#Become an online translator professional

Rather than seeing yourself as the most important piece of the puzzle, a more useful perspective comes from becoming familiar with translation and localization workflows from start to finish, as well as the key players impacted by your work. Leveraging technology will not only ensure that your translations are accurate and error-free, but it can also save you time by automatically translating text that you’ve translated before. It’s therefore worthwhile to invest in all three from day one. It goes without saying that any translation work would require impeccable language skills, excellent cultural knowledge both on the source and target side, alongside a deep understanding of the latest technologies and market trends. Likewise, almost half of the language service companies surveyed scored translation technology skills in graduates as insufficient or non-existent. Market and CAT tool knowledgeĪccording to the European Language Industry Survey 2020 (ELIS), new graduates are still seen as lacking market awareness and process knowledge when it comes to translation services. There are several things that young translators starting their careers need to bear in mind if they’re hoping to be successful. It has never been easier to connect with other members of the language services industry, learn about the latest trends and the knowledge and skills most in demand, see how various domains and language pairs have been impacted by the rise of machine translation, and generally work on a strategy to join the industry,” argues Prof.

#Become an online translator professional

“The number of professional associations actively welcoming trainee translators-at local, national, but also international level-has grown a lot in recent years. This often requires being proactive and mastering networking skills in order to find opportunities and build a career. Since in-house translation jobs can be scarce, translators often work on a freelance basis. Ciobanu confirms that he’d “never had a student who was genuinely keen, made the most of their training program and professional networking opportunities available to them, and didn’t have a job or a promising freelance career before graduating.” Ciobanu puts a lot of emphasis on the translator’s innate drive to learn: “Those happy to go beyond their comfort zone and be professional in every circumstance will always be in high demand, regardless of the industry involved.” What does it take to become a translator?īecoming a translator takes both talent and perseverance to be truly successful. No matter what path they choose, translators should always look out for opportunities to grow.

This kind of autonomy allows them to decide on (almost) every aspect of their translation career from the start. Some prefer working at a government institution interacting with the international community, others at an enterprise on track for global growth.Īt the same time, a career as a translator is attractive for many who appreciate the flexibility of working as a freelancer from anywhere and at any time. Moreover, the professional setting a translator gets involved in can be decisive for the type of translation needed. That’s why students should think strategically and tactically about their language choice. Ciobanu, sometimes, it may be easier to find in-house project management jobs than in-house translation jobs. First and foremost, the language combination a translator decides to work with can forecast how much demand there may be for translation services.Īccording to Prof.

Keep investing in your domain specialismīeing successful as a translator depends on many factors.

How can a translator stay competitive in the long run?.

Connect with the wider professional community.What does it take to become a translator?.