consider doing so. ProZ.com members enjoy networking privileges that regular site users do not. Also, site members have full access to all data, all features and all clients at the site, besides belonging to the site that is improving and redefining the way translation is done.

For example, ProZ.com full professional members appear before all non-members in the directory. Also, only site members have full access to member-only jobs –over half of all job postings – and outsourcers that post jobs see quotes from members before those of users. What's more, site members have full and unrestricted access to the Blue Board record of outsourcers, having more chances to asses risk, while non-members can only see 1/3 of the information available in these records.

These are some of the benefits of ProZ.com full professional membership:

  • Members appear before all non-members in the directory.
  • Outsourcers that post jobs see quotes from members first.
  • Full benefit of ProZ.com's high rank in Google, etc. (Clients will go directly from Google to your profile).
  • Members can submit quotes to member-only jobs (over half of all job postings are restricted to ProZ.com members for at least twelve hours).
  • Full access to the Blue Board database (with translator feedback) of over 15,000 outsourcers.
  • Members can ask three-times the KudoZ questions as non-members.
  • Members can host powwows (casual meetings of site users that live near each other) and create teams.
  • Members enjoy hosting of a website and email address that you own, at no extra charge.
  • Full access to online invoicing.
  • Exclusive access to content and networking opportunities at ProZ.com virtual conferences, the largest gatherings of professionals in the industry.
  • Members are eligible for discounts on a wide variety of ProZ.com training sessions.
  • Profile visitor tracking,.
  • Full access to translation contests.
  • Periodic discounts on software, tools and ProZ.com conferences.
  • and much more...

More information on the benefits of becoming a ProZ.com member is available here.

Also, watch a short video on why joining ProZ.com.

Becoming a Certified PRO member

The ProZ.com Certified PRO Network is an initiative of the ProZ.com community, the purpose of which is to identify qualified translators in various language pairs, and provide them with the option of networking and collaborating in an environment consisting entirely of screened professionals.

Participating in the ProZ.com Certified PRO Network provides a powerful means for top professionals to distinguish themselves as such, through not only demonstration of their unique capabilities (in keeping with published industry standards), but also through peer/client/supplier review. In time, this network will provide an easier way for top professionals and top companies to meet and do work, particularly when that work has to be done right and is paid accordingly.

Professional translators willing to join the network must submit their application and prove they meet or exceed certain minimum professional standards in the three screening areas: translation ability, business reliability and online “citizenship”.

A complete profile, ProZ.com membership, translation-related credentials, references and WWA feedback from clients are important elements taken into account during the Certified PRO Program screening process. So, it is highly recommended that members willing to join the network gather this information before submitting their application for review.

Click here for more information on the Certified PRO Network.

Also, check these FAQs for further information on the program.

Standing out from the rest is up to you!

Having a complete profile is an effective move. So is specialization. So is participation in KudoZ in your pairs and expertise. So is membership and becoming a Certified PRO. Put them all together and use them at the same time and the winning strategies are the key to helping you stand out from the rest and show others just how good you are.

Related articles

Related videos

Other related resources

Need help?

If you need help with any of the strategies mentioned above, or simply with using the site, please do not hesitate to post below or submit a support request. Site staff will be glad to assist you!

Help translate this article

Note: If you would like to add a page for this article in a language that is not in the list, please contact Lucía Leszinsky. Thanks!

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