Anyone work as a translator?

[UpSinceCrapOClock]

... and fancy talking to me about it please?

Have been considering becoming a professional translator for a while now and am currently asking anyone who has had any experience with this how they feel about the job, any tips etc.

I have done a bit of freelance, casual translating (through contacts etc) but don't have any specific degree for translation. I am seriously considering a Master's in translation studies though (once I have saved up for it )

So translators, may I please ask, how did you get into translation? What would you recommend to someone hoping to build up a career as a translator? (This is a long-term plan by the way, I am aware that it takes a long time to build up a reputation etc, I'm just trying to research the best career plan!)

Thanks!

Hi USCO

I am not working as a translator at present although I do have an MA in Translation and have worked for several years in the field as a project manager.

My one piece of advice is you need to have a professional qualification, and if the masters's is too expensive you could consider doing a diploma with the IOL: see link here, which is as useful.

Once you've gained your qualification, you need to focus on a specialism (if doing an MA you would be doing your dissertation on a specialist area anyway e.g. legal/financial/medical etc..) or you could try to market yourself as a general translator (translating non-technical texts, certificates, diplomas and the like).

I have never worked freelance except for the companies I've been employed by as a PM though, so getting on to companies' books is not so familiar to me - except that most won't accept you unless you've passed their test, have adequate qualifications and have a few years' experience, although good question, how are you suppose to rack up that experience?

I would offer to do the odd translation for free just to get yourself known, and if they like you they will come back for more.

For a good list of translation agencies and companies try the ATC www.atc.org.uk/
The ITI is also a good port of call
www.iti.org.uk/indexMain.html and also get yourself a profile on www.proz.com/ which is often used by PMs in emergencies!

I hope some actual freelancers can give you some better tips though!

Shirley - thanks for those links!

Do you think the diploma is fine or would it be better to do a MA? I don't mind saving and waiting to do the Master's if that would be the better decision for the long-run. However, if there is not much difference (in terms of skills learnt and what prospective employers would look at for qualifications) then it would make more sense to just take the diploma.

Will create a profile on that final link - thanks!

in qualifications

I think the IOL diploma is a scaled down version of the Masters, but could act as a springboard, firstly to see if translation is really for you as the Masters is such a commitment (but that's just my opinion).

If a PM was looking at two translator CVs and one had a MA and the other just a diploma, the MA would win of course but I suppose it depends on lots of things- different companies have different criteria, some are more lenient and some are more thorough. If you have racked up a lot of experience and proven ability but only the IOL diploma, I don't think it matters.

I think the smaller agencies are more flexible when it comes to those sorts of things, but it really depends on the project, project manager's discretion, budget, availability, turnaround time and number of stages involved (e.g if the client is paying for proofreading/editing as well).

In any case, if you opt for the Masters and you are serious about it, you can't go wrong - it is always the first thing you look for on a prospective translator's CV.

Dh's job involves hiring translators and interpreters (for a local government) and I know from discussing it after another MN thread, that he would not hire someone without a specific professional qualification (or insurance, fwiw) Can't remember the details unfortunately, and he's at work (so this probably isn't much help )

Thank you - this has just confirmed what I already have read about the importance of proper qualifications!

Will continue my research

I have an MA in translation and did find it tipped the balance to some extent when going for translation jobs - however, in terms of freelance work, it's contacts and knowledge of a specific field that gets you the work. people often don't even ask for a CV - they just hear of you via someone else who's been pleased with your work etc. However I should think large agencies would prefer someone with an MA and maybe ITI membership. Maybe you could google some large agencies and ask them honestly if the MA makes a difference? ps. at the lower end of the work-pile translation is very badly paid, so it may be best to identify a niche-market and learn everything you can about the sector. What are your languages?

You should also get hold of Trados, as if you don't have it that can disadvantage you in getting jobs, particularly for regular clients.

USCoC - I've been looking into this as well and have found the proz.com website (linked above) really, really helpful, especially the forums (fora). You can pay to subscribe for a year and get access to contact details of a whole load of translation agencies. There are also translation jobs advertised on facebook and twitter (oh the joys of t'internet). Opinions on qualifications vary and I have read that a language (first) degree might be enough to get started but I suppose it all depends on the client.

I recently bought a short course book, Thinking Translation, which is a really good introduction although it does focus on literary translation.

One thing I did read is that it's important to show skills and experience in the target language - ie English - so TEFL qualifications might be handy too.

Re Trados - practically all translators use a computer-aided translation tool these days and Trados is the main one but there is also Metatexis and Wordfast.

HTH!

Sorry - I saw this about a week and half wrote a reply before my laptop died and I haven't been on to reply since

cremeeggs - my languages are English and Danish

lucysnowe - thanks for your post and good luck to you too! How is it all going for you? My degree is actually in English Studies and that is how (along with being a native speaker) i have managed to 'sell' myself so far to get the jobs that I have done. It's definitely all about the networking though (in my limited experience so far!)

Serenity - could you please ask your DH which agencies he uses for local government translators? I'm only asking because i work in local government and am also a qualified translator, and would love to pick up some freelance work to supplement my income! Thanks in advance (and sorry to hijack your thread UpSinceCrapOClock, i hope it works out for you!)

Hi upsince - thanks for the best wishes! I had a minor wobble when I downloaded Wordfast and couldn't make head nor tail of it but think have got to grips with it now. My problem is lack of experience but OTOH I have got a lot of specialised (rather dull) vocab so I'm hoping to get some work on the strength of that...

Hi Lucysnowe - how is it going? (From what I understand dull specialised vocab is a big bonus )