The unique experience of organizing a ProZ.com event 1

ProZ.com powwow in Lima, Perú (Sep 2012) – organized by Viviana Tipiani.

ProZ.com events are virtual or in-person gatherings that represent the most powerful concentration of the ProZ.com mission statement by providing opportunities for translators to network, learn, expand their businesses and have fun.

To date, there has been thousands of events, virtually and in different cities around the globe. These events include powwows, conferences, workshops, you name it!

But what makes ProZ.com events different is not just the many event options available, but the fact that they are are organized by and for language professionals. Plus, they are less formal and more intimate than events in other industries, and planned in such a way as to be affordable and easily accessible.

Why organize a ProZ.com event?

Most event organizers agree in that organizing a ProZ.com event is a truly unique and rewarding experience. For them, ProZ.com events represent a fantastic opportunity to be challenged to do something different, learn new skills, make contacts with companies, associations and other major players in the industry. Furthermore, event organizers may find that the exposure gained by organizing an event enhances their translation business and professional profile.

“Organizing the 2013 ProZ.com international conference made me develop skills I never knew I had in me, gave me the opportunity to know some great professionals from other companies and areas of interest and to make some new friends, apart from the fact that having mentioned this organization on my CV and profiles all over the net, has helped my clients realize that they can rely on me as far as organization and responsibility goes!”

Paula Ribeiro, organizer of the 2013 ProZ.com international conference in Porto, Portugal.

Whether it is a powwow, a conference, or a workshop, if there are language professionals living in close proximity who are interested in learning, networking, expanding their business and having fun, there is the opportunity for a ProZ.com event!

Can I propose a ProZ.com event?

Sure you can! If you would like to organize a gathering of professionals for 2014, just complete the event proposal form. ProZ.com staff will review your poposal and contact you to discuss different possibilities available.

Fore more information on ProZ.com events, click here.

Summary of the V Conferência Brasileira de Tradutores do ProZ.com in Recife 3

Almost one week after the V Conferência Brasileira de Tradutores do ProZ.com, phrases such “Disrupt yourself now!” and “Translators of the world, unite! We are stronger together.” seem to keep echoing in participants’ minds. Nineteen speakers, twenty different sessions, two powwows, Tweets, Facebook posts, feedback comments, pictures and videos made of this conference a great success, reminding translation professionals of the importance of constant networking and professional development.

What did this event offer to ProZ.com members?

• Twenty sessions divided in two tracks.
• Two powwows, one at Restaurante Parraxaxá, specialized in Northeastern plates, and a second one at Entre Amigos Praia, a restaurant with the prefect atmosphere to be with fiends!
• Sightseeing around Recife, the Brazilian Venice.
• The chance to meet fellow translators, promote themselves among peers and learn how to get the most out of the translation profession.

As a ProZ.com staff member, I enjoyed my visit to Recife and meeting some ProZ.com Brazilian members for the first time and seeing others again. It was a great experience! Thanks Ju Chaad and Nina Cavalcanti for working tirelessly over the past year to bring this great conference to life. Also, thanks speakers for sharing your time, energy and expertise. And, above all, thank you attendees for making this event possible!

What now?

• Watch live recordings from the event »
• Tweet your experience »
• Help to translate a poem by Silvio Borges that was handed in to event attendees and share it with the entire translators community »
• Post general feedback on the event »
• Post individual session feedback »
• View and download your certificate of attendance from the “Conference participation” section of your ProZ.com profile »
• Watch and share a video summary of the event:

Hope to see you all soon at the next ProZ.com event!

Lucía

News from the 2013 ProZ.com conference in Porto 2

This year’s ProZ.com International Conference is being held in the World Heritage city of Porto, Portugal, and I am having the pleasure of being one of the attendees, together with staff members Maria Kopnitsky and Jared Tabor, and more than 200 members! With 28 speakers and 30 sessions scheduled, this conference is one of the largest ProZ.com events organized in the last 5 years.

Attendees, as they arrived, getting ready for the opening session.

As the conference goes by, the organizers, Certified PRO Paula Ribeiro and members Maria Pereira and Rafaela Lemos, are working together with other language professionals to find the answer to a question that appears to be a major concern within the translation profession: “What are the new demands of the translation industry?” To address this concern, presentations on personal branding, SEO, the state of the industry and translation technology were offered earlier today. Sessions on meeting and keeping clients, CAT tools and ethical practices are reserved for tomorrow, Sunday 9th.

The social side of this event included so far: a photo tour, the visit to a cellar, a pre-conference powwow and the presence of Alejandro Moreno-Ramos, author of the MOX series, who was kind enough to take a couple of hours to autograph his books (thanks Alejandro!).

Alejandro autographing his books, “Mox” and “Mox II”.

