The How-To Library

Tips for Breaking into Today’s Translation World

I have read a lot of articles regarding the blessings and evils introduced by the internet. I often find it very difficult to survive in what I call "the translation jungle". I have more than ever learned to set my standards and not let anyone else impose theirs. But I am also grateful that the new communications have made it so accessible allowing professionals, agencies or translators to break through faster than they would have ten years ago. Of course, evil effects have come up. Thanks to the internet, agencies have found a way of reaching out to labor all over the world so rates have gone down sharply and many highly qualified translators rightfully complain about ridiculous rates being offered to them. It’s true but there has never been so much need for translations and such volumes on the market and the trend is not about to stop. In other words, there will be work in the future and loads of it.

I grew up in Europe but spent most of my working life in the U.S. There I learned about freedom of choice: “You want to do something, go for it. No one will stop you, but you’ll have to work harder than your neighbor. If you do, you will be successful. If not, you'll have to find something else. And something else will always be available.” Sounds simple? Well, it is but the day you make the decision to work for yourself you will find out the simple concept is very difficult to apply.

My tips for new translators are the following:

• Do it as long as you love what you're doing. Do not allow any limitations to set you back. As Jacques Brel once said “Talent is to be willing to accomplish something". If you don’t love it, go ahead and chose something else you love doing.
• Offer full time services. You may feel it's scary to give up your primary activity, but a business is a business and unless you give it all your time and energy, you will not break through. If someone tells you otherwise, do not listen.
• Do not give up. You may get rejected ten times, but the 11th time, someone will appreciate the quality of what you’re doing. If you’re good, someone out there is in need of your talent. The idea is to be in the right place at the right time. Internet exposure/new technologies allow you to meet that goal quicker.
• Do your very best and remember that quality improves with experience. The more experienced you become, the better you will be.
• Allow yourself to make mistakes, any mistake: a bad translation, a not so professional response, etc. You will make mistake because pressure is high and people under pressure make mistakes. We all have and we all will at some point in the future.

Translation is a growing field to join and that will never have enough of talented individuals of various backgrounds: field specialists, individuals with specific translation training, writers, bilingual or trilingual individuals with passion and/or experience, etc. The real selection process begins and ends with you. You have to decide: "Is that what I want?”. That may take time to answer, you may have to take different factors into consideration, financial, personal, etc., but once you have come to a decision and if the answer is yes, do not hesitate.

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