વિષયના પાનાઓ:   [1 2 3 4] >
How to start as a translator?
દોર પોસ્ટ કરનાર: Renan Dias
Renan Dias
Renan Dias
બ્રાઝીલ
Local time: 18:55
નવો વપરાશકાર
અંગ્રેજી થી પોર્ચુગિઝ
Feb 13

Im beginning my career as a translator, actually i did not landed my first job yet, i just wanted some kind of tips or guidance on how to get started on this job, gather clients etc.

i also would love to know your personal opinions on how the market is going with the whole AI thing. thanks


 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
નેધરલેન્ડ્સ
Local time: 23:55
સભ્ય (2006)
અંગ્રેજી થી આફ્રીકાન્સ
+ ...
@Renan Feb 13

This book pre-dates AI but most of what is written in it are still valid:
https://www.amazon.nl/-/en/Corinne-McKay-dp-0578170078/dp/0578170078
You have to read some practical advice books on freelance translation at the start of your career.


Cecilia Mattos
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Andrus Lauringson
Ma. Alejandra Padilla - LaCour
 
Baran Keki
Baran Keki  Identity Verified
તર્કી
Local time: 01:55
સભ્ય
અંગ્રેજી થી ટર્કિશ
Don't start Feb 13

If you're young, consider another profession. I see that your profile says "I'm always trying". Well, that's a good thing. If you can kick a ball halfway decent and have the skin colour of Romario, you can always play in the shitty Turkish football league and earn somewhere around 8 to 10k a week. They're crazy about 'Brazilian soon to be flopped wonderkids'. And, what's more, it's AI proof. If only I were young and born in South America...
Joke aside, there's no money to be made in this
... See more
If you're young, consider another profession. I see that your profile says "I'm always trying". Well, that's a good thing. If you can kick a ball halfway decent and have the skin colour of Romario, you can always play in the shitty Turkish football league and earn somewhere around 8 to 10k a week. They're crazy about 'Brazilian soon to be flopped wonderkids'. And, what's more, it's AI proof. If only I were young and born in South America...
Joke aside, there's no money to be made in this business anymore.
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Jorge Payan
Kevin Fulton
Matthias Brombach
Lucy Leite
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Joanna Posylek
expressisverbis
 
Lingua 5B
Lingua 5B  Identity Verified
બોસ્નીઆ અને હેર્ઝગોવિના
Local time: 23:55
સભ્ય (2009)
અંગ્રેજી થી ક્રોએશિયન
+ ...
A what? Feb 13

What translator? You mean post-editor?

Andriy Yasharov
Jorge Payan
Sabine Braun
ahartje
Daryo
 
Renan Dias
Renan Dias
બ્રાઝીલ
Local time: 18:55
નવો વપરાશકાર
અંગ્રેજી થી પોર્ચુગિઝ
વિષયની શરૂઆત કરનાર
Translator....? Feb 13

Lingua 5B wrote:

What translator? You mean post-editor?



Can't say im working doing x or y as i did not actually started yet, but im planning on translation, which i refer to translate the source text to another language(english to portuguese in this case)


 
Lieven Malaise
Lieven Malaise
બેલ્જીયમ
Local time: 23:55
સભ્ય (2020)
ફ્રેન્ચ થી ડચ
+ ...
Advice Feb 13

- Go study for a translation degree: you will learn about translation, the translation market, translation tools and the usefulness/uselessness of AI/machine translation in translation. If that's not an option:

- Find an inhouse translator position to gain experience in general translation, learn to use a CAT tool and machine translation properly and learn a thing or two about rates and the importance of knowing your translation speed and daily capacity. If that's not possible:
... See more
- Go study for a translation degree: you will learn about translation, the translation market, translation tools and the usefulness/uselessness of AI/machine translation in translation. If that's not an option:

- Find an inhouse translator position to gain experience in general translation, learn to use a CAT tool and machine translation properly and learn a thing or two about rates and the importance of knowing your translation speed and daily capacity. If that's not possible:

- I wish you good luck, but I'm afraid your mission might be an impossible one. Entering totally unprepared an overcrowded market that is full of sharks and scammers is a recipe for disaster.
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Dan Lucas
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
expressisverbis
Jorge Payan
Rachel Waddington
Maria Laura Curzi
Philip Lees
 
Wilsonn Perez Reyes
Wilsonn Perez Reyes  Identity Verified
એલ સાલ્વડોર
Local time: 16:55
સભ્ય (2007)
અંગ્રેજી થી સ્પેનીશ
+ ...
. Feb 13

Renan Dias wrote:

Im beginning my career as a translator, actually i did not landed my first job yet, i just wanted some kind of tips or guidance on how to get started on this job, gather clients etc.

i also would love to know your personal opinions on how the market is going with the whole AI thing. thanks


i did not landed = I have not landed, among some other issues...


