Become a Language Translator

          o Are you considering a career in language translation?
          o What is a freelance translator?
          o Getting started

          o The translation market

          o Is it feasible to become a freelance language translator?

          o Open up an email account with a serious provider

          o Build your own website

          o Create a professional profile in a social network

          o Join translation networks

          o Join freelancer network

          o Build your professional identity

          o Get certified

          o Advertise

          o Contact translation agencies

Are you considering a Career in Language Translation?

If you are a bilingual or even multi-lingual professional you may be considering becoming a language translator. We have added a few pages to our website to provide future translators with advice and guidance in the process of entering the translation industry.

We have perceived a clear need for guidance in the industry. Every day we receive inquiries from persons who wish to work as a language translator or have already started their practice and wish to expand their contact network.

What is a freelance translator?

Full-time positions for translators and interpreters are becoming very rare. Even large international organiza- tions are choosing to have less full-time staff and rely on language service suppliers. For this reason, most of the people that decide to enter the translation market today are choosing to do so as freelancers.

A freelance language translator is a professional who is available to work with translations agencies, with other translators or directly with customers. A freelance translator is a translator for hire, basically a language contractor.

A freelance translator is a person who pursues a language translation career without a long-term commitment to any one employer.

Getting started

Working as a freelance language translator means that you will have to setup your own place of work. Your translation "office" can take several forms. From actually finding premises to setup your practice (recommended for official translators) to a small "home office".

Thanks to the technologies available today for teleworking, all you basically need to get started is a computer and Internet access. A phone line and a fax machine will probably come in handy and a good printer should not be overlooked (essential for official translators).

If you are planning to buy a computer, we recommend you consider a portable unit. Basically because since you are already breaking from traditional work models, why would you want to be tied up to a desk at all.

In our office we use Macintosh computers. However, and you will probably never hear another Mac user say this, a Mac is not the best computer for a language translator. Too many translation applications, dictionaries and tools are not available for Mac. And although it is possible to run a virtual PC on your Mac (we do), unless you know your way around technical things, it is definitely going to complicate your life.

The Translation Market

The popularization of the Internet and the World Wide Web opened a wide range of opportunities for translators. People from all over the world started to exchange information at rates never possible before.

In the beginning English became the "official" language of the Internet. However, as time went by and more and more people were able to get on line, companies and organizations started to see the benefit of having their content available in several languages.

A whole new era in translation began and services such as website localization, website translation and software localization became popular. Additionally, many companies realized the value of translating manuals and documentation into the languages of their target audiences, thus increasing the volume of work.

More translation work, as well as better and faster communications, allowed language translators to offer their services all over the world thus increasing competition and in most cases, reducing the prices.

Is it feasible to become a freelance language translator?

If you think you have the skills to be a good language translator, then you should definitely try to find a niche in the market.

First you should learn at least the basics of the translation industry and get ready to enter the world of translation. You will find a few interesting articles in our Knowledge Base. You can also go ahead and buy a few good books such as the ones we recommend in our resource store.

Becoming a freelance translator is a decision you can make on your own, however, convincing others that you can address their needs and that you deserve to be paid for your services will take a lot more effort.

Here are a few things you can do to promote your translation services:

Open up an email account with a serious provider

Believe it or not, addresses at hotmail, yahoo and similar services do not look serious. These are email addresses to chat and to give to your friends, however your customers will perceive you as inexperienced if you use one of those addresses.

Gmail is another free service which is perceived as a more professional. Also services such as AOL or addresses offered by your local Internet Service Provider should look better on your business card. Also don't forget to choose an address that is easy to remember and spell and try to make it formal too. An address such as yourname.yourlastname@gmail.com will project a better image than nickname.birthday@hotmail.com. Get the picture?

However, the best option if you are serious about doing business online is to get your own Domain Name. Most hosting companies will offer you an option to buy a Domain Name (such as www.mycompany.com) and use it just for sending and receiving emails, this services are really inexpensive today. Additionally, you can use your Domain Name to build your own website.

Build your Own Website

Today professional freelancers are expected to have their own websites. Most translation networking companies will allow you to add your url (the address to your website) to your professional profile and clients interested in your services can click and see for themselves what you have got to offer.

Building a nice website that attracts traffic and customers takes some work but it can be the best investment for your time and money right now. In our Knowledge Base you will find an article entitled How to Build a Website. We recommend you read this article thoroughly before you go out and spend your money on a new site.

Create a Professional Profile in a Social Network

Social networks are the heart and soul of the Internet today and the so called Web 2.0. The Web is no longer a static resource where you read and download information. Today, Web users are also active builders of content and relationships, and their actions and decisions shape the way in which the Web is evolving.


Social Networks such as Facebook, Linked-In, MySpace, etc. allow you to create your own profile and/or business pages and connect to people you know. You get to advertise your services among your connections, and in turn their connections will have access to your information, allowing you to virtually reach millions of persons all around the word.

The power of these tools should never be underestimated. However, you should be aware that some social networks are better for business than others. For instance, Linked-In is all about business, while Facebook provides a mixture of social and business activities.

Join Translation Networks

There are several translation networks available on the Internet. They usually allow you to register and create a profile for free. Most of them offer paid options in order to access job posts earlier than other members and some of them will only allow you to bid if you are a member.

