So, You Want to Become a Translator
Are you thinking about becoming a
professional translator, but you aren’t sure where to start? Being bilingual may be enough to get you started on some small projects. However, if you want to take on bigger projects and build a career as a translator, you’ll need to take some additional steps. Just like any other profession, being a translator requires experience and training, but you have to start somewhere. As a professional translation company who
contracts with more than 2000 translators globally, we’ve worked with many translators over the years. We recommend the following seven actions to get started as a translator.
1. Start with Small Projects
Start your translation career with some small projects that require little to no experience. There are a ton of translation portals out there where translation jobs are posted. One example is
ProZ.com, which is a portal for outsourcers looking to meet translation freelancers and/or translation companies. You fill out a profile and then browse and apply for jobs. Start out with low fees just so that you can gain experience as you start to build your business. You can also provide free examples of your work, or if a company asks for a small test, then don’t charge for it. You can view this type of work as a pilot or a low-paying internship. These may not be high-paying jobs, but it’s a way to get started and add some experience to your resume.
2. Become Familiar with Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) Tools
The term “CAT tools” is very broad, and it encompass many different types of tools, from translation software to translation memory (TM) to terminology management. One of the most important tools for a translator is
translation memory software, such as SDL Trados, Wordfast and others. There are also online translation tools, such as
Net-Cat, that enable you to interact with others in the translation process, such as proofreaders and in-country reviewers. One of the main advantages of this tool is that you can work within the tool without having to purchase software or download a desktop application, so you can work with it anywhere. It also combines TM and machine translation, which facilitates the translation process and makes it more consistent. Become familiar with these different types of CAT tools, as many companies will expect a translator to be knowledgeable with tools.
3. Get a Translator Certification
Having credentials helps to show that you have the skills to translate professionally. An organization like the
American Translators Association (ATA) offers a translator certificate. Also, many universities globally and online offer certificates or advanced degrees in translation. A certificate may not be necessary for a translation job, but it can certainly help.
4. Take Language Proficiency Tests
Take a language proficiency test to test your language knowledge and add another line to your resume. It’s a good idea to take both language tests to show your knowledge. If English is one of your languages, you may want to take an English-language proficiency test such as
TOEFL iBT®. All kinds of companies offer tests online, such as
Transparent Language[JW5] . These tests may be online or in-person and have a range of fees.
5. Become Knowledgeable about the Industry and Stay Current
Just like most industries, the language industry is always changing and evolving. Become knowledgeable about the industry by getting involved with organizations such as
GALA (Globalization and Localization Association), which is a global, non-profit trade association for the language industry. We recently partnered with GALA to
host a networking event in Westminster, Colorado, and translation company representatives, customer-side language professional, as well as translators attended the event. Networking is an excellent way to meet others in the industry.
Multilingual and
Slator have helpful information about language and business, and they promote and offer different events.
LocWorld is a leading localization conference that’s held in cities all over the globe. Check out some of these resources and search for more – there are many local and global resources.
Also, take online webinars or courses about the translation profession and industry. In general, professional translators should always continue to learn and keep updated on the latest trends in technology and the industry.
6. Become an Industry Expert
If you are knowledgeable about a particular industry, you can market that to make you stand out. Many industries have specific terminology and wording that can be different in that context than in other applications, so those industries need people with that background knowledge. For example, the medical industry is full of specific terminology that deals with life or death situations in some cases. If you have a medical background, it can make you a great candidate to
translate medical content or be an interpreter.
7. Build Your Reputation
Just like many other industries, you need to build your reputation. Once you have some experience and if you’re doing a good job, you can get referrals to other projects. To build your reputation, always deliver a project on time. Don’t take an assignment if you’re not 100% sure that you can deliver that project with high quality. Be thorough, accurate and detailed-oriented.
Conclusion
When we look for a translator, we look for all of the things we mentioned in this blog post and more, such as experience. We also want to work with translators who live in the target country, and we prefer translators who have at least a few years of living in an English-speaking country. Of course, if our clients require specialized knowledge, such as medical translations, we’ll require the same from our translators. One of the most important assets of a professional translation company are the people who actually translate the content, and we value our translators.
We are a rapidly growing translation company and are always looking for highly-skilled translators with technical, medical, IT, engineering, scientific, or other industry expertise. For additional information, open job opportunities and to submit your resume, I invite you to visit our
Careers page! We look forward to hearing from you.
