| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | I'd like some advice as I'm getting started. Thread poster: Francisco González
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Hello everyone!
I have to say, I'm a bit nervous even as I'm typing this.
I'm a new translator, it's been my dream ever since I was young and I finally finished my studies with my very first degree (I was so happy when this happened).
I've just begun making my presence shown, as both a freelance and trying to contact agencies, just yesterday I spent hours on this.
I want to ask for advice from more experienced translators, am I doing things right? Is ... See more Hello everyone!
I have to say, I'm a bit nervous even as I'm typing this.
I'm a new translator, it's been my dream ever since I was young and I finally finished my studies with my very first degree (I was so happy when this happened).
I've just begun making my presence shown, as both a freelance and trying to contact agencies, just yesterday I spent hours on this.
I want to ask for advice from more experienced translators, am I doing things right? Is there something I should change? I technically am in my first month of experience and, as much as I have the excitement to begin, I feel like a "nobody" still.
I'm not in a hurry, but I do want to do things right in the field I've dreamed of so much.
So for a rookie like me, is sending my CV to agencies and also making a profile in here and other similar sites (TC and the such) a good move?
I am checking the sites every day to see if any job is applicable for me (In ProZ it's a bit hard since many are member only, but I do plan to eventually buy the membership once I have worked a bit more) and awaiting for responses from agencies, there seems to be plenty around where I live.
I'm a mixed back of excitement and nervousness, I'd also like some advice on that.
I'll be reading any comments, thanks for your time. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Becca Resnik 
United States
Local time: 08:47
Member
German to English
+ ...
I'm a new translator, it's been my dream ever since I was young and I finally finished my studies with my very first degree (I was so happy when this happened).
Congratulations! My overall advice: Go for it. You'll find plenty of doom and gloom on ProZ, but I can tell you first-hand that it's entirely possible to be successful in this field.
I want to ask for advice from more experienced translators, am I doing things right? Is there something I should change?
Hard to say! You haven't given much detail about the steps you've taken. Certainly feel free to ask if specific steps are the right ones to take. And of course you've listed some highlights here, but some big questions are missing (which you might not realize yet are missing). Do you have a specialized background in anything? Have you figured out what you plan to do as far as CAT tools? Was your degree in translation or something else? What have you researched about translation (if that's not what your degree is in) and about freelancing?
I technically am in my first month of experience and, as much as I have the excitement to begin, I feel like a "nobody" still.
This is a good thing. If you felt like a "somebody" in translation one month in, that would probably mean you were overly confident.
So for a rookie like me, is sending my CV to agencies and also making a profile in here and other similar sites (TC and the such) a good move?
Yes. Definitely send CVs out to promising agencies until you have a healthy client base, and keep your ProZ profile up to date. I don't know what TC is, and there are plenty of sites that get discussed often (e.g., Fiverr) that seem to be worthwhile for some and not for others. You'll probably just have to read about others' experiences and experiment to figure out what works best for you.
I am checking the sites every day to see if any job is applicable for me (In ProZ it's a bit hard since many are member only, but I do plan to eventually buy the membership once I have worked a bit more) and awaiting for responses from agencies, there seems to be plenty around where I live.
Keep checking ProZ for applicable jobs. Many people have gotten little to nothing from it, but I have gained a few well-paying clients that way. My advice, though, is to get the membership now. Especially as a newbie, you'll want to be able to take full advantage of the Blue Board to be able to watch out for bad (particularly, non-paying) agencies. Plus, as you allude to, many jobs are locked out to non-paying members.
That's great that there are several local agencies around you, but don't limit yourself there. This profession is an online one, so locale doesn't matter (obviously unless you have the luxury of having agencies near you). I couldn't tell you where the nearest translation agency to me is without researching, and I only have a couple clients in my entire country.
I'm a mixed back of excitement and nervousness, I'd also like some advice on that.
Not sure what advice to provide here, but I will say that these are normal feelings to have at this point.
Best of luck to you!
[Edited at 2023-03-14 19:12 GMT]
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Hard to say! You haven't given much detail about the steps you've taken. Certainly feel free to ask if specific steps are the right ones to take. And of course you've listed some highlights here, but some big questions are missing (which you might not realize yet are missing). Do you have a specialized background in anything? Have you figured out what you plan to do as far as CAT tools? Was your degree in translation or something else? What have you researched about translation (if that's not what your degree is in) and about freelancing?
I indeed did not realize I was missing those details!
I have a specialized background in business and economics, I've also worked as an English Teacher for 4 years before getting my English-Spanish Translation degree.
As for CAT Tools, I did use MetaTexis and WordFast Pro back during my studies, Trados is scary for a newbie like me (Price mostly) and I've been spending my free time learning about more.
I know some things about freelancing and I'm studying as much as I can about it.
Also, personally I'd rather buy membership for ProZ when I have done at least one translation job, otherwise I'll feel like it'll impact my already slim bank account a bit too hard too early.
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Kay Denney
France
Local time: 14:47
French to English
My entry into translation was by getting hired at an agency. Everyone had their work proofread, and that was a great learning opportunity, whether it was having a more experienced translator proofread my work, or proofreading the work of more experienced translators.
