American Translator’s Association- Is Membership Beneficial

Photo Credit RichardLowkes American Translator’s Association- Is Membership Beneficial As a freelancer, you might have received advice to become a member of the American Translator’s Association (ATA) and to take up certification exams offered by them. But, how beneficial is being a member or getting certified by the ATA? The American Translator’s Association has directories of all its members that are accessed by many looking for freelancers to take up projects for them. So, being a member definitely will improve the amount of exposure that you get in obtaining more work. Also, there are annual conferences and many workshops that you can attend that will help in developing a good contact base from which you derive the potential of getting more work. Also, attending these conferences will give you better knowledge on what is transpiring in the translation world and will keep you updated on what is new. Getting certified involves the process of writing exams conducted by the Association. Though not an easy one to pass, you have practice exams which you can take up to gear you for the finals. If you manage to get through the exams and get certified, it improves your credentials and directly has an impact on the quality and quantity of work you get. There are some added frills to the membership that you can enjoy. Some of them include discounts on insurance such as disability, life and professional liability. You can even get discounts on UPS delivery services, registration fees at events conducted by the ATA, opportunities to take part in many events and discussion forums, MasterCard issued by the ATA without any fees, etc. Not only this, it also helps you in developing credibility when you post your testimonials on your own website or on other freelancing websites thus helping you get better work. But, all is not lost if you are not a member of the ATA and it definitely does not ring negative if you are not one. A truly good freelancer is known by their skills which by itself will sing laurels about you.

Great Methods to Handle Phone Inquiries

Photo Credit Irina Souiki Great Methods to Handle Phone Inquiries As a freelancer many of you would have been faced with the proposition of taking up a project through a phone inquiry. But, having to do this will leave little time for you to check back on the credibility of the agency and to know the ups and downs of the job before you commit to taking up the project. This makes many a freelancer jittery about taking up projects through phone inquiries. Here are a few great methods that will help you handle phone inquiries and how best to either accept a new project or to deny it: If you are extremely uncomfortable about handling phone inquiries, it is best to avoid leaving your phone number in the profiles that you have posted either on your website or on other websites. As long as you are not giving out your phone number, there is no question of anybody calling you up for a project. If you have left your phone number and have received a call, if you have the capacity to multitask, you can go through the profile of the agency over the internet as you are discussing the details of the project. If this is difficult, you can ask them to give all the details of the project and can give some approximate figures in terms of delivery time and rates which you can confirm only on seeing more details of the project over the mail. Take everything in writing over email before you commit to taking up the project. Check the details of the credibility of the agency before you go ahead with the project. If you have any doubts, you reject them outright or ask them for an upfront payment so that you can feel comfortable in taking up the project. Remember, phone inquiries can be important as you can get to speak to a real person and while doing so get to know more about the agency and them about you and avoids the anonymity the internet can hold. But, at the end of it all it is you that needs to have a final say in whether or not to take up a project.