Translator jobs

If you are trying to decide what to study after high school, if you are just entering the workforce for the first time, or if you are wanting to make a shift in your career, translating for a livelihood could be the perfect fit for you. If you have what it takes, there is no such thing as starting too late in life or starting too early in life to pursue this wonderful job. Before you get in headfirst, check that you have a complete understanding of all that will be involved.

The fundamentals

You need to be familiar with the most fundamental prerequisites before you can even begin to entertain the idea of making a living as a translator. Here we go:

You have good language skills

You have a passion for language study and you excel in the subject. It's impressive that you know many languages, but remember that the quality of your language skills is more important than the number. It is a common misconception that in order to work as a translator, one must be fluent in at least two different languages; however, this is not the case. Corinne McKay, who translates from French to English, was discouraged from pursuing a degree in translation at university after being advised that she could not become a translator with "only" one foreign language under her belt. She eventually found her way back to translation, went on to get her ATA certification, and is today recognized as one of the most accomplished and well-known translators operating in her industry. Oh, and before I forget, I failed to add that she is now serving as the president of the American Translators Association. Therefore, if you are fluent in two languages, both your native tongue and another language that is not your mother tongue, you have the ability to pursue a profession in translation.

Having said that, just being able to speak two languages is not enough. Before you can call yourself a skilled translator, you need to work on your linguistic abilities (in both the source language and the target language), receive the appropriate training, and gather a significant amount of experience.

You have an awareness of other cultures.

You might have every language talent in the world, but if you lack cultural sensitivity, this line of work is going to be extremely difficult for you to succeed in. Language and culture, fortunately, are inextricably linked to one another. Language is only relevant within the context of the culture in which it is used, and you need to have a comprehensive understanding of the context of the original text in order to render it properly in the translation. Because of this, it makes a significant difference if you now reside in, or have previously resided in, a nation in which your target language is spoken.

You are a word nerd.

Read, write, and translate what you've written. The process must be repeated. If you find that participating in any of these activities leaves you with a hollow feeling within, then this is a very good sign that you should not pursue a career in translation. It can be summed up like this.

Because of this, it is essential that you have strong writing skills. Even though translation is considered to be a kind of writing, a surprising number of translators do not consider themselves to be writers. The only thing that is different is that you are not responsible for coming up with the content, which, in some ways, makes things simpler. On the other hand, you must remain true to the spirit, goal, and message of the original while ensuring that the translated text can stand on its own as a complete and coherent piece of writing in the target language. This was no easy accomplishment!

Where do we stand with qualifications?

After we've taken care of the fundamental structure's underpinnings, we can turn our attention to the building blocks. Do you need to learn translation, or can you translate only on your experience? To answer your question in as few words as possible: yes, it is possible to become a translator without first studying translation. It is not possible for anybody to prevent you from working as a translator, with a few exceptions, such as particular employment roles and certain forms of translation, such as sworn translation. However! Even if it is conceivable, it does not imply you should proceed without any translation-specific training or certification.

The fact of the matter is that a significant number of successful professional translators do not have qualifications in translation. While some have degrees in languages or linguistics, others have degrees that have nothing to do with translation and make these degrees work to their advantage by turning them into their area of translation specialization in the field of translation. How can they compete with others who have completed all of their requirements? Experience. In conclusion, the fact that you do not have a qualification in translation does not indicate that you cannot become a translator; but, having one will almost certainly be beneficial!

Becoming certified via a translation group is one of the ways that one may formally further their education. For instance, if you are a translator who lives and works in the United States, you might want to think about getting certified by the American Translators Association (ATA), which is a credential that is held in high regard and can increase your authority as well as your chances of finding high-quality translation work in the United States. Because certificates and associations differ from nation to nation, it is important to do some research to determine which qualifications are available in your region and which ones would be most beneficial to you. Discover the association for your nation in our directory.

In addition to obtaining degrees and qualifications, it is essential to have the mindset that education is an ongoing process that will continue throughout one's career as a professional translator. The concept of continuing professional development, sometimes known as CPD, should always be in the forefront of your mind. Education is readily available in the form of conferences, courses, sessions, workshops, webinars, and other resources made available by highly recognized and established translators such as Corinne McKay, Tess Whitty, Paul Urwin, Chris Durban, Karen Tkaczyk, and Nicole Konig. The majority of this education is provided at no cost to participants. One of the advantages of today's content economy is the ease with which education can be accessed.

Business and marketing skills

It is essential that you work on improving your translation abilities, but if you know almost nothing about business or marketing, you will have a difficult time getting genuine positions in the translation industry. If you don't strike it fortunate and get an inside position that you like and never want to leave, you're going to need to educate yourself on how to promote yourself effectively in the job market. It is essential that you are prepared to put yourself out there and have at the very least a fundamental web presence, regardless of whether you will be concentrating on direct customers or working with language service providers (LSPs). Having an online profile and being visible on it, whether on LinkedIn, translation platforms, or your own website, will significantly improve your chances of finding work and building a reputation. This does not mean that you need to be on all social networks and post every day, but having an online profile and being visible on it will.