Poll: Do you believe personal branding can influence your freelance career? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you believe personal branding can influence your freelance career?".
View the poll results »
| | | | Lieven Malaise
Belgija
Local time: 15:40
Member (2020)
French to Dutch
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I don't think personal branding in the strict sense (google for the definition) really applies to freelance translators. I guess some will put serious effort into this, but personally I'm allergic to all hollow Colgate-smile marketing blah (spend 10 minutes on LinkedIn and cry a river).
On the other hand there probably isn't a better way to personally brand yourself than to be a reliable, affordable, flexible and largely available translator/post-editor/editor that delivers consiste... See more I don't think personal branding in the strict sense (google for the definition) really applies to freelance translators. I guess some will put serious effort into this, but personally I'm allergic to all hollow Colgate-smile marketing blah (spend 10 minutes on LinkedIn and cry a river).
On the other hand there probably isn't a better way to personally brand yourself than to be a reliable, affordable, flexible and largely available translator/post-editor/editor that delivers consistent quality. ▲ Collapse
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I’ve always strived to stand out from the crowd, but I am not a product...
[Edited at 2025-05-09 08:43 GMT]
| | | | Mario Chávez
Sjedinjene Američke Države
Local time: 09:40
Member (2024)
English to Spanish
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| We used to call it reputation | May 9 |
The idea of “personal branding” is so wrong on so many levels. I guess it would make sense to a person (of whatever profession or occupation) who enjoys being a product for sale.
MC
Lieven Malaise wrote:
I don't think personal branding in the strict sense (google for the definition) really applies to freelance translators. I guess some will put serious effort into this, but personally I'm allergic to all hollow Colgate-smile marketing blah (spend 10 minutes on LinkedIn and cry a river).
On the other hand there probably isn't a better way to personally brand yourself than to be a reliable, affordable, flexible and largely available translator/post-editor/editor that delivers consistent quality.
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Mario Chávez
Sjedinjene Američke Države
Local time: 09:40
Member (2024)
English to Spanish
+ ...
| What we freelancer translators did back then | May 9 |
In New York City, where I started practicing translation professionally, word of mouth brought new clients and repeat business. I didn't have to wait by the telephone. I would get a fax, or a call from a graphic designer who's given my name to one of his clients. Why did people use word of mouth back then? Because of reputation, reliability, and other traits. Now, these traits that build a good reputation are not skills, they are lifelong habits that come with the development of a good ch... See more In New York City, where I started practicing translation professionally, word of mouth brought new clients and repeat business. I didn't have to wait by the telephone. I would get a fax, or a call from a graphic designer who's given my name to one of his clients. Why did people use word of mouth back then? Because of reputation, reliability, and other traits. Now, these traits that build a good reputation are not skills, they are lifelong habits that come with the development of a good character and an amiable personality. But character, ladies and gentlemen, is not a product or a programmable characteristic in humans, nor can it be acquired by getting a university certificate to ensure your success.
Success has nothing to do with it. Winning has nothing to do with it. Word of mouth has been the best vehicle for others to hear about your reputation and bring you new contacts or new business.
But younger people (and some old-timers too, to be sure), all they seem to be paying attention to is listicles, sunny LinkedIn postings with unsolicited advice for winning, being successful and polishing your so-called personal brand, and following people on social media whose vanilla platitudes are taken as talismans or words of wisdom. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Personal branding and honesty never sit well together. | May 9 |
Yes, I most certainly do believe personal branding could influence my freelance career.
However, that influence would be utterly destructive in the context of recent legal interpretations and policy reversals in the UK and US in the general field of DEI and especially with regard to the rapidly deteriorating public and media perception of transgender people and where we fit into the wider scheme of human endeavour.
The good news (as far as I'm concerned) is that ... See more Yes, I most certainly do believe personal branding could influence my freelance career.
However, that influence would be utterly destructive in the context of recent legal interpretations and policy reversals in the UK and US in the general field of DEI and especially with regard to the rapidly deteriorating public and media perception of transgender people and where we fit into the wider scheme of human endeavour.
The good news (as far as I'm concerned) is that I retired from active freelancing some years ago and no longer need to flog my services in a market crippled by AI.
