The Savvy Linguist serves a worldwide community of translators and interpreters who are looking for practical solutions to everyday problems, ideas for growing their business, and support as they achieve their career goals. With high-quality, peer-reviewed content, you will find the answers to the questions you face as an innovative language professional.
In professional associations, you can often publish a public profile. Clients use this profile to decide who to work with. It should be brief, but it has to tell your story. However, sometimes our public profile is not visible. Go to your profile settings on the platform your association uses and verify that your profile is visible. You can generally select items from your profile to share publicly, such as your phone, address, email, and social media profiles. Be intentional about what you share. This information can be seen by the public. That means both your clients and other people…
Landing your first gig as a freelance translator is easier when you understand yourself, your skills, and your strengths. Once you do, it’s all about conveying them effectively to potential clients through different avenues like social media, marketplaces, and agencies.
I have been teaching business classes for freelance translators for about 15 years, so I’ve seen “under the hood” of many freelancers’ businesses. The truth is, when we talk about goal-setting in our freelance businesses, many freelancers have amorphous goals (“earn more money,” “find better clients”) or no goals at all, because their business management strategy consists of two steps:…
Emotions in More than One Language
This post originally appeared on Psychology Today on August 18, 2011, and it is republished with permission. The language(s) of emotions in bilinguals There is a myth that bilinguals express their emotions in their first language (when they haven’t acquired both languages simultaneously), usually the language of their parents. Like all myths, there are instances when it is true. Thus,…
As translators, the first draft of our translation is only a starting point. We need to verify the quality of our work before we send it off for publication. The following list is not comprehensive, but it will help us find most of the problems we have to solve. Check for completeness Go through every unit of meaning and make…
This post originally appeared on The minimalist translator blog and it is republished with permission. What makes a really good translator? Maybe you’ve always wondered what a translator actually does and has to be good at. Maybe you are looking for a good translator. Or maybe you are a translator and perhaps, as you’re reading this post, find yourself nodding in…
This post originally appeared on The ATA Chronicle and it is republished with permission. Because of the nature of our work, we translators are fated to work with clients who may not always understand what we do and often push our skills and resilience to the limit. But while some may think that difficult clients top the list of challenges…
This post originally appeared on The ATA Chronicle and it is republished with permission. Companies are looking for someone who is more than just a great translator and writer. They’re looking for someone who can translate, provide cultural and background expertise, and who is in tune with the company’s vision. Finding and contacting potential direct clients can be perplexing for…
So, you’re interested in starting a career in translation… chances are you have a lot of questions! You might be wondering whether you need a website or blog, how to find potential clients and market your services, what kind of hardware and software you’ll use, and how to approach your business structure and finances. These questions can be daunting. We…
This post originally appeared on Trados blog and it is republished with permission. Work plays a significant role in all our lives. We need it to keep the lights on, our stomachs full, money in the pot and a roof over our head. Whether you work as a freelance translator, as part of an agency, or within an in-house translation…
How can you use email and phone communication to make a good impression on your current and potential clients? This is one of the questions addressed at the Phone and Email Etiquette for Freelancers webinar presented on February 15, 2020, by Corinne McKay, a French to English translator and interpreter, seasoned trainer, and past ATA President. This presentation was part…