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Poll: Have you ever written a cover letter to apply for a freelance position? Autor da sequência: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Have you ever written a cover letter to apply for a freelance position?".
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neilmac
Espanha
Local time: 21:13
Espanhol para Inglês
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Not that I recall. I may have sent a brief e-mail or two, with a CV, at some point, but most of my clients over the years have come to me by word-of-mouth.
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I very rarely apply for jobs (I have a very solid client base), but when I do – usually because of the subject matter - the email itself acts as my cover letter. When I started translating full time in 1985, I did send by snail mail a lot of CVs obviously with a cover letter.
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Mervyn Henderson (X) 
Espanha
Local time: 21:13
Espanhol para Inglês
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| Freelance position? | May 25, 2021 |
Freelance work, assignments, projects, maybe.
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Sergiy Butkov
Ucrânia
Local time: 22:13
Membro (2014)
Ucraniano
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I used to write cover letters several years ago influenced by some marketing articles. Those articles stated that a cover letter is a great tool that helps you win a competition. However, when I haven't noticed any improvement or significant difference between sending and not sending a cover letter I've stopped wasting my time on it. Marketing seems to work a little differently in the translation business.
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Liena V.
Letónia
Local time: 22:13
Membro (2014)
Francês para Letão
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I might have if it was required at some point, but I must have already forgotten about it.
I did have a job interview once which I remember because it was a disaster. After exchanging some e-mails they asked if they could call me on Skype and I agreed. I thought they would just tell me more and clarify some details since it's easier that way and ended up totally unprepared because they (2 people) started a video call (I didn't turn my camera on – I was still sitting in my pajamas,... See more I might have if it was required at some point, but I must have already forgotten about it.
I did have a job interview once which I remember because it was a disaster. After exchanging some e-mails they asked if they could call me on Skype and I agreed. I thought they would just tell me more and clarify some details since it's easier that way and ended up totally unprepared because they (2 people) started a video call (I didn't turn my camera on – I was still sitting in my pajamas, just woken up, and totally wasn't expecting that) and asked me all sorts of questions. Apparently, I was supposed to impress them. They sent me an e-mail later telling that I wasn't selected for the "position". ▲ Collapse
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| The freelance position | May 25, 2021 |
Mervyn Henderson wrote:
Freelance position?
It’s a variation on the missionary position. You bend over backwards and then they shaft you.
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Anais Duval
França
Local time: 21:13
Inglês para Francês
I find it degrading. We're professionals. You don't ask your plumber or any independent professional like a graphic designer or anything else to write a cover letter, so why request this from freelance translators?
But from my experience, it seems to be most frequently asked by UK and Irish agencies, along with one or several references as well.
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I find that unnecessary nowadays.
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P.L.F. Persi (X)
Holanda
Local time: 21:13
Inglês para Italiano
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Liena Vijupe wrote:
I might have if it was required at some point, but I must have already forgotten about it.
I did have a job interview once which I remember because it was a disaster. After exchanging some e-mails they asked if they could call me on Skype and I agreed. I thought they would just tell me more and clarify some details since it's easier that way and ended up totally unprepared because they (2 people) started a video call (I didn't turn my camera on – I was still sitting in my pajamas, just woken up, and totally wasn't expecting that) and asked me all sorts of questions. Apparently, I was supposed to impress them. They sent me an e-mail later telling that I wasn't selected for the "position".
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jyuan_us
Estados Unidos da América
Local time: 15:13
Membro (2005)
Inglês para Chinês
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| It depends on how you would define cover letter | May 25, 2021 |
When you quote for a project here, probably you have to write something. Isn't that a type of cover letter?
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Samuel Murray
Holanda
Local time: 21:13
Membro (2006)
Inglês para Africânder
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If by "cover letter" you mean a separate file in addition to the résumé/CV, formatted as a formal business letter, then: no. But if you mean that I write something about myself in the body of the e-mail when I sent a résumé (and the things that I write are also in present the résumé itself), then: yes, always.
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| Very Rarely, But... | May 25, 2021 |
When I bid on a literary project through a website, all I do, in almost in every instance, is forward my resume, sans cover letter. I think my resume speaks for itself. But today, I did, as a matter of fact, submit a cover letter to a non-profit here in the US that has a FR>EN book project it wants done, because one was specifically requested, and esp. because the subject matter reflects my interests and experience as a translator.
[Edited at 2021-05-25 17:08 GMT]
[Edited at 2021-... See more When I bid on a literary project through a website, all I do, in almost in every instance, is forward my resume, sans cover letter. I think my resume speaks for itself. But today, I did, as a matter of fact, submit a cover letter to a non-profit here in the US that has a FR>EN book project it wants done, because one was specifically requested, and esp. because the subject matter reflects my interests and experience as a translator.
[Edited at 2021-05-25 17:08 GMT]
[Edited at 2021-05-25 17:09 GMT]
[Edited at 2021-05-26 06:11 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Adieu
Ucraniano para Inglês
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| Single jobs or long-term gigs? | May 25, 2021 |
Single jobs: generic templates, I have a couple for specific purposes
Long-term gigs: yes
Cover letters work.
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| freelance "position"? "apply"? | May 26, 2021 |
I suppose when offering the availability of one's services, some kind of cover letter (the offer) might be apt. But usually clients contact me, because they are in need of translation services.
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