Musings from an overworked translator

Talk about a rude awakening June 8, 2026

I (and many of my colleagues) woke up this morning to a slew of targeted emails from randoms off the Internet addressed to “Dear Hiring Manager:” One stubborn person sent me three separate emails for three different languages. None of which I offer.

Hello,

I am writing to express my interest in the German Translator position. I am a professional German translator with over seven years of experience providing accurate and culturally appropriate translations between English and German . My native proficiency in German and strong command of English allow me to deliver high-quality translations that preserve the original meaning, tone, and intent of the source content.

Throughout my career, I have worked on a wide range of projects including business documents, website content, marketing materials, medical texts, and general communications. I pay close attention to linguistic accuracy, grammar, and cultural nuances to ensure that every translation reads naturally to native German speakers.I am highly detail-oriented, reliable, and committed to meeting deadlines while maintaining the highest quality standards. I am confident that my experience and dedication to excellence would make me a valuable addition to your team.

I would welcome the opportunity to contribute my translation expertise to your organization. Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the possibility of discussing how my skills can support your projects.

I responded to all of them asking how they got my email address. Only one person bothered to respond that they “sourced [my] contact details from a public directory of EN-DE translators.” Interesting since I am not an EN-DE translator.

Meanwhile, several colleagues responded by Replying to All and adding to the email stress. Please don’t do that. All you do is irritate people who are already being beleaguered by spam emails. I was also trying to negotiate for a rush job at the same time, so needless to say I was not a happy camper this morning. A pox on all their houses!

It should also go without saying that you should NEVER open an attached file from a recipient you don’t know! Not even the best anti-virus or malware programs can keep with all the malicious code out there. And this was all before I got to enjoy my first cup of coffee. A rude awakening indeed!