You’re considering a career in translation. What are the most important things to know before you start?

Being bilingual is not enough. It takes years of training, honing your skills, and more. We also need to be "fluent" in both of the cultures you are working with. Many situations have gone downhill because of a poor word choice or a cultural faux pas.

Official translation is a beautiful profession. It is very rewarding to help clients by providing accurate official translations. It is also a varied profession. Official translators work with two languages. We should always ensure excellent use of our working languages. We are also familiar with the legal systems involved and experts in legal terminology. We are always learning and exposed to different cultures, since we should keep updated with any change in the legal systems and legal terminology in our working languages. Furthermore, official translators are also researchers as we work with complex terminology and concepts. Finally, it is wonderful to be part of the official translation community as we like helping each other.

You are never going to be rich, or wealthy, or have a lot of money, of have money full stop... it's a game of highs (busy times) and lows (no work a all)... and there are 10(0) people just like you, who can do your job for less...

Official and others freelancing contract project which I take as a part time remote work to foster my skills and ability with Quality Translation Methods

First gain work experience, then go to translation. This is because your previous work experience will likely be more valued by clients. You'll likely to be better paid by comparison to those without it, plus it'll make you more resilient and overall skilled since translators work on their own from home without any help when problems, regardless of their nature, appear. And problems do vary a lot for freelancers: IT, accounting, taxes, mkt, pricing, industry practices, etc. In addition, with work experience, it'll be easier for you to find better clients or at least to assess them, i.e. spot the bad ones.

Official translation is a very interesting and rewarding discipline. It is wonderful to help my clients by providing accurate official translations accepted by the relevant authorities in Spain and the UK. The Spanish and English legal systems are very different, and therefore these differences are very clear in the legal documents produced in both jurisdictions. We, official translators, have to be many professionals in one: linguists, researchers, communicators, mediators, experts in legal terminology. There are a lot of urgent deadlines within the field of official translations, therefore being organised is also very important. Finally, we are also great marketers, always promoting the relevance of official translation services.

A "good" translator is a good writer with a deep appreciation of the nuances of meaning in both the source and the target language. As a "good" writer, the good translator is skilled at synthesizing information to distill key points. This synthesis must be based on prior research --or previous knowledge-- in order to discern what connotations and denotations best convey the overall meaning of a given text.

Además de dominar los idiomas y tener habilidades de investigación y redacción, es crucial para un traductor profesional poseer una sólida comprensión cultural y contextual. Esto implica conocer las sutilezas lingüísticas y culturales que pueden afectar la traducción fiel de un texto. Además, la capacidad de adaptarse a diferentes estilos y tonos de escritura, así como la habilidad para comunicarse claramente con los clientes y colegas, son esenciales para asegurar traducciones precisas y efectivas que respeten el propósito original del texto.

Totally true and excellent description of all necessary steps to take and have when you are translating... Brilliant and well described!!

Deciding a niche for yourself would depend on your educational background, skills, familiarity, interest and exposure to a specific domain. You can try your hand at several of these before deciding on a specific domain. Keeping yourself up-to-date with the developments and trends of your industry and its translation needs can help. Reading new publications (scientific reviews, newspapers columns, conference proceedings) and attending talks and conferences on your area of specialisation can distinguish yourself as a highly competent translator.

Beside that, there are consecutive Translation , where the speaker pause for a while then translator convey to audience what he said. Oral Interpretation , is a process the translator convey the meaning during speeches of the speaker in conferences, meetings, etc. Hissing translation, the translator sit close to the listener to translate .

In order to become an expert translator, (university) training is of paramount importance. Knowing the languages you want to work with is only a prerequisite for starting translation studies. It is also important to pick a field in which you want to become an expert in order to provide customers with expert translations. The generalist structure is not enough anymore these days.

I know several professional translators who do not major in translation or language. I believe so long as you are proficient in at least two languages, you can do translation works. However, mastering the language is not enough to make an excellent translator. Some courses and practices will be necessary to help you become excellent in honing the skills. The more you practice and the more feedback from professionals you receive, you can become more fluent in understanding nuances and subtleties of both languages and in adapting the style to be used and specific vocabularies based on the type of document that you translate.

