Being a new translator is not an easy job. The translation industry is hard, especially on a new translator. People want experienced translators, but if they do not have any job, how are they going to get experience? It’s a tough world through and through, but that does not mean that you have to lose hope. There are some ways through which you can hone those skills and get the results you want. We have made a list of things that you can do to improve your craft AND get good jobs to make sure that you have plenty of money to get by before you get in the “experienced” category.
So without wasting any time, let’s jump into things that will you become a better translator and get hired by a translation service provider.
-
Know Your Terms:
there is no point in beating around the bush. If you know your terms and you know them well then there is no point that you are getting any jobs. The reason why experienced translators get paid so much and have a surplus of projects is because they have the proper knowledge. If you know the right terminology of your specialized industry, you will be good.
-
Write Well:
there is no way you can be a good translator or become successful in this profession if you are not a good writer. You need to constantly recreate and re-arrange things in a different language and if you are not a good writer, you cannot become a good translator. You will have to have a proper sense of sentence structure and sentence formation if you want to succeed.
-
Make Yourself Known:
if you want to be successful and have experience, you need to make yourself known to the translation community. Joining more than one translation agency of web portal will allow you to gain more exposure. So, try to introduce yourself to as many clients and translation services as you can. You won’t get jobs if you don’t get exposure.
-
Take Up Work That You Like:
there is no reason you need to take up projects that you have no interest in. Just because you need to work, does not mean that you should pick up any type of work. You need to be specific and you need to take up an industry that you would like to work in. if you translate into English from French, stick to that. If someone forces you to translate French into English, do not cave in.
-
Books Are Your Best Friends:
you need read and you need to read a lot. There is just no other substitute. If you translate from French to English, you need to read books written in English and in French. Keep a French to English dictionary with you at all the times while you read because that will help you out. Highlight the words you do not know, and keep them stored to study later.
-
Revisit And Revise:
remember to re-read the text before you begin to translate it. This is done to ensure that you do not make unnecessary mistakes. By reading the text before you begin to translate, you will know what words will be troublesome. You can look them up, learn their meaning in the native language and then translate them with the best possible substitute word in the target language.
-
Know Your Target Market:
If you establish your target market early on, you will be able to get ahead in your career much faster. There is no way you can keep on working in multiple industries and styles all your life. Yes, it is good to mix and match things when necessary, but you need to select a target market and an industry when you begin.
-
Be Tech-Savvy:
there is no way you can survive in this industry if you do not know how to use a computer and its software (however, if you are reading this, then this is a good sign). But being tech-savvy does not mean that you know how to use a computer or a smart phone. You need to have knowledge of how to use translation tools like CAT tools, Translation Glossary and Style Guide.
-
Stick to Your Rate:
we know how hard it is to earn money and stay afloat in this economy and this is why you should always stick to your rates. You will be pressured, but stick to your guns. Do not let anyone lower your rates. There are many translation services that are willing to pay a decent amount of rates for quality translation. In fact, there are many translation agencies who do a pay decent amount of rates to the translators.
-
Use Spell-Checkers:
there is no shame in taking help when it is necessary. When you are new to the business, you are bound to make mistakes. Even professional and experienced translators have this issue sometimes. Use an online spell-check, or invest in a good spell-check software to help you identify problematic words in your translated material and correct them before you send them.
-
Complete The Project Early:
try to complete the project earlier. Give it a day before you proofread the whole text and send to your client. A day’s rest will allow your brain to catch the problems and mistakes in the text and allow you to make the project as perfect as possible.
-
Offer In-Demand Services:
try to offer services that are in demand. For example, English document translation service or French website translation service is in demand. So by offering these services, you can make sure that you are never out of work.
简体中文