Obligatory verification of academic degree by Upwork

[shynkarenko_yuri]

Hello guys! I have just realized that Upwork becomes overcrowded with unskilled freelancers, especially this is true for translation. I think that is not fair when some freelancers spent 4-5 years studying at university, and they lose good clients, because some "people from the street" overfill Upwork with low-paid bids. Would you like it if Upwork asked every newbie to provide relevant university diploma or certification? 

[tlsanders]

I think it's just too complicated. Upwork would have to have a large staff at work checking those documents, and since they differ from one institution to another (and even over time), some sort of additional validation would be required--it's far too easy to mock up a certificate that appears to be a diploma. Verification with the institutions would be an administrative nightmare (as much for the institutions as for Upwork).

[zeeshan5599]

100% agreed with your point. 

I' m top rated freelancer and it's noe been more than 2 weeks , i couldn't get any job, just beacuse of the reason that some newbie comed and bids for only $3-$4/hour. 

This is drastic for me also

[versailles]

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@Yurii S wrote:

Hello guys! I have just realized that Upwork becomes overcrowded with unskilled freelancers, especially this is true for translation.  

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Yet, you are selling translation services into English, which isn't your native language, and it shows.

Clients who are not native or very fluent in English may get tricked, I agree.

[iamchunchunchun]

I'm one of the "people from the street", and I charge even way higher than you do (but obviously our language pairs are not the same). If the client is looking for freelancers who place the lowest bid, then the client isn't actually that good imo.

I would suggest you to forget about the clients who don't want to pay, and focus on finding those who are really looking for professional translators.

[sgoble]

It is so easy to get a fake degree that it isn't worth it.

Ignore the bottom feeders and focus on the people who want a good translation. 

Also, you can probably make money fixing the mess  those cheap translators produce.  One of my best jobs ever was changing the technical information translated into English by Chinese engineers into correct English for translation into a couple dozen other languages.

[ruijterthera]

You are talking about degrees, but a degree in what? Would only a degree in a language qualify? I would argue that point, as I have a degree in Chemistry and Geology but am working as a translator through Upwork. The reason I think I qualify for that job is because my second language is as strong as my native language. This is because I have lived, studied and worked in both my home country, The Netherlands, and in the UK. It is possible to be 'off the street' but still provide an excellent translation service. 

It is difficult to distinguish between those who can really translate and those who wing it on a daily basis. The best option is to be patient and hope that new clients pick up on that quickly. Every profile gives an indication of how good someone is at their chosen profession within Upwork.

Good luck with the jobs, at least the list is still endless 😉

Thera

BTW English is my second language...

[resultsassoc]

I have a BA in Spanish (from Jurassic State College). Despite the fact that I write and speak it nearly every day, I don't respond to translation jobs. I did medical school in Germany, and don't respond to translation jobs. Formal translation is an exacting science, and isn't my strength.

The only degree of any value to me is a PhD in a hard science or engineering, completed by a team member, and used to convince a prospective client that we know what we're doing. And, I didn't need the MIT PhD in Chemistry to design the chemical plant, although I used him for a sanity check on the design.

My own translation work is done free for a few clients and for mentored entrepreneurs. I tell them it's worth what they paid for it. And, fluency in the language is only half of the requirement. One must also be fluent in the topic at hand. Rene has mastered both French and English; my French is abominable. Still, I wouldn't turn to him for translation of a complex and technical paper on bladder surgery. I did that one myself.

[versailles]

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@Bill H wrote:

Rene has mastered both French and English; my French is abominable. Still, I wouldn't turn to him for translation of a complex and technical paper on bladder surgery. 

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Thanks, I think I would have fainted. That's what medical content does to me.