It was also a brilliant opportunity to make friends with others in the profession. Any time a colleague left, I made sure to keep in contact via LinkedIN. And I also linked up with quite a few clients.
Mak... See more My entry into translation was by getting hired at an agency. Everyone had their work proofread, and that was a great learning opportunity, whether it was having a more experienced translator proofread my work, or proofreading the work of more experienced translators.
It was also a brilliant opportunity to make friends with others in the profession. Any time a colleague left, I made sure to keep in contact via LinkedIN. And I also linked up with quite a few clients.
Make sure to talk to anyone and everyone about the fact that you've set up your own business. You never know when friends might know of someone who needs a translation. My latest client is a woman I met at the dog park: she came to me saying she'd heard I was a translator, did I by any chance know of a translator who worked in her speciality. Turned out, it was one of my specialities.
There was another client I met at a party I was hosting for a friend, I just went to talk to these people who were standing miserably in a corner, and one of them politely asked what I did for a living and it turned out that they too needed a translator.
If you have any kind of specialist knowledge, try to get to know people in that field, because someone somewhere will be needing something translated on that subject. Go to conferences and trade fairs, talk to people, make yourself known as someone who understands the jargon, if anyone asks about your work, make sure to show that translation is a passion for you and that their industry is also of great interest to you.
This may make me sound like an extrovert who has no problem approaching people, but in fact it's quite the contrary: I'm an introvert and I hate talking to people I don't know. But I've noticed that it's what brings in the best clients who send me the most interesting work, so I suck it up. In today's world where people increasingly hide behind screens, getting out there can make you stand out. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:47
Member (2008)
Italian to English
1. The "Professional objectives" section of your profile reveals that you are a novice. Nobody is going to hire a novice when there are so many seasoned experts in your language pair.
2. The "Portfolio" section of your profile only contains one example of your translation ability. You should have lots of examples. If necessary, choose some texts and translate them, even if nobody commissioned those translations from you.
3. Specialise in strongly in one subject area. In... See more 1. The "Professional objectives" section of your profile reveals that you are a novice. Nobody is going to hire a novice when there are so many seasoned experts in your language pair.
2. The "Portfolio" section of your profile only contains one example of your translation ability. You should have lots of examples. If necessary, choose some texts and translate them, even if nobody commissioned those translations from you.
3. Specialise in strongly in one subject area. In your language pair the competition is ferocious, so you need to have a key strong point that differentiates you from (nearly) everyone else.
4. Do not waste your time sending your CV to thousands of agencies, or applying for the jobs that are advertised on Proz.com. Spend your time perfecting your profile, and practising translation. Learn how to use a CAT tool (I recommend CafeTran because it's the easiest one to learn).
5. Be patient. Some things take a long time. Don't hope for miracles.
[Edited at 2023-03-15 09:56 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Baran Keki
Türkiye
Local time: 15:47
Member
English to Turkish
| Pay your dues first | Mar 15, 2023 |
Kay Denney wrote:
My entry into translation was by getting hired at an agency. Everyone had their work proofread, and that was a great learning opportunity, whether it was having a more experienced translator proofread my work, or proofreading the work of more experienced translators.
That's good advice. It never ceases to amaze me how it is taken for granted by the regular advice-givers of these forums that the person seeking advice for getting into translation has actually any translation experience to speak of. It's as if they're a seasoned pro, but only lacking the means to enter into the business.
To the OP: You say you have agencies where you're located, go to them and ask for an in-house position. Work there for a year or two, 'learn your job' by observing/studying (shadowing, that's a new one) the translations of more experienced translators through TMs or in person (in action). Gain some experience and suffer a little bit. And then come back here and go through the Getting Established forums.
| | | | Nikolay Novitskiy
Russian Federation
Local time: 17:47
Member (2018)
English to Russian
| Some advices | Mar 15, 2023 |
1. Buy a membership, because it will give you huge advantages.
2. Participate in translation contests and do your best to win.
3. Answer Kudoz questions while you still have time for it.
4. As Tom had already written here, work on your profile. Use smart formatting with colors, fonts, underlines - make an informative and unique profile (check the mine).
May you have fair winds and following seas!
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Lieven Malaise
Belgium
Local time: 14:47
Member (2020)
French to Dutch
+ ...
| Gain experience in an agency | Mar 15, 2023 |
The best advice has already been given: gain some experience first in a translation agency. I did it during 5 years and it allowed me to start my freelance career as an experienced translator who already knew (most of) the tricks of the trade.
It won't be impossible to establish yourself as and become a good translator, but it is obvious that your 'trial and error' experience will be more on the error side during your first years if you don't gain some inhouse experience first. I st... See more The best advice has already been given: gain some experience first in a translation agency. I did it during 5 years and it allowed me to start my freelance career as an experienced translator who already knew (most of) the tricks of the trade.
