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,…
Read MoreThe Translator Requests a Clarification: Tracking the conversation
By Helen Eby (@EbyGaucha) Reblogged from Gaucha Translations blog with permission from the author Translators and interpreters face a common problem: lack of clarity in the source message. Interpreters have a standard formula for addressing this: “the interpreter requests clarification”. Although translators deal with the same issue, a standard formula is missing. We deal with acronyms that are company-specific, missing…
Read MoreHow language professionals can reclaim their digital lives after Snowden
Our private and professional lives happen increasingly online. However, we often compromise our privacy and put the integrity of data and information at risk. Public and private entities exploit that: invasive ads, tracking across websites, profiling, restrictive digital rights management, attacks on net neutrality, bulk data collection – the list goes on. It is time for language professionals to reclaim…
Read MoreATA Written and Keyboarded exams: A personal account
by Helen Eby I prepared for the ATA Translation Certification exam with my Oregon Society of Translators and Interpreters (OSTI) colleagues. The exam has an overall pass rate of under 20%, which varies by language pair and exam year. We took our preparation seriously. On the ATA exam, every point counts against you. ATA has published a list of errors…
Read MoreCapacity management tips for freelance translators
By Oleg Semerikov (@TranslatFamily) Reblogged from LinkedIn with permission from the author (incl. the image) So your translation business is going well. You’ve got a reliable set of customers who you like and work well with, and projects are coming in on a regular basis. You’re living the freelancer’s dream of steady self-employment. And then one morning, you look at your…
Read MoreBeat the January Doldrums Starting Now
For many freelancers, some much-wanted/needed time off turns into an unwelcome amount of down time when work is slow in January.
Read MoreA Translator’s Grown-Up Christmas List
Ah, the age-old question: what do you get the translator or interpreter who has everything? If your December is anything like mine, throughout the month your family will try to subtly (or not-so-subtly) ask you for gift ideas, and you’ll try to come up with a better response than “extra hours in the day” or “a nap”. This year, we…
Read MoreWriting for the Web
By Helen Eby Last August, I went to New York City for the Editorial Freelancers Association Conference, and one of the topics was editing for the web. That topic is not only important to editors – it is also highly relevant to translators and many other professions. We write content every day, and we have to find ways to make…
Read MoreA Newbie’s Experience at #ATA57
Attending conferences can be exciting and nerve-racking at the same time, but with the Newbies & Buddies program at the ATA annual conference, I felt at ease and enjoyed every moment to the fullest. Bonding with three smiling faces through the welcome reception—Farah Arjang, a veteran translator and translation service provider, and Yifan Zhan and Lilian Gao, two graduate students…
Read MoreNouveaux traducteurs : 10 conseils pour bien démarrer
By Gaëlle Gagné (@trematweet) Reblogged from Le Blog de Trëma with permission from the author (incl. the image) Il y a quelques semaines, j’ai répondu avec plaisir à l’invitation d’une de mes professeurs de l’ÉSIT qui m’avait conviée à un de ses cours afin que je partage mon expérience avec les étudiants de la promotion 2016. La plupart envisagent d’exercer…
Read MoreATA Conference Recap
By Jamie Hartz It’s been just over two weeks since the 57th Annual American Translators Association Conference ended, and we’re excited to report that it was, once again, a blast. This year’s highlights included Brainstorm Networking, an event where colleagues meet to discuss business practices-related scenarios in a quick but fun setting; the Job Fair, featuring a number of agencies…
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