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 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…
Read MoreBad Advice for Novice Skydivers: Learn As You Go
By Kevin Hendzel Reblogged from Word Prisms with permission from the author Why the First, Best Lesson I Learned about Translation Was a Healthy Fear I was a poor, scrawny white kid with crooked teeth who grew up in the barren hills of central Arizona. The year before my birth, the Soviets launched Sputnik, shocking the world, and causing a…
Read MoreMoney Talk
By Giovanna Lester Being self-employed is not for everyone. As self-employed professionals we must keep abreast of market conditions – pricing, demand, terminology changes, and technological developments, for example – and make sure we take full advantage of those that have a direct impact on our jobs. Also, we are our own secretaries, marketing directors, human resource department, and more.…
Read MoreHelen’s Adventures in Translation, Chapter 2: Preparing to Launch
By the fall of 2010 I had done a lot of groundwork for launching: I had acquired enough credentials to be credible so that potential clients could trust me. I had the resources I needed. I had spent a few thousand dollars on dictionaries, plus another few thousand on training, a laptop and a smartphone with all the bells and…
Read MoreATA Business Practices: Red Flags For Avoiding Scams
Translators, like other business owners, are susceptible to scams. Although the internet makes it easier for scammers to find a target, it also helps potential victims to identify scams before it’s too late. See the article below for 4 red flags that should raise the suspicions of translators looking for new clients. Red Flags to Look Out For Before accepting…
Read MoreATA Business Practices: Workflow Management
What do we do during two weeks of enforced vacation, when the offices that usually send us work are on vacation? What do we do when we receive an email on Friday evening asking us to have a translation ready for Monday? Balancing work and life as a freelancer includes these challenges. The holidays are a good time to think…
Read MoreThe Top Three Things I Wish Somebody Told Me When I First Started As a Freelance Translator
By Pilar Saslow I earned a degree in translation and interpretation from a university in Peru a long time ago (I won’t share how long). I was naive enough to think my degree totally prepared me to enter the workforce. I had a rude awakening when I moved to the United States where the business of translation was handled very…
Read MoreATA Business Practices: Appropriate Prices for Services
Each month the ATA Business Practices Education Committee contributes a column entitled “Business Smarts” to The ATA Chronicle that discusses various management practices and business-related questions submitted by translators and interpreters. You can find this column online at www.atanet.org; in fact, this article was taken from the column at http://www.atanet.org/business_practices/smarts_2008_may.php. It addresses many factors involved in answering one of the…
Read MoreConference Wrap-Up
By Helen Eby & Jamie Hartz The 54th annual American Translators Association conference was held this year in downtown San Antonio, Texas, just a short walk from the Alamo and the beautiful Riverwalk. The conference was a huge success on several fronts: it drew over 1,400 attendees from all over the world, and it was the first year that featured…
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