Just a few hours ago, there was a gala dinner at Burmester Cellars, a cellar located in one of the most beautiful places of Vila Nova de Gaia. The food was great; the wine, exquisite; and the company, the best! Now getting ready for Sunday sessions and a post-conference powwow at Restaurante BibóPorto.

Click here to see what’s going on in this event in real time.

Congratulations organizers and attendees for this outstanding event!

Lucía

Choosing the right client 35

In general, the criteria used by translation agencies and end clients for choosing the appropriate translator or interpreter for a given job are well-known: specialization in a given language pair and field of expertise, years of experience, rate range, availability, credentials and client feedback, among others. But outsourcers are not the only ones in a position to set the parameters for a given job and working relationship. Translators and interpreters too can –and actually should– have their own set of parameters to decide when to accept a job offer made by a new client or decline it.

On taking a professional translator / interpreter career a step further 2

Something that cannot be said about the translation or interpretation profession is that it is a static one. Translation and interpreting –and the way these two activities are performed– have evolved throughout the years and continue to evolve, allowing language professionals to seek new challenges, inviting them to review their career plans from time to time.

Even if most language professionals feel good about what they have achieved, they may also feel compelled now and then to take their careers a step further. However, this step further may not always be that clear, and there are several options available that go beyond translation and interpreting.

One option translators and interpreters have if they feel like taking their careers a step further is the expansion of the services they offer. Expanding the list of services you offer to clients may involve learning a new language, adding a new field of expertise and even learning additional techniques such as subtitling or desktop publishing (DTP). Of course, adding a new service, like investing in anything else, means devoting time –and usually money– to getting it ready.

Thank you to ProZ.com site moderators, class of 2011-2012 1

Like referees in sports, ProZ.com moderators help to ensure fair play by enforcing a specific set of rules in a uniform manner.

The ProZ.com moderator class of 2011-2012 is coming to an end, but before this happens, ProZ.com would like to thank all of those members who have given of their time to help maintain a positive, results-oriented atmosphere on the site. Each person in the class has made valuable contributions to ProZ.com, and some of them even beyond the moderator program.

ProZ.com moderators are volunteer members who have benefited from ProZ.com and have chosen to give something back by playing their part, in turn, in a system put in place to ensure fair play. Their role is to foster and protect the positive, results-oriented atmosphere that makes ProZ.com possible, by:

• Greeting and guiding new participants, and helping them to properly use and benefit from what is available to them at ProZ.com.
• Enforcing site rules in a consistent and structured manner to maintain a constructive environment.

The moderator class of 2011-2012 is certainly a very good example of the role. Thank you mods!

The moderator class of 2012-2013 is scheduled to begin in August. So, if you are a ProZ.com member and would like to volunteer for a one-year term as site moderator, please visit http://www.proz.com/moderators or contact site staff through the support center.

Looking forward to receiving lots of applications!

Lucía

ProZ.com Certified PRO Network: 3,000 members and counting! Reply

The ProZ.com Certified PRO Network, an initiative of the ProZ.com community to provide qualified translators and translation companies with an opportunity to network and collaborate in an environment consisting entirely of screened professionals, has reached 3,000 members and more and more applications are being submitted every day.

Members of the ProZ.com Certified PRO Network have the benefit of networking with other screened professionals while distinguishing themselves as PROs. Many program participants view this also as an opportunity to make a positive contribution to the industry. Other benefits members of the program have include:

• a distinguishing Certified PRO seal shown next to their name throughout the ProZ.com site;
• a printable and downloadable certificate available in their ProZ.com profiles;
• a special search option in the ProZ.com directory of freelance translators and interpreters, ProZ.com’s main source of jobs;
• exclusive access to a personal workspace and to a Certified PRO Network private forum;
• special discount on selected ProZ.com training sessions and events;
• a distinguishing Certified PRO seal in in-person event name badges;
• access to periodically organized virtual powwows for members of the network;
• a Certified PRO logo to be used in personal websites, email signatures, blogs, etc.;
• full access to ProZ.com virtual events;
• the possibility to join Translators without Borders without going through their screening process;
• the option to share glossaries with other members of the network;
• the possibility to become ProZ.com mentors;
• and more!

To enter the Certified PRO Network, ProZ.com members must complete an online application and submit it for review to prove they meet or exceed minimum professional standards based on the EN15038 standard for quality in translation and in three screening areas: translation ability, business reliability and online citizenship.

The ProZ.com Certified PRO network is being provided as a service to ProZ.com full professional members only (non-members can still complete and submit their applications for review). If admitted, members pay no additional fees.

Click here to start completing your application.

More information about the ProZ.com Certified PRO Network is available here.

Congratulations to the over 3,000 ProZ.com members who are further differentiating themselves professionally and taking networking and collaboration to a new level!