Jorge Payan
 
Dan Lucas
Dan Lucas  Identity Verified
યૂનાઇટેડ કિંગ્ડમ
Local time: 22:55
સભ્ય (2014)
જપાનિઝ થી અંગ્રેજી
True... Feb 13

Wilsonn Perez Reyes wrote:
i did not landed = I have not landed, among some other issues...

...but the OP does not claim to translate into English, so I don't think this is a major issue.

Regards,
Dan


Rachel Waddington
Lieven Malaise
expressisverbis
Matthias Brombach
Philip Lees
Stepan Konev
Lucy Leite
 
Andrus Lauringson
Andrus Lauringson  Identity Verified
એસ્ટોનીયા
Local time: 00:55
સભ્ય (2022)
અંગ્રેજી થી એસ્ટોનિઅન
Good choice Feb 13

Samuel Murray wrote:

This book pre-dates AI but most of what is written in it are still valid:
https://www.amazon.nl/-/en/Corinne-McKay-dp-0578170078/dp/0578170078
You have to read some practical advice books on freelance translation at the start of your career.


Excellent book. Corinne also keeps a blog now, I have found some posts quite useful and interesting:
https://www.trainingfortranslators.com/blog/


Rachel Waddington
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
 
expressisverbis
expressisverbis
પોર્ટુગલ
Local time: 22:55
સભ્ય (2015)
અંગ્રેજી થી પોર્ચુગિઝ
+ ...
"Translation" can definitely take on different shapes... Feb 13

Wilsonn Perez Reyes wrote:

i did not landed = I have not landed, among some other issues...



Let me "translate" what Mr Reyes wrote:

For any translator, one important thing to remember is that attention to detail in writing is essential!
Even small mistakes can impact the accuracy of your translations. That's why it's so helpful to take your time and be extra careful with your writing.
To avoid errors, tools like Microsoft Word, which has spelling and grammar checks, can be very useful. There are also other tools like Grammarly, LanguageTool, and others that can help you spot mistakes.
So, my advice for now is to always double-check your work/writing: it's a great habit to develop!
Baran and Lieven have already given you some excellent tips that I would give you as well.
"Translation" can definitely take on different shapes, especially when we try to explain things in a more clear or friendly way!

[Edited at 2025-02-13 22:38 GMT]


Jorge Payan
Maria Laura Curzi
Philip Lees
Lieven Malaise
Lija Lija
Wilsonn Perez Reyes
Cecilia Mattos
 
Rachel Waddington
Rachel Waddington  Identity Verified
યૂનાઇટેડ કિંગ્ડમ
Local time: 22:55
ડચ થી અંગ્રેજી
+ ...
More info? Feb 13

Your profile is blank and you have told us nothing about yourself. This makes it hard for anyone to give you anything but the most generic advice.

What's your background? What steps have you taken so far to establish yourself?


expressisverbis
Lingua 5B
Maria Laura Curzi
Dan Lucas
Lieven Malaise
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
 
Renan Dias
Renan Dias
બ્રાઝીલ
Local time: 18:55
નવો વપરાશકાર
અંગ્રેજી થી પોર્ચુગિઝ
વિષયની શરૂઆત કરનાર
Here is my background Feb 13

Rachel Waddington wrote:

Your profile is blank and you have told us nothing about yourself. This makes it hard for anyone to give you anything but the most generic advice.

What's your background? What steps have you taken so far to establish yourself?



about my background, I'm a self-taught English speaker since the education system of Brazil sucks, anyway, I think my reading skills in English are good enough to start work as a translator(which is something I always thought about since I was a teen), about qualifications, I am a certified technical electrician and an electrical engineering student

The steps I've taken so far are the basics, mostly because I am lost about what exactly to do due to my lack of qualifications and experience to fill out a curriculum. However, I'm contacting some translation agencies via e-mail and their forms to start working for them as a freelancer. I am also looking for some pro bono work to gain some experience.

and I'm currently using SmartCat due to it being free


Rachel Waddington
 
Baran Keki
Baran Keki  Identity Verified
તર્કી
Local time: 01:55
સભ્ય
અંગ્રેજી થી ટર્કિશ
Other career options Feb 14