It won't be impossible to establish yourself as and become a good translator, but it is obvious that your 'trial and error' experience will be more on the error side during your first years if you don't gain some inhouse experience first. I still remember the first work of a colleague (when I was still working inhouse) straight from university: it was moderate at best. Translation is something you mainly learn by doing it. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Baran Keki
Türkiye
Local time: 15:47
Member
English to Turkish
| Another thing | Mar 15, 2023 |
Freelance translation is a lonely (and miserable?) existence, I certainly wouldn't want to start being cooped up at home all day from my early 20s if I could help it. You might meet new people, make friends through working as an in-house, and such friends could prove useful when you start working as a freelancer.
| | | | Becca Resnik
United States
Local time: 08:47
Member
German to English
+ ...
| Doesn't apply everywhere | Mar 15, 2023 |
Baran Keki wrote: Kay Denney wrote:
My entry into translation was by getting hired at an agency. Everyone had their work proofread, and that was a great learning opportunity, whether it was having a more experienced translator proofread my work, or proofreading the work of more experienced translators. That's good advice. It never ceases to amaze me how it is taken for granted by the regular advice-givers of these forums that the person seeking advice for getting into translation has actually any translation experience to speak of. It's as if they're a seasoned pro, but only lacking the means to enter into the business.
Just as you often point out that the situation is different for translators in your locale/pair, the advice to get hired by an agency doesn't work worldwide. I am constantly met with surprise when I tell people what I do in the US. Translation is not known of as a career, and agencies are very rare in the US. I've never seen one and have never heard of one outside of my own research to find agencies for work. Therefore, you could only work as an in-house translator with a company that's happy for you to work 100% remotely, without even a chance of coming into the office. Of course I realize OP says he has agencies around him, but the fact remains that the advice to work at an agency is not universal, which clearly means there is more than one path to success.
[Edited at 2023-03-15 13:53 GMT]
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:47
Member (2008)
Italian to English
| I don't know if this is useful or not | Mar 15, 2023 |
I began working seriously as a translator when I was an architect; I got a job working for a construction company and one of my many tasks was translating various documents that passed through the firm (in and out). This was back in the day before computers, so I did it all by hand with a big fat dictionary - and of course I had to be in the office.
I agree with the others who have suggested you begin in that way, or something similar, if you have any opportunity to do so. It's bet... See more I began working seriously as a translator when I was an architect; I got a job working for a construction company and one of my many tasks was translating various documents that passed through the firm (in and out). This was back in the day before computers, so I did it all by hand with a big fat dictionary - and of course I had to be in the office.
I agree with the others who have suggested you begin in that way, or something similar, if you have any opportunity to do so. It's better, and more sociable, than sitting at home hoping the work will just materialise out of the ether.
[Edited at 2023-03-15 14:03 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Baran Keki
Türkiye
Local time: 15:47
Member
English to Turkish
| You're right | Mar 15, 2023 |
Becca Resnik wrote:
Just as you often point out that the situation is different for translators in your locale/pair, the advice to get hired by an agency doesn't work worldwide. I am constantly met with surprise when I tell people what I do in the US. Translation is not known of as a career, and agencies are very rare in the US. I've never seen one and have never heard of one outside of my own research to find agencies for work. Therefore, you could only work as an in-house translator with a company that's happy for you to work 100% remotely, without even a chance of coming into the office. Of course I realize OP says he has agencies around him, but the fact remains that the advice to work at an agency is not universal, which clearly means there is more than one path to success.
[Edited at 2023-03-15 13:53 GMT]
It's never occurred to me that there wouldn't be in-house positions in the US translation agencies. Seeing as how most of them are hiring PMs located in Argentina, Brazil or Honduras, it stands to reason that they're relying mostly on freelancers.
But I'm sure that a good number of European and UK agencies are still employing in-house translators as they must be cheaper and more convenient compared to freelancers in the most sought-after/popular language pairs.
In Turkey most translation agencies must have certified/sworn in-house translators physically present in the premises.
I bet if you looked hard for it, you might find such a position in the US as well.
| | | | Becca Resnik
United States
Local time: 08:47
Member
German to English
+ ...
Baran Keki wrote:
I bet if you looked hard for it, you might find such a position in the US as well.
Oh, I'm sure of it! But for the overwhelming majority of Americans, that would entail relocating (likely to another state, at that). Much more sensible to make it work wherever you (and your computer) already are.
| | | | | Thank you so much everyone | Mar 15, 2023 |
I'll happily follow all the advice I've been given, I had never thought of translating texts just for the sake of translating for my portfolio, you can tell I'm a newbie when these things don't come to mind.
I will perfect my profile the best I can and spread the word of my profession, a long friend I've had also recommended me similar things and he's a psychologist.
There's a lot of agencies near my location, getting into one would be a dream, but I know to be patient,... See more I'll happily follow all the advice I've been given, I had never thought of translating texts just for the sake of translating for my portfolio, you can tell I'm a newbie when these things don't come to mind.
I will perfect my profile the best I can and spread the word of my profession, a long friend I've had also recommended me similar things and he's a psychologist.
There's a lot of agencies near my location, getting into one would be a dream, but I know to be patient, not trying to repeat myself from previous posts in this thread, but this field is my dream and I really want to "make it big" as they say, even if it takes time and dedication. ▲ Collapse
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