Translation as a career

There are four ways in which you can be a translator:

 Full-time translator – Few positions + Fixed pay

 Part-time translator – Very few positions + Usually in-house

 Freelance translator – Preferred job + Variable pay + Flexi-time

 Specialists – Freelance or In-house + Hard to find, hence much in demand

Not yet
Freelancing

 Pros – Be your own boss, no commute, choose your jobs and timings

 Cons – uncertain income, fierce competition, crazy deadlines, all-in-one, regular work hard to
come by initially

+ -
Be your own boss Uncertain income
No commute Fierce competition
Choose your tasks Do everything yourself
Decide your work timings Finding clients

There are different types of jobs in the translation industry: a variety of translation
professionals exist: translators, editors,proofreaders, project managers, vendor
managers, desktop publishers, business developers and localization engineers
What are the skills necessary? Require business acumen – organisation, punctuality, tenacity, selling
yourself/your skills, networking, finding clients

Do you have the tools? Tools of the trade – Computer/laptop (Windows) with UPS, high-speed
internet connection, MS Office, CAT tool preferably, translation website membership

 What about income? Income depends on variable factors – number of words per day,
clients/agencies, experience, demand of your language pair/specialization, evening/weekend
work, Quoting rates – neither too low nor too high

 Based on your education and experience, choose your specialization and what more to acquire,
Certification, degrees – continuous learning

Becoming a professional - Full-time, certified, adept with tools, Being a translator – PM, managing
translations, accounts, marketing
Do you have the necessary tools?

 PC/laptop with Uninterrupted Power Supply, High-speed internet connection

 MS Office or Google Open Office
 Preferred: CAT tool such as SDL Trados or MemoQ or onlineCAT tool
 Registered user or member of translation and professional websites such as Proz,
Translatorscafe, LinkedIn

Do you have the necessary work skills?

 Graduate degree and above in any field

 Degree in languages and/or translation
 Native/near-native proficiency in 2 languages
 Work experience in any field
 Certifications in CAT tools etc. or as court-certified translator
 Continuous learning

Do you have the necessary soft skills?

 Business acumen to find clients and market your skills

 Organisation capabilities
 Punctuality
 Tenacity,
 Networking ability

#1 Start your translation

career
1.1. The Beginning is Different for
Everyone
There isn't a single path for a successful career as a
freelance translator. While a translator in the US may
go through formal education even before becoming a
translator, people in other countries may need to be
a translator first to only then be able to afford formal
education.
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1.2. Check if a Career in
Translation is Right for You
Many translators will be bilingual from birth while
others will learn a second language later in life.
Translators must be detail oriented and like to work
on repetitive tasks. A freelance translator can
effectively work remotely and enjoy living in the place
of his choice while working to translation agencies
around the world. Compensation may reach six
figures, but the vast majority of the translators will
make up to $ 50,000 per year.
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1.3. How Much to Budget When

Getting Started
Think about the expenses and investments you will
need to make. The main investments will be:
computer, software, printer, and furniture. This can
range from $ 3,000 to $ 4,590. Of course you can
take advantage of your existing computer and home
furniture to slash this amount substantially if needed.
Ongoing expenses such as internet & phone,
software and association fees, if any, should be
taken into consideration as well. If not careful with
the financials, you can easily shell out more than $
1,000 a month.
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1.4. Know the Different Jobs in the

Translation Industry
While translators are the most prominent
professionals in this industry, a variety of
translation professionals
exist: translators, editors,proofreaders, project
managers, vendor managers, desktop publishers,
business developers and localization
engineers being the main ones. These roles match
different skill-sets and personalities so chances are
you will find your preferred one.
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1.5. Decide between In-house and
Freelancing
Then you also need to decide between being an In-
House or a Freelancer translator. In-house
translators are 'employees' working full-time for an
employer while freelancer usually have more
flexibility and work for several clients. Deciding
between in-house and freelancing is a key decision
for your career.
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1.6. Get Your First Clients