JL ▲ Collapse
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I think that personal branding can help you to be more visible as well as have a good reputation, being sociable and nice with your clients. I think there are many strategies to improve your freelance career, but I always recommend being honest with yourself, showing your successes and failures, and showing people the wonderful and real person that you are. We can struggle in our professions, convert those bad moments into positive lessons, or simply accept the unmanageable things that could hap... See more I think that personal branding can help you to be more visible as well as have a good reputation, being sociable and nice with your clients. I think there are many strategies to improve your freelance career, but I always recommend being honest with yourself, showing your successes and failures, and showing people the wonderful and real person that you are. We can struggle in our professions, convert those bad moments into positive lessons, or simply accept the unmanageable things that could happen at work. The most important thing is to keep going and be persistent. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Personal branding = LinkedIn | May 9 |
Of course, personal branding can influence any career, not just freelancing; that's why there's a social media platform created by Microsoft Corporation.
LinkedIn has hundreds of millions of users who are extremely willing to brand themselves and even willing to buy the premium subscription, so AI can help them brand themselves better so they can reach a wider audience of potential recruiters/employers.
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Maybe it can, but I always thought branding was the kind of treatment reserved for slaves or convicted criminals in the centuries past...
[Edited at 2025-05-09 23:03 GMT]
| | | | Baran Keki 
Turska
Local time: 16:40
Member
English to Turkish
Anton Konashenok wrote:
Maybe it can, but I always thought branding was the kind of treatment reserved for slaves or convicted criminals in the centuries past...
[Edited at 2025-05-09 23:03 GMT]
I think they mean "translator tattoos" like "sworn translator", "gaming translator" etc. tattooed across one's shoulder or forearm so that they can get noticed in trade fairs or dog parks, and get business that way.
But, alas, the term "translator" will disappear in 5 years, so those tattoos will be a waste of valuable real estate on one's body... the things they do for business..
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Baran Keki wrote:
I think they mean "translator tattoos" like "sworn translator", "gaming translator" etc. tattooed across one's shoulder or forearm so that they can get noticed in trade fairs or dog parks, and get business that way.
But, alas, the term "translator" will disappear in 5 years, so those tattoos will be a waste of valuable real estate on one's body... the things they do for business..
I will think about your idea to replace my profile foto by the following:
[Bearbeitet am 2025-05-10 19:58 GMT]
[Bearbeitet am 2025-05-10 20:00 GMT]
| | | | B&B FinTrans
Njemačka
Local time: 15:40
Member
English to German
| Zeitgeist translator tattoo | May 10 |
Baran Keki wrote:
Anton Konashenok wrote:
Maybe it can, but I always thought branding was the kind of treatment reserved for slaves or convicted criminals in the centuries past...
[Edited at 2025-05-09 23:03 GMT]
I think they mean "translator tattoos" like "sworn translator", "gaming translator" etc. tattooed across one's shoulder or forearm so that they can get noticed in trade fairs or dog parks, and get business that way.
But, alas, the term "translator" will disappear in 5 years, so those tattoos will be a waste of valuable real estate on one's body... the things they do for business..
Speaking of tattoos, I recently spotted a truly zeitgeist piece at a tattoo convention: 'Butlerian Jihad' in exquisitely executed script.
Honestly, this would probably suit quite a few translators engaged in their own quiet (and sometimes not so quiet) Luddite resistance as well...
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Daryo
Ujedinjeno Kraljevstvo
Local time: 14:40
Serbian to English
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| On a more serious note | May 10 |
Anton Konashenok wrote:
Maybe it can, but I always thought branding was the kind of treatment reserved for slaves or convicted criminals in the centuries past...
[Edited at 2025-05-09 23:03 GMT]
If you can in some way make yourself stand out from 'the rest', you will get an advantage for sure, whether you call it 'branding' or s.t. else. Preferably based on your real capacities - empty marketing BS will only impress / fool some people, and only for some time.
@ B&B FinTrans
It may come as a surprise to you, but some of the 'obstinate refuseniks' know first-hand about computers since the time of the first mainframes 'powered on assembler code', and are all too well aware of how half-baked and unfinished are the latest 'marvellous gizmos' that are hyped waaays beyond their real capabilities.
I will make no excuses for being less than impressed when a tottering toddler is being passed off as an Olympic runner.
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