How to hire English Russian Translator


Have you ever heard of a guy on Facebook, desperately trying to find English Russian translator out there not only to proofread, but to re-translate his CV in proper Russian? Or about a girl with 12(!) mistakes in her Linkedin profile, submitted in German by some low-rated freelance German translator? Actually I have. Hopefully, I wasn't the one, who created that 'masterpieces' of translation. Otherwise my online reputation would be ruined down just in the start of a freelance career! Today I would like to reveal you some hacks about searching Upwork for English Russian translator, and to warn you about the pitfalls, they will inevitably stumble on in the process of hiring.
First and the foremost, one should understand, that there's a HUGE amount of freelance contractors on Upwork, surfing in search of ANY kind of job, willing to work at ANY hourly rate and providing the lowest quality output you probably ever met. Unfortunately, this is hardly an exaggeration. Many people, especially those, viewing from outside of the market, do not distinctively draw a demarcation line between a native speaker and a professional translator. The difference is crucial though. Being a good housewife or a talented driver from Russia, does not mean being a linguist, who is able to understand and use the differences between not even two separate languages, but also between two separate worlds! Of course, you'll see their tempting rates and maybe even more tempting appearance...but, believe me, what you won't ever see is a good quality of your task being done. So the first rule shall be:

Never hire a native speaker with no educational linguistic background

Or you'll end up like that girl, who never succeeded in her job search, with her Linkedin badly translated profile. Now that all non-professionals have been sorted out, we can see a big crowd of low-rate students, with approximate rates of 7-14 dollars per hour. These guys are much more smarter than native speaking housewives and drivers, but again, they aren't enough smart for translating, let's say, complicated international sales contract, the language quality of which will drastically influence not only your business, but maybe your life! So, the second rule would be:

Choose a professional English Russian translator, qualifying your task

Surely, if you just need some simple letter to be translated, most of that students will do, but if you require a business proposal to be set in a very sophisticated manner, than no. No way. Go find a pro, someone working exactly in the field of your interests. How can I do it, you may ask? You'll be surprised to know, it's quite simple on Upwork. Not only should you go thoroughly through the cover letters, but you should also visit profile pages of the applicants, whose cover letters sound most appealing to you. Professional English Russian translators, compliant with your requirements, are right there. Hourly rates are of course higher, but you can be sure – you'll have your job done on time and the way you need it. Take a look at portfolio items, positive (or negative) feedback, compare it to your task. Does this freelancer qualify for it? Has he got positive feedback concerning particularly this kind of job? Or, at least, do his portfolio and areas of practice comply with your needs? These are the utmost questions you should raise.

Finally, you've happily chosen several candidates for your job and appointed the interview. That's where fun begins. All of a sudden, you discover that some of the applicants are not that professional, as their profile and cover letter describe them. Yes, it happens very often, we live in the world of marketing. The bad news is that many freelancers pay money to profile and letter writers in order to get more attractive in the eyes of employer. You wouldn't believe, but there are dozens of such offers on other platforms, advertising this service for a couple of dollars. So don't be cheated by the first impression. The third rule:

Organize Skype or Upwork video interview to check the skills of English Russian translator. Be smart to stay away from con artists or simply non-professionals.

There's also one good old tip you should listen to. Avoid generalists in translation. A real English Russian translator is keeping his niche. He grows inside of it. If you were looking for a legal translation pro, choose someone with appropriate skill. I've been more than 15 years in translation, and I have never met a pro, covering all practical niches. That's just nonsense! Someone trying to convince you otherwise is just a big fat liar, unless he's a long-living vampire, born probably 300 years ago or something. Life is short, we have to stick to some edge of knowledge and master our skill. Remember that jacks of all trades are masters of none. So here's the fourth rule:

Choose English Russian translator working in appropriate niche.

And last, but not least, the simplest way to determine, whether to hire a person or not, is to ask for recommendation. A guy (or a girl) with 5 star feedback would definitely have long-term clients, willing to share their opinion with you. In the meanwhile, you can ask them some tricky questions, which you wouldn't ask the applicant, for example, about freelancer's attitude towards the deadline or whatever you like.

The Conclusion

My article was meant for Upwork fresh clients. Of course, sophisticated clients already know how to hire a good English Russian translator, but fresh blood, brought in to Upwork platform, faces a tough challenge of choice. Some are reluctant to learn and fail. Some are smart enough to go further and achieve success. Be smart. Take what's yours.




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