How to start a career in translation: A guide for beginners

Most perceive translation as a branch of linguistics. In chemistry, compatible atoms and molecules from a substance come together, and words come together to produce statements in the language. Translation, like chemistry, is complex and challenging, but it can be mastered with extra effort now and then. With some homework assistance, one might build confidence in their topic. So, one needs to do as much research as possible and learn everything one can about the professional route one wants to pursue. Let's break it down on how to be a professional translator.

Career as a translator

Translation as a career is a unique option, as it is a slightly out-of-the-box career choice. A translator’s job mainly focuses on translating written text between languages, however, there is much more to it. This article might help you if you want to become a translator but are unsure of where to begin or require direction to achieve your goal.

How to be a translator in today's times?

The first and foremost step in becoming a translator is to choose a language that interests you – it may also be your native language. The next step for you is to master the language and study it extensively to speak it fluently. The next step for you can be to consider getting intensive language training. Usually, a bachelor’s degree or a diploma course in the desired language is preferred. You can specialize in several certified translator titles (which differ from one country to another). Being certified gives your clients additional assurance in the quality of your job and shows that you have the necessary skills for the job.

Where does the process of translation begin?

Understanding what your client/audience wants from you is the first step toward translating. When you receive an assignment, be sure you know what is the requirement and what you are expected to deliver. If at any point you are confused, make sure you ask for correct instructions rather than relying on assumptions. If you're unclear or puzzled, don't be afraid to ask and talk to your client about it.

How does the translation process work?

The primary objective of any translation is to ensure that the message to the intended audience in the target language is conveyed well. It isn't easy to construct and communicate the same information in a different language and get the news across. The most critical consideration for you is to grasp the broad meaning of what you're translating to deliver the content's ethos in your translation.

How to make your translation business a successful affair?

It's not enough to be able to translate words from one language to another. The term 'lost in translation' has been bandied around a lot. When literal translations of phrases from one language to another are used in a sentence, they often do not have the same meaning. You must comprehend the substance of what you are translating to provide a high-quality translation.

How to gain experience as a translator?

Suppose you are someone who wishes to pursue a career as a translator but is unsure where to begin. There are numerous online translation opportunities available for students, and it would be advantageous to get a head start on becoming a translator by doing it on a small scale. There are a plethora of online venues that require document translators. It will help you gain confidence in your work while also developing your resume. You will be able to offer quality content as you progress and take on more complex and severe translation assignments. The other ways to become a translator are:

A) Offer to assist with translations as a volunteer

Various organizations are continuously looking for volunteer translators in various language combinations on an international level. Then there are local institutions such as schools, hospitals, public health clinics, refugee assistance centers, and public health agencies, to name a few. Any or all of these organizations frequently need volunteer translators. However, we must underline that your voluntary work must be performed with the same professionalism as a paid job.

B) Working on small projects

You'll need as much expertise as you can acquire. Once you start exploring, you'll find that several people out there need a translator for projects that are too little for an agency to handle: things like a driver's license, birth certificate, school transcript, etc. It makes little difference what you're translating as long as you gain experience. These small projects can be gratifying because you're only working with a bit of content and the translation process is usually uncomplicated. You can easily work as a freelance translator once you have grasped command over the language pairs and have gained some experience. Use social media to make it apparent that you're open to this form of translation work. Consider advertising your translation services to cultural associations, local consulates, immigration attorneys, bilingual schools, and other organizations.

C) Engage the Services of a Professional Translator

Many professional translators will gladly assist you in getting started. You might offer your skills as a backup translator to help with any overflow work or small projects if you can locate one who works in your language combination. Of course, this arrangement would necessitate excellent translation skills, but it would provide you with the necessary experience. In other words, you can learn the ropes in the competitive business of translation and quickly learn the tricks of the trades.

D) Leveraging your professional skills for translation

People with advanced talents in particular subject areas, like law or medicine, may avoid the traditional 'beginning' translation paths and offer themselves to direct clients. Let's assume you've decided to leave your law career after many years, and you have outstanding language skills and a lot of expertise in a particular area of law. In this instance, working directly with law firms or marketing yourself as a 'bilingual legal consultant' would be a preferable alternative.

To Conclude

We hope that the above guide was valuable enough for you to decide on your translation career. If you have the skills and want to work as a freelance translator, write to us at [email protected] or call us and we will be more than happy to welcome you to our pool of more than 16000 translators/transcribers/interpreters.