Translation companies will avoid hiring translators
without a history. Some options for getting start are
translating for non-profit organizations
(i.e.:Translators Without Borders), working for
employers engaged in international business (i.e.:
travel agency) or living abroad to honing your
language skills while making a living.
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#2 Pick the right

studies
2.1. Decide on the
Subject Matter(s) to
Specialize In
Before investing big in translation
education decide on what kind of
subject matter you will be
specializing in. Translators who
become experts in a specific area
will enjoy higher compensation than
generalist translators.
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2.2. Get the Most Out
of Your Studies
Education in translation is a game-
changer. It will help you become a
professional and increase your
earnings substantially.There are
different options for academic
studies, online education,
professional studies and
specialization.
Professional degrees give you the
theoretical and practical knowledge
you need without grounding you for
several years.
Academic studies such as under-
graduation, graduate studies and
masters will help you learn virtually
everything about the translation
trade.
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2.3. Get the Most

from Your Studies
Education helps you understand
translation concepts, improve your
translation skills and get a stronger
resume. We know from experience
that while amateur translators will
waste much of their time sending
spam emails to translation agencies,
the real professionals will have fun
deciding which job they will take
from the many offers they receive
daily.
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#3 Get
your Credentials
3.1. Learn the Meaning
of 'Certified Translator'
One of the questions you hear the
most is how to become a certified
translator. This said, it is still a must
for professional translators to have
some kind of professional
certification in their credentials.
Know some of the relevant
associations in the translation
industry.
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3.2. Become a
'Certified Translator'
Get a certification from an
association or school. It may be an
entity close to where you live or you
can take a test with the ATA, for
instance, that......
Once you have received your
certificate, make sure to let your
clients know you have it. Your
resume is naturally the first place to
show your new credential
conspicuously. Other less obvious
places are your email signature and
a business card if you have one.
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3.3. Get Your

Translator Profile Out
There
A few other credentials you may
consider getting are: approval by
your state court system, a Proz
profile with points and a proof of
voluntary work with some global
organization.
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#4 Become a
Professional
4.1. Change to Full-
time Translator
Most translators will work as
freelancers. This will give them the
freedom to work on what they want
for who they like, and when they
want. A freelance translator career
is perfect for those dreaming about
travelling the world while working. A
few tips on the change from a part-
time job to a full-time translator life
can help you in this transition. Once
you are on your own, researching
new subjects and terminology, and
keeping your language skills are up
to you.
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4.2. Learn the Tools of

the Trade
Every now and then we get
surprised by the fact that a translator
doesn't have a decent knowledge of
a main tool like Word-fast or Trados.
In today's market it is a must
knowing how to use these tools.
And, being them so easy to use
there is no excuse for not knowing.
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4.3. Deliver
Quality Translations
Although big translation companies
have entire departments in charge
of that, it is a great skill for
translators to know how to format
tables in MSWord and taking care of
some minor formatting.
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4.4. Become a team-

player
Many translators choose the
profession to be able to work by
themselves. However, in today's
market the best translation projects
will require a close integration
between translators, and translators
and other professionals such as
project managers, typesetters and
localization engineers. Knowing how
to work well with others will make
you a much more sought-after
professional.
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4.5. Get Your

Translation Rates Right
Get your rates and schedule right.
Your rates and schedule will pretty
much define the type of clients you
will have. Tweak your rates and
schedule to make sure you land and
keep the clients you want to
have. And, of course you want to be
paid quick and easily with the best
means of payments for translators.
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#5 Manage &
Promote your
Translation Services
5.1. Use the Best
Advertisement Ever
That's by far the best tip we will ever
give you: great translators will
rarely need to promote their
services.If you are not there
yet, you can still do things to
promote your translation services.
An online presence with social
media efforts like Facebook,
LinkedIn and twitter can help you a
lot.
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5.2. Keep your

Skills Sharp
Keeping updated with the industry is
another great way of promoting your
business. You may choose to go to
a translation conference every other
year or maybe more than once a
year. For an industry that has
changed so rapidly keeping up-to-
date is certainly a competitive
advantage.
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5.3. Invoice and

Receive Payments
Get your rates and schedule right.
Your rates and schedule will pretty
much define the type of clients you
will have. Tweak your rates and
schedule to make sure you land and
keep the clients you want to have.
More...
5.4. Keep your
Financials and Taxes in
Good Shape
Keep track of your earnings and
expenses and file your taxes on
time. Keeping a reserve at the bank
is an often overlooked requirement
for freelancer professionals.
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5.5. Enjoy Life as a

Translator!
Being a translator does give you the
opportunity to know other countries,
enjoy a flexible schedule and work
with something you love: languages.
Make sure you know how to balance
the demanding routine of a
translator with all the benefits a
career in translation can give you.
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