savvy-newcomer-header

The Savvy Newcomer aims to serve newcomers to the translation and interpreting professions by publishing high-quality, peer-reviewed content on a weekly basis. We strive to provide you with the answers to the many questions you face as a new or aspiring translator or interpreter.

A Translator’s Value(s) in a Shifting Market

By The Savvy Newcomer | November 14, 2023
A Translator's Value(s) in a Shifting Market

It has to be admitted that the translation marketplace in 2023 is a strange thing to experience. I sometimes imagine that it’s getting stranger by the moment, but I realize that the overreactions to the latest technology and the threats posed by artificial intelligence have to be understood from the perspective of a short history of market upheavals over the past few decades, which have experienced their own share of technological advances, and the insecurity of translators who don’t want to see their jobs overtaken by computers. And while I’m not old enough to have witnessed this short history of…

Read More

The Best Google Search Tips for Translators

By The Savvy Newcomer | October 24, 2023
The Best Google Search Tips for Translators

This post was originally published on Katie L. Ward’s blog. It is reposted with permission.  All translators know that research is one of the key parts of the translation process, but not everyone knows that there are some simple ways of making your Google searches more effective. Below is a list of some Google search tips and strategies that are particularly…

Read More

Conference Countdown: Your Guide to Preparing for Success at ATA64

By The Savvy Newcomer | October 17, 2023
ATA 64th Annual Conference (ATA64)

Less than two weeks remain until ATA’s 64th Annual Conference (ATA64) in Miami! Attending the ATA conference is a fantastic opportunity to connect with industry professionals, gain valuable insights, and broaden your horizons in the world of translation and interpretation. To help you make the most of this event, we’ve compiled a list of eight blog posts from the Savvy…

Read More

What I’ve Learned in 8 Years of Blogging

By The Savvy Newcomer | October 3, 2023
What I’ve Learned in 8 Years of Blogging

This post was originally published on That Interpreter Blog. It is reposted with permission.  When I started this blog in 2012, I was thinking of applying to graduate school, and a friend told me that I should start to develop an online presence to give myself an edge over other applicants. He told me an easy way to do that…

Read More

Linguist in the Spotlight – John Milan

By The Savvy Newcomer | September 26, 2023
Linguist in the Spotlight

There is much to be learned from our colleagues, but it can be intimidating to strike up a conversation with the “pros.” For that reason, we at Savvy have done the work for you in our Linguist in the Spotlight interview series, where we pick the brains of experienced translators and interpreters and bring their stories right to your screen.…

Read More

A Short Guide to Gender Inclusiveness in Italian Translations

By The Savvy Newcomer | September 19, 2023
A Short Guide to Gender Inclusiveness in Italian Translations

This post was originally published at Mirta Boschetti Traduzioni. It is reposted with permission.  Do you wish for your Italian translations to be up-to-date and without fault when it comes to gender inclusiveness? As you might already be aware, nowadays one of the most discussed issues in communication – and therefore translation – is the use of gender-inclusive language. But while marketing content…

Read More

FAQs: Questions I Frequently Ask Clients

By The Savvy Newcomer | September 5, 2023
FAQs- Questions I Frequently Ask Clients

This post was originally published at TAGS-Language Solutions. It is reposted with permission.  Frequently Asked Questions on a website are a great way of addressing any potential doubts without the need for any time-consuming back and forth. But, in my years working as a freelance translator, I’ve found that just as or maybe even more important than the questions that…

Read More

10 Lessons From Kitesurfing That Apply to Life and Business

By The Savvy Newcomer | August 22, 2023
10 Lessons From Kitesurfing That Apply to Life and Business

This post was originally published on Martina Russo’s LinkedIn. It is reposted with permission.  I’ve been learning how to kitesurf recently and these are a few things it’s taught me… 1. When 💩 hits the fan, LEARN TO LET GO… (…of the bar, which is connected to yourself through a harness and to the kite in the air through a…

Read More

Moving to Pompeii? What GPT-4 Means for New Translators and Interpreters

By The Savvy Newcomer | August 15, 2023

I’m just going to open with it—this article was not written by ChatGPT. It might be the only one on the topic not to close with that twist since the release of the Large Language Model (LLM) in November of last year. We’ve read a lot of speculation in that time, from hype to hysteria. Here, I’d like to look…

Read More

How to Make a Better Clientscape

By The Savvy Newcomer | August 11, 2023
How to Make a Better Clientscape

On our Copyediting-L email group through the University of Indiana, someone asked the following question, which elicited a number of responses: “Does anyone have any general ideas on how to do proper intel and to “screen for pay,” so I’m more strategic in my client hunting?” I’ve been on social media with editors and translators for more than 20 years now, and…

Read More

Translators – The Importance of Investing in Equipment

By The Savvy Newcomer | August 8, 2023
Translators – The Importance of Investing in Equipment

This post was originally published on the FAZT Blog. It is reposted with permission. As professional translators, we often discuss the significant investment required in our field. This includes expenses on training, software, work equipment, association fees, and time spent on day-to-day business management, such as paying taxes, managing social media, and meetings. 📚 However, the misconception that a translator…

Read More