What do translators do?
Strictly speaking, interpreting and translation are different professions. Both jobs require knowledge of at least one additional language, but while translations are written, interpretation is done orally, so the translator's job is to translate written texts into multiple languages. The emphasis is on
In most cases, translators translate from a source language to their own native language. Even if a translator perfectly understands the source language and is able to write well-formulated sentences in that language, it is usually easier to write in one's own native language, resulting in a more natural and easy to understand.
Translators work in a variety of industries, from government agencies to healthcare, business, education, and everything in between. Any industry that uses languages may need translators.
Translators are often freelancers or have their own businesses. However, some may work for an institution or a single employer. This gives translators flexibility as to whether they want a permanent job or prefer to control their own work schedule.
Steps to becoming a translator
1. Get professional training
The truth is, just because you speak a language fluently doesn't mean you have the skills to translate it.
Providing clear and effective translations usually requires specialized training in addition to language learning.
2. Get certified
Translation certifications are an easy way to prove that you have the skills needed to handle a specific task.
Another thing you can consider is obtaining a non-linguistic qualification in a field that interests you in translation. For example, becoming a certified legal assistant can help you land a translation job in the legal field because it gives you an understanding of the industry. Similarly, becoming a certified nurse can help you land a job in medical translation.
3. Aim for a specific industry and learn industry-specific terminology
When becoming fluent in a language, it's important to also aim to learn industry-specific terminology within the industry you're interested in. Just because you speak a language fluently doesn't mean you can translate the related terminology. Focus on industry-specific terminology.
For example, you may want to consider studying vocabulary specifically needed in the fields of medicine, business, government, and education. There are several ways to do this.
4. Sharpen your computer skills
Many translation tasks require the availability of specific computer programs. They exist to make the translation process faster and more efficient. Here are some common programs used by professionals that you may want to know about:
5. Gain experience
One of the ugly ironies of translation, common to all job fields, is that getting a job requires work experience, leaving you with the conundrum of how to get that experience in the first place.
The answer is easier than you think. Full-time or freelance work is an easy way to gain experience that you can add to your resume. Your first job may not pay you as much as you want, but as you gain experience, you can charge more for your work.
6. If you want to improve your career, you can learn more languages
If you want to further increase your market value, we recommend learning several languages that can be translated into each other to expand your translation scope.
For example, let's say you speak fluent Chinese and can translate between Chinese and English. What if you could offer Spanish as well? Then you could translate from Spanish to English or from Chinese to English.
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