Translators: Dealing with Rejection - Part 2

Something that you may not have considered is how the person faced with the job of rejecting you actually feels.

Of course, you’re only human, and it may be wise to take a short break for reflection, but don’t stop just because some client you’ve never even met slammed the door in your face. Do you know why your proposals are being dismissed? Do you consider a 50% rejection rate too high? If the answer to this question is yes, then turn the question around and ask yourself this question: Do you consider a 50% success rate acceptable? Doesn’t sound so bad, does it!

Always Be Gracious and Respectful

Something that you may not have considered is how the person faced with the job of rejecting you actually feels. For some people, this will be a terrible experience, and certainly, no client or recruiter would actually enjoy it. Sometimes it can be extremely difficult to choose between candidates, particularly when the quality is so high; so there’s no point in making their job more difficult by acting out. Be gracious, and always be respectful: you might decide to add them to your social network account, and it’s always a good idea to keep in touch with people that you’ve previously applied to. The person they chose instead of you may fail to produce the goods, in which case you could well step in and take their place; and they may even decide they need another translator, so why not you? If you’re unpleasant on receiving their rejection, you can be sure they’ll never contact you again.

Form Relationships with Your Clients

All we’re really looking for, after all, is for one client to accept us because that one approval makes up for all the previous rejections. So, with that one client, your job now is to ensure that your new client remains your loyal client. The advice we offer all translators is to underpromise and over-deliver: always be accessible to your client, meet (if not beat) all deadlines, and go the extra mile in any way you can. All clients are very appreciative when a freelance translator demonstrates a genuine interest in their translation project, and it’s in this way that you start developing a genuine relationship with your clients.

Everyone Has to Deal with Rejection

Everyone, even the best freelance translators, has to deal with rejection at one time or another. No-one ever said that rejection is easy, in fact, it’s really difficult, but rejection should never be the reason you stop pursuing your career. Any self-employed person who puts their product or their service out there is going to face rejection. Famous authors, the greatest entrepreneurs, actors, web designers, and yes, even professional freelance translators, have had to face rejection, but that doesn’t hold them back. Rejection doesn’t make you a failure: rejection is simply a part of life. Success, on the other hand, comes to you when you least expect it; so continue focusing on your work, improving your translation knowledge and skills, and never stop applying for jobs until you get exactly what you want!

Translators: Dealing with Rejection - Part 1

Why is it that some freelancers achieve enormous success while others take years to get their career off the ground?

Being a freelance translator, or any kind of freelancer for that matter, is not always an easy career: it can be extremely stressful and very unpredictable, but it can also bring a huge amount of satisfaction.

If you’ve been told that being a freelance translator is an easy career, full of opportunities and free of responsibilities, then someone was pulling your leg! Of course, there are many opportunities out there for freelancers, but taking advantage of these opportunities is something one must learn how to do. Why is it that some freelancers achieve enormous success while others take years to get their career off the ground? What is it that makes a freelance translator so successful? Some people theorize that freelancers probably take more risks, while others think it’s the confidence, communication skills, and resourcefulness that set them up for success.

What we do know is that one of the personality traits that sets successful freelancers apart from others is their ability to deal with rejection in a healthy way. If you’re a freelance translator, you’ve probably already experienced your fair share of rejection and disappointment. And while it’s preferable to have your own website, even that doesn’t guarantee that you won’t experience rejection. So how does one cope with the humiliation and sense of injustice when one experiences rejection? See below for some strategies that we hope may help you deal with rejection –

Don’t Take It Personally!

Of all the emotions humans have to deal with, rejection might be the hardest. Interestingly, it’s also the most common. We experience rejection in our relationships with friends, family, clients, contractors, and even our partners; and the simple truth is that, just because someone refused your translation services, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not good. In fact, it could well have absolutely nothing to do with knowledge or merit.

Because we’re all so very different, people expect different things, and your ideas may not be the same as theirs. It’s highly likely that the issue is with the client: their budget may be too low, or they may just be having a bad day: there are so many things that justify rejection, with very few suggesting that it’s your incompetence or that your ideas are not acceptable. If you’re faced with rejection, don’t ever take it personally. There may be something to learn from this experience, but don’t let rejection affect your translation career.

Never Stop Looking!

You probably won’t be surprised when we say that the main difference between a good freelancer and an excellent one is how they cope with rejection. After a few rejections, a good freelancer may decide to give up searching, but rejection wouldn’t stop an excellent freelancer.