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.
Many language professionals start out doing their work “on the side” of whatever else they are doing in life. When people find out you are bilingual, you may be asked to do some volunteer interpreting to help out a friend, family member, or someone in need, or you may agree or be expected to do the occasional translation—and maybe even get paid for it. Volunteering and doing small side jobs are great ways to gain experience and improve your skills as a translator or interpreter. But in order to be a professional—whether you plan on doing this work part-time or…
Read MoreBilingualism – Part II
Today we continue with Part II of this fascinating journey through bilingualism. In this issue, our guest author, Eta Trabing, provides some tips to put that second language to good use, whether it is polishing your skills to be more effective in your job, or becoming a translator or interpreter. By M. Eta Trabing, Berkana Language LLC – www.eberkana.us Are you…
Read MoreTo the Shy Networker
By Evelyn Yang Garland There I was, at a well-attended networking event… hiding in the restroom! I hated to schmooze with a room full of strangers. I forced myself to attend that event for one reason only—I was looking for a job, and the one piece of advice that I kept getting was that I needed to network. That is…
Read MoreBilingualism – Part I
Today we will begin with Part I of a series of three articles about Bilingualism. Our guest author, Ms. M. Eta Trabing, walks us through a truly fascinating description of what being bilingual means, and how to apply this knowledge in the working world. She offers help with the most daunting question we all language people face at some point:…
Read MoreNegotiation — A Learnable Skill
By Nina Sattler-Hovdar. Translated from the German by Tom Ellett. Original article first published in Infoblatt 01/2013, the newsletter of ADÜ Nord. When it comes to talking prices with clients, many translators lack confidence. Nina Sattler-Hovdar, who specializes in marketing, PR, finance, and contract translations from English, Norwegian, and Danish to German, is well known as an ardent champion of…
Read MoreA Day in the Life: New York University’s M.S. in Translation Program
By Samantha Lisk The first thing I realized when I began my master’s in New York University’s online Master of Science in Translation program was that it was going to be a completely difference experience from my bachelor’s. I attended a small, private liberal arts college for my undergraduate degree, earning a B.A. in English with a Spanish minor. At…
Read MoreCéline’s 10 Tricky Situations Translators Might Find Themselves In and How To Get Out of Them
By Céline Graciet Reblogged from Naked Translations with permission from the author Being a freelance translator isn’t just about having the ability to take language from one culture and turn it into another. As I allude to elsewhere in this blog, there are aspects of this career which require negotiation skills and business awareness. When you start off, for example, or have…
Read MoreA Translator Brand Is a Personal Brand
By Marcela Reyes, MBA Perhaps this is something you already know but hasn’t ever been said to you directly: the success of your translation or interpreting career lies in how well you market yourself. But let’s make something very clear; this does not mean that, in order to be successful, you must send an abundance of unsolicited emails to translation…
Read MoreMy Biggest Questions about Getting Started
By Jamie Hartz It seems to me that some translators and interpreters fall into the profession by virtue of their linguistic ability and prior knowledge in a subject area, while others aspire to the profession and gear their studies and work experience toward a career in translation and/or interpreting. For me, a student and aspiring translator, it can be hard…
Read MoreHelen’s Adventures in Translation, Chapter 3: Launch Time! Going from 20% to 80% Capacity As Fast As Possible
In my last post, I explained how I evaluated and met the requirements my potential clients might have, including qualifications, website and connections. I said I would delve into how I set my rates next, but Giovanna Lester wrote an excellent post on that, and it reflected how I had done it! After making myself known, it was time to…
Read MoreGetting Started in Academic Translation: Working with Credentials
By Carolyn Yohn Credential translation can be a great way to transition into your new career as a translator. Besides acting as a bridge to your previous career as a student, this work really pushes you to hone your research skills and proofreading eye. The manageable length will keep you from feeling overwhelmed, and the variety of clients you can…
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