Establishing a career in translation
Thread poster: Lee Hammond
Lee Hammond
Lee Hammond  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:55
German to English
+ ...
May 10, 2018

Hi all,

I would like some advice regarding establishing a career in translation. I am native English and I'm fluent in German and Dutch and therefore translate from these languages into English. I am 23 so have relatively little experience apart from that which I gained at university where I achieved a Bachelors degree in German with Dutch at the University of Nottingham.

I have passed tests for around 5/6 translation companies now but have not received much work so I w
... See more
Hi all,

I would like some advice regarding establishing a career in translation. I am native English and I'm fluent in German and Dutch and therefore translate from these languages into English. I am 23 so have relatively little experience apart from that which I gained at university where I achieved a Bachelors degree in German with Dutch at the University of Nottingham.

I have passed tests for around 5/6 translation companies now but have not received much work so I wanted to know if there's anything else I could be doing in order to increase my workload so I can gain some valuable experience. At the moment, I am messaging translation companies who then admit me as a translator/proofreader after I pass their tests.

In terms of the future, I have been admitted into UCL to study a masters in translation but I just wanted to ask for the advice of the translation community whether there is anything more I can do to gain some more experience.

Many thanks
Collapse


 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:55
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Catch-22 May 10, 2018

It's the same old Catch-22: you won't be able to get work unless you have proven experience, but unless you work, you won't be able to accumulate that experience.

 
Elisabeth Purkis
Elisabeth Purkis  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 09:55
German to English
+ ...
Also new to the field May 10, 2018

I don't have a lot of advice to offer but I want to encourage you to keep at it. You sound like you have a good qualification. I think there are ways to get practice as a volunteer eg Translators without borders. Eventually something will shift...but maybe good to get a part time job to help support you in these early stages. Good luck.

 
Gerard de Noord
Gerard de Noord  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 15:55
Member (2003)
English to Dutch
+ ...
You're lucky May 10, 2018

Native English speakers living in the UK and able to translate well from Dutch are relatively rare. You could emphasize that you also offer editing and proofreading services and that you translate from Flemish (sic) too.

Your CV on this website should be totally geared towards a career as a fulltime freelance translator. Don’t mention that you’re looking for a position, even if you do.

Mentioning that your St Ignatius' College was in London might look a bit silly, b
... See more
Native English speakers living in the UK and able to translate well from Dutch are relatively rare. You could emphasize that you also offer editing and proofreading services and that you translate from Flemish (sic) too.

Your CV on this website should be totally geared towards a career as a fulltime freelance translator. Don’t mention that you’re looking for a position, even if you do.

Mentioning that your St Ignatius' College was in London might look a bit silly, but we have one in Amsterdam too. Dutch people are always curious how and why foreigners acquire our language – few of them do when they don’t have to. You’ll have to explain, so prepare a sales talk in Dutch.

You should of course pursue your study of the beautiful French language but from a business perspective you would be better off acquiring a Scandinavian language as your third source language.

Cheers,
Gerard
Collapse


 
Rachel Waddington
Rachel Waddington  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:55
Dutch to English
+ ...
Specialise May 10, 2018

Hi Lee,

Gerard is right - Dutch to English is a great combination to have, as so few native English speakers are fluent in Dutch. Have you tried approaching Dutch translation agencies as well British ones? The bulk of their workload will be Dutch-English so the chance of them needing your services will be higher.

Also, don't forget that experience need not mean translation experience - other work experience may be equally, or more, valuable for a career as a translator.
... See more
Hi Lee,

Gerard is right - Dutch to English is a great combination to have, as so few native English speakers are fluent in Dutch. Have you tried approaching Dutch translation agencies as well British ones? The bulk of their workload will be Dutch-English so the chance of them needing your services will be higher.

Also, don't forget that experience need not mean translation experience - other work experience may be equally, or more, valuable for a career as a translator. For example, I worked as a secretary for an engineering company for 18 months while trying to launch myself as a translator and learned loads about the company's products (conveyor belts, mixers, burners, etc.) as well as more general business processes (tendering, invoicing, legal issues, etc.). This was probably a more useful foundation to my translation career than doing actual translations with no real-world experience of anything.

In the longer term, I would recommend you forget about acquiring other foreign languages (two is plenty) and focus on serious study of a specialist field. I see from your CV that you are good at maths, so science, engineering and economics are all good options. A genuine specialism is what will set you apart from the crowd and the sooner you begin to build this the better.

I would also recommend joining the ITI as an Associate and getting to some of their meetings so that you can meet other translators in person. This will allow you to tap into a wealth of experience and good advice.

Hope this advice helps,

Rachel
Collapse


 
HHS
HHS
United Kingdom
English to Icelandic
+ ...
A question for Lee May 27, 2018

Hi Lee, I'm pretty much at the same place as you, just with Icelandic/German.

Did you decide to do your Master's degree where you got admitted? Just curious as to which decision you made and if you think the Degree is worth the time and money.

Kindest regards.


 


To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator:


You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request »

Establishing a career in translation







Protemos translation business management system
Create your account in minutes, and start working! 3-month trial for agencies, and free for freelancers!

The system lets you keep client/vendor database, with contacts and rates, manage projects and assign jobs to vendors, issue invoices, track payments, store and manage project files, generate business reports on turnover profit per client/manager etc.

More info »
TM-Town
Manage your TMs and Terms ... and boost your translation business

Are you ready for something fresh in the industry? TM-Town is a unique new site for you -- the freelance translator -- to store, manage and share translation memories (TMs) and glossaries...and potentially meet new clients on the basis of your prior work.

More info »