One you should register to, because it is completely free, is the Translation Directory, they are regularly posting jobs for Spanish language translators and other translators. ProZ is a very large translation network. They allow you to create a free profile and participate in their forums to help other translators with their questions. You will receive points for the questions you answer and the points will help build your credibility.

Other networks include Translator's Cafe, Translators Base, Teletranslator Network, The Translation Marketplace, etc.

Join a Freelancer Network

 Another way for a language translator to find work is through freelance networks. These are websites where people post jobs for freelancers in general. If you are not only a language translator, but can also offer IT services and other services commonly outsourced, then this may be a great tool for you.

The way freelance networks work is that you register an account with them and create your profile. Then you receive access to job posts. If you find a job that you think you can do, then you can place your bid. This jobs are very competitive and to succeed you must make sure that your profile looks professional and that your rates are within the price range proposed by the client.

Some of the freelance networks that you can join are oDesk, Freelancer Jobs, iFreelance, and many others.

Build your professional identity

Besides building your own website, you should also prepare all the collaterals that will give your business a professional look. If you take yourself seriously, definitely others will too.

 - Print some simple, good quality business cards. If you can afford it, have them professionally printed. Although today it is very easy to print business cards using your personal computer, people will easily see the difference and everyone knows that successful professionals don't print their own business cards. Once you have them, don't try to save, give them to everyone you meet, that's what they are for.

- Prepare your digital signature. Sign all your emails using your contact information. Just like you should hand out your business card to people you meet, your digital signature is your digital business card and it should be included in all your emails, personal and professional. Be sure you add your telephone number, email address, area of expertise, a short slogan and maybe even a logo. Emails are constantly replied and forwarded, so you never know who might eventually see your signature.

- Design and print a brochure. Now, brochures are definitely more expensive to print than business cards, however, if you think this is the way to go for you, then go ahead and have some done. On the other hand, you can create a good-looking digital brochure and have it ready for customers to download from your website or to send by email.

- Excel in your resume. Most potential customers and translation agencies will ask you to send a resume. A well written and focused resume will make the difference between getting your foot in the door or getting the door on your nose. There are several websites that tell you how to write a good resume, some of them provide specific examples for language translators (sample 1, sample 2, sample 3). Also there are books and training courses for resume writing such as "Amazing Cover Letter Creator".

Get Certified

Certifications are essential when you try to offer your services as a freelance language translator. Since you don't have a physical presence in the market, certifications (together with customer references) will be your way to demonstrate that you have the skills and are the right person for the job.

If you can, become a certified translator in your country of residence. You can also become a certified language translator in other countries. For instance, the ATA (American Translators Association) is not limited to US language translators, however you need to be able to travel the US for the tests.

If you are also an interpreter, then you can consider joining AIIC (Association Association of Conference Interpreters), the most prestigious international language interpreter association. Their requirements are very strict, but the certification is also extremely valuable.

Advertise

In due time, and if built correctly, your website should become your best advertising tool and your main source of leads. However, to obtain leads in the meantime and to increase your site's traffic, you need to advertise. There are several websites that will list your services for free, some are dedicated exclusively to translation. Other sites will allow you to publish an ad in one of many categories. Such is the case of Craiglist and others.

Another interesting method to attract visitors and increase your ranking is link exchange. You agree with friends or colleagues to place a link to their site if they place one to yours. There are also programs for link exchange that you can join. However, keep in mind that you should add links in a way that they are useful to your visitors. Also make sure that the site you are linking to (actually recommending) is of value to your readers.

Then there are several paid options, although not necessarily expensive. Google AdWords allows you to create your own ads and publish them in websites that relate to your offering and are visited by your target audience. They provide excellent tools for follow-up and targeting. You only pay for people that actually click on your link (pay-per-click) and you get to decide how much to pay for each click and how much to spend per day or month.

Facebook also offers a similar system. Your ads are more attractive because you can include a picture, and with the amount of personal information in the hands of Facebook, your targeting will be very precise. As a matter of fact these ads are very effective and also offer budgeting and tracking capabilities.

Contact Translation Agencies

There are several translation agencies that have already done all this and much more. Some of them are very serious and have access to important customers and large amounts of work.

The thing that translation agencies can offer to their customers (and individual language translators cannot) is extremely rapid deliveries and access to almost every language in the world. The way they achieve this is by keeping a database of freelance language translators and interpreters in almost any imaginable language combination. As soon as a project comes up, they access their database and request help from the registered translators. Depending on the urgency of the document they will split it in several parts and have different persons work on a portion of the entire document.

Understandably, they charge very high rates for their services and pay a certain fee to the translators. This fee will almost always be lower than what you could charge on your own. However, if you can work for a few translation agencies at once, you can guarantee a steady income with little investment and most important of all, no risk.

A requirement for many translation agencies besides your own computer, a productivity package (usually Microsoft Office) and Internet access, is a CAT package (Computer Assisted Translation). Most of these applications are expensive and difficult to use (Trados and WordFast are two commonly used packages). You will need to decide whether or not you are ready to invest in these tools. However, keep in mind that the ability to handle CAT packages will definitely open agency doors for you.

Finding translation agencies is not difficult. Just enter "translation agency" in your search engine and you will probably find more than a few. However, make sure there is a "Work with Us" link in their website. If that is the case, then follow the instructions they give you and fill-out their registration form and send all the materials they request (usually your resume). Do not email your resume to the first address you find in the site and do not call their offices, unless they instruct you to do so. Agencies that are interested in hiring your services as a language translator will advertise it clearly.

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