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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.

Professional Etiquette to Lower Your Stress and Improve Work-Life Balance

By The Savvy Newcomer | August 6, 2025
Professional Etiquette to Lower Your Stress and Improve Work-Life Balance

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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What direct clients want: From a Marketing Director’s perspective

By The Savvy Newcomer | June 17, 2014

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…

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Technology Considerations for Beginning Translators

By The Savvy Newcomer | June 3, 2014

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…

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Direct clients… the freelancer’s dream

By The Savvy Newcomer | May 27, 2014

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…

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Business Smarts: Fluctuating Workloads

By The Savvy Newcomer | May 20, 2014

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…

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The Hidden Part of the Job

By The Savvy Newcomer | May 6, 2014

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…

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Nice Interpreter!

By The Savvy Newcomer | April 22, 2014

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…

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Bilingualism – Part III

By The Savvy Newcomer | April 15, 2014

In this third and final part of the series about Bilingualism, Eta Trabing discusses what it really means to be a “professional”, some of the rewards of the language-related professions, and even gives us suggestions of less-known paths for bilingual individuals. By M. Eta Trabing, Berkana Language LLC – www.eberkana.us Professionalism Means… Being totally accountable for your work. You are solely responsible…

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