As well intentioned as he is, I wouldn't listen to Lieven's advice. It would've been sensible to follow his advice as recently as 2 years ago, but now it's largely out of touch with the current reality dictated by AI.
I'd like to suggest a couple of career options that you might want to pursue instead of translation.
1. Dog walking: a good friend of mine living in Vancouver said that you could earn up to 1500 dollars a week as a dog walker. Dog walkers are also in demand in the UK as
... See more
As well intentioned as he is, I wouldn't listen to Lieven's advice. It would've been sensible to follow his advice as recently as 2 years ago, but now it's largely out of touch with the current reality dictated by AI.
I'd like to suggest a couple of career options that you might want to pursue instead of translation.
1. Dog walking: a good friend of mine living in Vancouver said that you could earn up to 1500 dollars a week as a dog walker. Dog walkers are also in demand in the UK as there appears to be a shortage of them, so much so that they grant you a skilled worker visa if you're a dog walker:
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/feb/12/uk-skilled-worker-visa-eligibility-list
Fancy that! As a translator you couldn't even get a tourist visa to go to UK, but as a dog walker you can actually immigrate to UK!
2. Plumbing: constant comparisons between translators and plumbers on Proz forums suggest that plumbing is the dream job of most translators. Those who lack the necessary plumbing training and skills break into translation instead, and they come here to make comparisons between plumbers and translators. I assume you're young (and not that interested in football as you haven't commented on my earlier suggestion), you can enroll to a plumbing course in your area, and get trained as a plumber. You'll definitely earn a lot more than you would as a translator with minimal effort. If nothing else, you'll be able to fix your own faucets, sinks and toilets rather than calling a plumber and save money that way.
To learn more about the career options available to you, feel free to contact our HR experts at Keki HR Consulting Ltd. for a free consultation.
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Matthias Brombach
Rachel Waddington
Lingua 5B
expressisverbis
Jorge Payan
Yasutomo Kanazawa
Sabine Braun
 
Lieven Malaise
Lieven Malaise
બેલ્જીયમ
Local time: 23:55
સભ્ય (2020)
ફ્રેન્ચ થી ડચ
+ ...
Out of touch Feb 14

Baran Keki wrote:
It would've been sensible to follow his advice as recently as 2 years ago, but now it's largely out of touch with the current reality dictated by AI.


The thing is that quality translation isn't dictated by AI, not 2 years ago, not today. There will always be room for well-prepared translators with common sense. So no, I don't think obtaining a translation degree will be a waste of time. I'm more inclined to think that it will be more than ever a prerequisite to stand a chance as a future freelancer.

The adventurers, people that believe that translation is something that basically everybody can do, translators that immediately turn to freelancing translation without proper education or basic economic knowledge, bad translators, lazy translators (the ones that work way too fast to earn as much money as possible, making a heap of mistakes in the process), translators that refuse to offer MTPE services, translators with an unsustainable price/quality ratio... They all will be gone.

I don't mind. It will even make more room for truly qualified translators.

[Bijgewerkt op 2025-02-14 08:42 GMT]


Lucy Leite
Maria Laura Curzi
Cecilia Mattos
Ines Radionovas-Lagoutte, PhD
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
 
Rachel Waddington
Rachel Waddington  Identity Verified
યૂનાઇટેડ કિંગ્ડમ
Local time: 22:55
ડચ થી અંગ્રેજી
+ ...
I don't know Feb 14

Lieven Malaise wrote:

Baran Keki wrote:
It would've been sensible to follow his advice as recently as 2 years ago, but now it's largely out of touch with the current reality dictated by AI.


The thing is that quality translation isn't dictated by AI, not 2 years ago, not today. There will always be room for well-prepared translators with common sense. So no, I don't think obtaining a translation degree will be a waste of time. I'm more inclined to think that it will be more than ever a prerequisite to stand a chance as a future freelancer.

The adventurers, people that believe that translation is something that basically everybody can do, translators that immediately turn to freelancing translation without proper education or basic economic knowledge, bad translators, lazy translators (the ones that work way too fast to earn as much money as possible, making a heap of mistakes in the process), translators that refuse to offer MTPE services, translators with an unsustainable price/quality ratio... They all will be gone.

I don't mind. It will even make more room for truly qualified translators.

[Bijgewerkt op 2025-02-14 08:42 GMT]


A translation degree is a massive investment and no guarantee at all of success as a translator. The chance of ending up poorer and gaining nothing is high. I would hesitate to recommend that to anyone these days.

If the OP can get an inhouse position I agree that that would be an excellent move.


Dan Lucas
Kevin Fulton
Giovanni Guarnieri MITI, MIL
expressisverbis
Michele Fauble
Jorge Payan
Beatriz Ramírez de Haro
 
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