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.
As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to transform industries, many translators and interpreters are asking themselves: Is there still a place for me? The answer is a resounding yes, but it comes with an important caveat. The future of translation and interpretation belongs to those who can do what machines cannot, that is, bring cultural competence, empathy, and context to language. At least, thus far. Cultural competence has always been at the heart of effective communication. It enables professionals to interpret meaning beyond words, including humor, idioms, tone, and intention within specific cultural frameworks. While AI can process vast amounts of…
Quality Control in Translation: Must-Dos for Success as a Translator
This post was originally published on Translorial. It is reposted with permission from the author. If you are considering starting – or have just started – a career in the translation industry, this article may be for you. Here’s a challenge: if you had to choose a picture to describe the actual process taking place inside your brain when you…
Work Smarter, Not Harder: Scripts to Enhance Translator Productivity
*Note: The instructions found in this post should work on the majority of Windows computers. Apple users, let us know if you come up with your own way of making this work! Recently, my IT guy [husband] set me up with a great new tool. It has made my life as a translator so much more effective that it would…
How to Successfully Tackle Translation Tests
Reblogged from The ATA Chronicle, with permission If approached with the right mindset, translation tests can be a professionally enriching experience for translators. It’s safe to say that most translators don’t consider translation tests to be their favorite part of the job. In fact, it might be the most dreaded part of a translator’s day. But it doesn’t have to…
Public Outreach Presentations: Change Perceptions Outside our Industry
This past fall, Veronika Demichelis and I had the opportunity to speak about translation and interpreting at Rice University. My hope is that in sharing our experience, you will be encouraged to seek out or accept similar opportunities. It’s important to bring greater awareness to the general public about our industry and to educate potential buyers of translation and interpreting…
More is Not Better When It Comes to Your T&I Client List
This post was originally published on Madalena Sánchez Zampaulo’s blog. It is reposted with permission from the author. Everyone wants to grow their client list. After all, who wouldn’t, right? It’s part of being a business owner, no matter if you are a freelancer or if you manage several people who work for you. It’s good to always have more…
Attending Your Clients’ Conferences
Have you ever been told, “go where your clients go,” “meet your clients face-to-face,” or “attend an industry event”? Have you been interested, but not sure where to start? Attending your potential clients’ conferences can be very rewarding: you learn new terminology, get familiar with the industry, meet potential clients, and promote your services. The list goes on! However, conferences…
10 New Year’s Resolutions in the Field of Privacy for Freelance Translators
This post was originally published on LinkedIn. It is reposted with permission from the author. Do you collect personal data from your clients and prospects living in the European Economic Area (EEA)? If so, give a fresh start to your privacy practices. 1. Clean up your clients and prospects’ personal data Do you store personal data from your clients and…
5 Truths About Court Interpreting
This post was originally published on the Translation Times blog. It is reposted with permission from the author. Both our interpreting students and beginning court interpreters colleagues pursing certification regularly ask us about what it’s really like to be a working court interpreter. As Judy is a federally certified Spanish court interpreter, she is going to (partially, of course) answer this…
Machine Translation and the Savvy Translator
Using machine translation is easy; using it critically requires some thought. Tick tock! As translators, we’re all too familiar with the experience of working under pressure to meet tight deadlines. We may have various tools that can help us to work more quickly, such as translation memory systems, terminology management tools, and online concordancers. Sometimes, we may even find it…
What Freelancers Can Learn from Entrepreneurs
This post was originally published on the Freelancers Union blog. It is reposted with permission from the author. Get paid for doing what I love, doing it wherever I want, whenever I want, and however I want. No more bosses demanding unconvincing protocols or mandatory smiles (I’ll never forget those six years at a burger joint where “smiles were a part…