Our projects vary significantly by subject matter, complexity, etc., and we are always looking for experienced and motivated linguists with various skill sets. We value each and every one of our linguists, without whom our success would not be possible. Please send us your contact information, resume and a couple of brief translation samples to be considered for inclusion in our database. Once pre-approved, linguists are then selected for specific projects based on their expertise, availability and rates.
We DO NOT ask translators for free test translations. However, if you want, you can submit samples of previous work to help us better understand your writing style and experience. We usually start working with people from smaller assignments, which serve as a perfect testing ground, not only of your translation skills, but of other important qualities as well. If a client requires a test translation for a particular project, we usually treat it as a paid assignment and pay your regular rates.
In order to be paid, you must submit an invoice. Unless otherwise arranged in advance, translators in North America are paid in US/Canadian funds by company cheque (preferred method) or by wire transfer. Translators in other countries are paid by PayPal (preferred), wire transfer, international money orders or drafts, or via international money transfer systems such as WesternUnion, MoneyGram or Anelik. Cheques, money orders and drafts, as well as the PayPal service are free.
The fees of Western Union and the like can be prohibitive and will need to be discussed on a case-by-case basis. On your invoice, you must clearly indicate the payment method you desire, and all necessary information. We are not liable for any delays or additional charges incurred as a result of incorrect information on an invoice.
We typically pay our contractors before we receive money from our clients. Our standard payment term is 45 calendar days from the time we receive your invoice, but in practice we tend to pay within an even shorter period.
Yes, we really mean this! Whenever possible, we try to specify deadlines in your local time. We do not know what is happening with a translation after it is delivered to the client they may be doing overnight DTP work somewhere in Asia, filing documents in court, or catching a plane to Moscow. In any case, deadlines are our sacred cow, and we pride ourselves on the fact that we practically never miss them. Please, never accept a project unless you are absolutely confident that you can deliver it with top quality by the specified deadline. If something unavoidable happens after you accept a project, always let us know as soon as possible, so that we can warn the client and/or renegotiate the deadline.
We expect the highest level of professional quality you can provide. At the very minimum, there should be no omissions, serious errors, typos, grammatical issues, etc. Your work will be revised/checked either by our external editor (who possesses similar qualifications) or checked in-house following our internal QA procedures. Occasionally, work will be checked by the client or their external reviewers.
We will make every effort to minimize the number of revisions / changes by asking the reviewer to avoid subjective changes and limit them to those that do not qualify as a matter of opinion. After the review, we might ask you to review and accept / reject changes. Typically, this is considered a part of the translation process and is included in the translation rate. If the number of changes is excessive, we will either pay you for revision time or discuss the situation with you, the editor, and/or client in order to determine the most appropriate course of action.
Occasionally we might send the translation for a second opinion. We trust your expertise and always defend our translators to the end. If we are convinced that you have done a good job, and that the client's comments and allegations are subjective or unjustified, you will be paid no matter what, even if our company is not paid. However, if the changes are objective/justified and the translation indeed fails to meet professional standards, your fees may be reduced or, in extremely rare situations, you may not be paid at all. The best way to avoid this situation is to accept only those jobs about which you feel entirely confident.
Please ask questions, preferably as early in the process as possible!
All the information received must be treated as confidential and cannot be disclosed without our prior consent. Unless discussed/approved in advance, we absolutely prohibit the subcontracting of any assignments.
