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.
What people are looking for in a career is undergoing a massive shift in our culture. Younger professionals tend to prioritize mental health and often want the ability to arrange their schedule to make time for life commitments outside of their professional endeavors—such as pursuing other jobs or embracing family responsibilities. In fact, according to Upwork, “Gen Z is abandoning conventional 9-to-5 corporate jobs for more diverse, flexible careers in freelancing.” Similarly, Kate Palmer, an employment services director at Peninsula UK, states that “Generation Z are known to place more importance on flexibility, work-life balance, and personal well-being, and, therefore,…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned translator or interpreter, you’ve probably spent a lot of time thinking about marketing yourself and making meaningful connections to build a fulfilling career. Social media, LinkedIn, and professional websites have their merits, but there is another avenue that linguists are exploring: podcasting. If you’ve been inspired by the growing number of top-notch podcasts…
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This post was originally published on That Translation Blog. It is reposted with permission. I admit it. I’m slightly addicted to TikTok. As a marketing and luxury goods translator, it’s actually a really useful business tool (that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it). I was recently working on a tourism translation for a French hotel, and in that there was…
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If you’re interested in a career as a translator or interpreter, it can be hard to figure out how to break into the industry. Where are the jobs? What should you specialize in? How do you set rates? One way to answer these and many other questions is to start out as an entry-level project manager (PM) with a language…
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This post was originally published on ORH Translations. It is reposted with permission. Upon completion of my undergraduate degree, I was faced with the difficult decision of what to do next. I was frightened, anxious and overwhelmed with the thought of stepping into the big, scary working world. I would say that I was quite naive when I finished my…
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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.…
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