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… in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes Ben Franklin, in a letter written in 1789 How can we prepare to get through the storms of life? My mother-in-law, my husband and my mom died in the last six years. While I was deeply saddened by this, I still had to take care of most administrative issues for them and keep looking to the future. I wanted to have work and clients after this was over. As freelancers, our clients disappear when we disappear. How did I keep clients through these crises? Years…
Let’s Spring into Action in Miami this March!
From March 16-18, 2018, Miami is hosting what will surely be the must-attend event of the season for professionals of the T&I industry. Co-organized by the Association of Translators and Interpreters of Florida (ATIF), the Spanish Language Division of the American Translators Association (ATA), and Florida International University (FIU),* Spring into Action will be a three-day event featuring the internationally…
Pursuing the Translation Dream: What to Know After the Phone Rings
As a new translator, you have prepared yourself long and hard to take on clients, and now the phone is ringing—metaphorically speaking. So, how do you answer? This post is part two of a five-part series on how to assess your readiness to become a successful translator, inspired by the ATA’s Self-Evaluation Questionnaire for Translators. If you have not already,…
Are You Using LinkedIn to Get High-Paying Clients?
If you are spending all or most of your social media time on Facebook, you are missing out on the chance to meet and impress high-paying clients. While it may be fun and comfortable to network with colleagues on Facebook, the clients you want to attract are spending their time on LinkedIn—the #1 business social network. LinkedIn Helps Freelancers Get…
The Savvy Newcomer Year in Review – 2017
The year 2017 has been another great one for The Savvy Newcomer, and we are glad you have been a part of it. We thought it would be nice to wrap up this year with a recap of what we have been up to with the blog in 2017 and what we are looking forward to in 2018. We hope…
Unraveling Translation Service Contracts
By Paula Arturo Reblogged from The ATA Chronicle with permission (incl. the images) Let’s examine what translation is to the law, what type of contracts translators should have, some of the benefits of having a contract, and resources for drafting one. A common misconception about freedom of contract is that, when it comes to agreements between willing parties, pretty much anything goes.…
So You Want to be a Freelance Translator or Interpreter: Services and Specialization
What services should I offer? Many translators provide more than just translation services. Since many are self-employed, it can be helpful to offer related services in order to differentiate yourself, serve customers’ needs, and bring in extra income. Here are some of the many ancillary services translators may offer: Bilingual editing: Reviewing another translator’s work by comparing the source and…
Linguist in the Spotlight: An Interview with Maryam Abdi
In this second installment of our “Linguist in the Spotlight” interview series, Maryam Abdi, Somali-English translator and interpreter specializing in law, reminisces about how and why she ultimately chose a career in translation and interpreting (T&I) over law school, the elements of successful entrepreneurship for translators and interpreters, why she encourages new translators to think beyond their passions when it…
Using SlideShare to Embed PowerPoints in a Website
SlideShare is a slide hosting service owned by LinkedIn that allows users to upload presentations, either privately or publicly, to a website. This tool can be used for a variety of applications, including to upload presentations of useful resources for sharing with the public or a select audience, as well as to share sales and advertising information with your target…
Advice for Beginners: Specialization
By Judy Jenner Post reblogged from Translation Times blog with permission by the author, incl. the image Many beginning interpreters oftentimes ask us about specialization and whether it’s essential that they specialize. We get many of these questions from Judy’s students at the Spanish/English translation certificate program at University of San Diego-Extension and from Dagy’s mentees. We thought it might be helpful to…
Local Conferences: The Block Parties of the Language Industry
Are you a member of your local translators and interpreters association? Have you ever attended a local conference? There is no question that a large-scale conference like that of the ATA is worth attending at least once in your career, but conferences of its scope come with a price tag and can require significant travel. Luckily, you do not have…