For students in college the best way to start their career is becoming a student translator. There are opportunities around as schools often recruit on behalf of their working partners to provide translation services and industry exposures to students, and usually these invitations come from emails, you don’t want to miss out any one of those. The same applies to that when you are working with a translation agency remotely, the invitations to new projects are coming from emails or instant messaging groups too. Therefore, it is important to develop your soft skills as well, having good habits small as responding promptly and engaging in networking with other translators will escalate your professional path in translation too.

Having to deal with silly articles on LinkedIn to improve AI :) The best way to deal with this challenge is to write even sillier stuff here. Like steps to making bread: Gathering everything that you need to make the loaf. Measuring the ingredients Mixing the dough to the right consistency Resting and stretching & folding or kneading the dough First rise/ fermentation/ proof Deflating (gently) & dividing (if you are making more than one loaf) Shaping Second rise / proofing / secondary fermentation Pre-heating and preparing the oven Slashing/ scoring the loaf with a sharp knife or razor Baking (and steaming the oven) Cooling Eating

One of the main challenges faced by most freelance translators is how to build a reliable client base. With AI advancing, agencies are offering lower rates, and many translators are experiencing a drop in workload. That's why it's crucial to use effective marketing techniques. You can start by boosting your social media presence and crafting an appealing CV and cover letter. Additionally, make it a habit to reach out to potential clients and agencies every day. ProZ's Blueboard is a fantastic tool for discovering new agencies to work with.

While working as a translator can be very rewarding, there are many challenges, especially if you are a freelance translator. I've been working as a freelance translator for almost 7 years. Besides the challenges mentioned here, one of the most difficult ones is when the workflow decreases. When this happens, it can be quite frustrating. During these periods, I search for new clients, contact clients I haven't heard from in a while, and ask if they have any projects I can collaborate on. I also enroll in different webinars and online courses to never stop learning, and I dedicate time to growing my brand online.

Building a client portfolio takes time. You won't just wake up one day and have loads of emails just waiting for a quote. You have to bear in mind that you will be competing with other translators and also with the advent of AI where clients believe they can get things easily translated. Good (human) translation takes time, and time, as the proverb says, is money!

The translation industry is confronted with many challenges, but AI is the biggest one. AI won't replace expert translators, as it will not be able to apply the same diligence to translation as a skilled translator. But it is important to become an expert in one field that interests you in order to deliver a real added value.

One should instill in the self the translation ethics such as confidentiality, keeping to agreed time, quality of translated work etc. One should have that feeling of empathy and apathy as he is helping people communicate, have essential information about their life, their health...there by saving lives, probably attending to marginalised people and languages... the satisfaction that you are serving the humanity etc...these are some of the best rewards one can get.

My humble opinion is that if you are going to be a professional translator, pursue a university degree. Translation is more than just finding equivalences to different words and sentences in the target language. You need to gain a deep understanding of different mechanisms going on in the minds of the speakers of both languages and It requires up-to-date linguistic knowledge. Also, having the linguistic knowledge of the source language is as crucial as the target language.

After undergoing rigorous researches, trainings, internships and volunteering, one needs to stand a bit and conduct a SWOT analysis of the self. After finding of one's Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats, view such weakness as a source of one's strength and the threat a possible opportunity, one can opt for language combinations and niches that best suit his findings. One then is in a position to choose translation as career or otherwise.

Master fluency: Impeccable grammar & native-level understanding in both languages (Source and Target) Specialization: Choose a niche (legal, medical, etc.) and build expertise. Diploma or Degree in translation. Build portfolio: Translate samples, volunteer or create mock projects. Tools & Tech: Utilize translation memory and CAT software & stay updated with the new technology. Network & Market: Connect with agencies & build an online presence on translation platform sites. Understand Quality related terms: LQA, TEP, RCA, CAPA, Review, QA reports ( Verifika, Xbench, QAD etc.) , MTPE and ISO guides for translation.