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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…
Interpreting 101: An Interview with Student Interpreters
By Kimberley Hunt I had a chance to catch up with three interpretation students at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS). As part of the T&I program at MIIS, interpretation classes are mandatory for the first semester to give students a taste of the profession. After that, students can continue pursuing interpretation as a career. Anna Bialostosky,…
How I Got Off to a Fast Start as a Freelance Translator
By Linda Kramer After being employed for over ten years, I longed for more freedom in my life. During my maternity leave (which here in Sweden is a whopping 18 months) I decided to take the plunge and become a freelance translator. And I’m not going to lie, it was scary. Thoughts of how I would survive without the security…
Working the Room Tips by Chris Durban
By Catherine Christaki Reblogged from Adventures in Technical Translation with permission from the author (incl. the image) During the ITI conference in Gatwick in May 2013, I had the privilege to attend Chris Durban’s Working the Room masterclass. Chris always offers numerous great tips about generating leads and finding direct clients. She inspires her audience to be and look more professional and…
Book Review: Found in Translation by Nataly Kelly and Jost Zetzsche
by Jamie Hartz If your experience as a language professional has been anything like mine, when someone asks what you do for a living, you always have to qualify your response. “I’m a translator” isn’t going to cut it, but “I’m self-employed as a Spanish-to-English written translator” just might get the conversation going. Next time someone asks what you do…
11 Tips for Freelance Translators from a Project Manager
By Enas Ibrahim Reblogged from the ATA Chronicle (May 2014) with permission from the author Having worked as a project manager in the language services industry for over five years, I have encountered many recurring issues when collaborating with freelancers that are not related to the linguistic aspect of the translation process. I share here what I see every day along…
The ATA Client Outreach Kit: A Hidden Gem
By David Friedman and Jamie Hartz Recently, The Savvy Newcomer team was discussing what valuable ATA resources we could spotlight here on the blog. If you are an ATA member and are interested in growing your direct client business and/or are interested in client outreach and PR efforts to boost the whole association and profession, then at least consulting the…
Managing the Ups and Downs of Freelancing
By Jamie Hartz; reblogged from DVTA (Delaware Valley Translators Association) blog with permission from the author The choice to be a freelancer comes with a lot of fluctuation—there are slow times and busy times, and there are stressful projects and easier projects. The ups and downs that come with freelancing are aplenty—we often deal with loneliness, the stress of making all…
In January 2015 I joined the American Translators Association for the first time and was ready to give it my all. When I logged into my online account with my shiny new member number and password, I felt like a deer in the headlights… How do I make the most of my membership? What resources are available to me? But…
Tech Talk: Software and Tools for Translators
In 2014, I made two life-changing decisions: I committed to working as a freelance translator, and I purchased a PC after years of Apple use. I bought a cheap Lenovo, and told myself that, if I wanted to make money (which I wasn’t, then), I needed to spend it. Simple enough. Then I tried opening a Microsoft Word file, only…
Need advice or want to share your wisdom? Join the ATA Mentoring Program!
The Mentoring Program is an ATA membership benefit. Any ATA member can apply to become a mentee; this is a valuable privilege many members don’t know they have. If there is some new skill you want to learn but don’t know how, this is a good place to come. ATA counts many talented translators and interpreters who are experts in…