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.
Starting your career as a freelance translator or interpreter is exciting, but it can also feel overwhelming. Beyond your linguistic skills, you’re stepping into the world of independent contracting: contracts, marketing, professional development, taxes, technology, and more. It’s not always intuitive at first, but the good news is that you can build a successful business with a strong foundation. Here’s a guide from A to Z covering the essentials every new freelance translator and interpreter should know: A – Agreements Never begin work without a signed agreement. Contracts clarify deadlines, rates, payment terms, confidentiality, and expectations, and they protect both…
Read MoreFrom ATA’s Divisions: The German Language Division
By Arnold Winter As a German-to-English translator, it was a “no brainer” for me to join the ATA’s German Language Division at the start of my career in translation almost ten years ago. While joining the ATA and putting up my profile online resulted in being contacted out of the blue by my first paying client, the GLD is where…
Read MoreWhat direct clients want: From a Marketing Director’s perspective
By Daniela Guanipa A lot has been said about the complexities of setting up shop as freelancers and whether to work with agencies or direct clients. If you have set out to find direct clients, you have probably invested a lot of time and effort specializing in a certain niche and researching your potential clients. Most likely, you have focused on…
Read MoreCentury College Translating and Interpreting Certificate/AA: A Day in the Life
By Kristen Mages If you fall into the vast majority of the population, you may never have heard of Century College in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. I hadn’t either until I recently moved back to the Twin Cities and was looking into options for studying interpretation as a career. That’s when I stumbled upon Century College’s Translating and Interpreting (TRIN)…
Read MoreTechnology Considerations for Beginning Translators
By Tommy Tomolonis Translators are expected to fulfill many roles in today’s market. In addition to being linguistic experts, translators are also expected to be experts in business, marketing, and, of course, technology, just to name a few. This can be a daunting task, but below are some technology tips and considerations for newcomers to the translation field. The first…
Read MoreDirect clients… the freelancer’s dream
By Helen Eby We all want to work with direct clients… or say we do. Why? I have heard many translators wish they could connect with direct clients in a “the grass is always greener” kind of way. I like working with direct clients, and such work comes with its own set of joys and challenges. However, it is a…
Read MoreBusiness Smarts: Fluctuating Workloads
One of the most daunting questions for freelancers – and more so for freelancers-to-be! – is how to handle workload fluctuations. In this great post taken from the ATA website’s Business Practices we find some suggestions to deal with the infamous “dry patch”, coaching on how to use the most feared word for freelancers (“no”), and how to find balance in our work. Fluctuating…
Read MoreAn Invitation: A Day in the Life
As you may have noticed, the ATA Savvy Newcomer blog will be running a series in the coming months on the many options for education in translation and interpreting that exist in the U.S. We have had posts by NYU and Kent State students, and we are in the process of reaching out to other institutions that have certificate and/or…
Read MoreThe Hidden Part of the Job
By Giovanna Lester In my marketing workshops I discuss a subject I call “Anatomy of a Project.” The focus is on the immediate interaction following the acceptance, performance, delivery, and post-delivery of a project from the standpoint of marketing. However, there is another phase of what I call the “Greater Project” that I do not discuss in depth in those…
Read MoreKent State University: A Day in the Life
The Program Kent State University’s Department of Department of Modern and Classical Language Studies is home to an active and vibrant translation department boasting bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD programs in translation and translation studies. Five languages are currently offered in the master’s program (French, German, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish), and one more will be added in Fall 2014 (Arabic). The master’s…
Read MoreNice Interpreter!
By Judy and Dagmar Jenner Reblogged from Translation Times with permission from the authors Today’s post is about the importance of being, well, nice. It’s essential to be a great interpreter — that goes without saying — but there’s also much to be said about the importance of soft skills. In the interpreting world, these skills are especially relevant in…
Read More