If your education and schooling has exposed you to a second or third language, perhaps your future direction is marked out as a career in translation. A thriving industry in which to become involved, translation means working with anything from corporate minutes to literary projects.
If you’re looking to launch a career in translation, there are a number of handy hints to get you started on the road to freelance status or full-time employment. Particularly if you’re involved in other writing projects, translation can be beneficial to supplement and enhance your primary job prospects, as translating means that you’re working close with other people’s texts and developing an eye for details that might just enhance your own work or style.
But first things first – you need to know another language before getting involved with translation. It goes without saying, really, but you need a good grounding in Dutch before doing Dutch translations or savvy with your Spanish to make Spanish translations. You needn’t be a native Dutch or Spanish speaker though; it’s enough to be comfortable reading general texts in the particular language. Translation is an art form in itself, and it pays to take a translation course or to pick up some professional experience before trying your hand at making a living from your own German translation service.
Experience in the field of the subject matter concerned with in the text is also a bonus, but not essential. As you gain experience, the projects and vocabulary will become familiar. Build your portfolio with vocational pieces and projects for smaller companies or agencies, and go from there! Companies involved in imports and exports are a great place to start, as are academic institutions or local businesses if you’re living abroad. Arabic translation and Chinese translation are particularly sought after, so if you have some experience communicating in these languages, this could be the job opportunity for you!
|
