Are there agencies that give small jobs to unexperienced people? Thread poster: Simona Casadei
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Simona Casadei
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:53
English to Italian
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hello everybody!I'm an italian girl and i'm attending a MA in Specialized Translation (english/italian - italian/english). As I have not pratical experience in translation I would like to have some advices from professional translators, I'd like to know how to make the "1rst moves", if there are agencies that give small jobs to unexperienced people (but that want to do the job as best as they could).
Hope someone could answer me!
nice day to everybody! enjoy life!=-D
[S... See more hello everybody!I'm an italian girl and i'm attending a MA in Specialized Translation (english/italian - italian/english). As I have not pratical experience in translation I would like to have some advices from professional translators, I'd like to know how to make the "1rst moves", if there are agencies that give small jobs to unexperienced people (but that want to do the job as best as they could).
Hope someone could answer me!
nice day to everybody! enjoy life!=-D
[Subject edited by staff or moderator 2005-10-04 13:30] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Angela Arnone 
Local time: 16:53
Member (2004)
Italian to English
+ ...
Only offer translations you are fully competent to perform.
Preferably into Italian, which I presume to be your mother tongue, as you are just starting.
Angela
Simo.78 wrote:
hello everybody!I'm an italian girl and i'm attending a MA in Specialized Translation (english/italian - italian/english). As I have not pratical experience in translation I would like to have some advices from professional translators, I'd like to know how to make the "1rst moves", if there are agencies that give small jobs to unexperienced people (but that want to do the job as best as they could).
Hope someone could answer me!
nice day to everybody! enjoy life!=-D
| | | | Marc P (X)
Local time: 16:53
German to English
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| Probably not what you want to hear | Oct 4, 2005 |
Don't go straight from translator training (or worse, from enrolling in translator training) directly to freelancing. Go and do something else first. Get a job that gives you some hands-on experience of industry, trade, business, finance, technology, medicine, whatever. Go abroad, if you can. Get some experience of LIFE. Give yourself at least five years, preferably fifteen. Then go freelance.
As I said, probably not what you want to hear...
Marc
| | | | Stephen Rifkind
Israel
Local time: 17:53
Member (2004)
French to English
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| Check the market | Oct 4, 2005 |
Assuming you have a small budget to start, invest in membership in the Italian Translation Assoication, assuming such a thing exists. Examine all the translator job sites, looking at the ratio of translator to jobs in Italin to English. Some sites are much more European than other. Buy a membership in the one or two sites that have the most potential. Each If you are only doing one language, try to develop a speciality, business, law, engineering, that you enjoy. Spending a week on an larg... See more Assuming you have a small budget to start, invest in membership in the Italian Translation Assoication, assuming such a thing exists. Examine all the translator job sites, looking at the ratio of translator to jobs in Italin to English. Some sites are much more European than other. Buy a membership in the one or two sites that have the most potential. Each If you are only doing one language, try to develop a speciality, business, law, engineering, that you enjoy. Spending a week on an large but unpleasant topic is not a cup of tea. Finally, keep on trying and learn from your mistakes. You'll make them.
I've been in this business for one year and am very satisfied, but I have a lot to learn. I hope to say the same in a year. ▲ Collapse
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| Agree with Marc 100 % | Oct 4, 2005 |
I'm absolutely with Marc here.
You're MUCH more likely to get interesting, well-paying jobs if you are not "just" a translator. Try to find an area that interests you beside translating and build up competence in that area. Nobody wants a greenhorn who never had a "real" job.
Regards,
Benjamin
P.S.: Before any of you "only translators" get offended, please note the quotation marks in my posting. Of course, my statement is generalized and there are al... See more I'm absolutely with Marc here.
You're MUCH more likely to get interesting, well-paying jobs if you are not "just" a translator. Try to find an area that interests you beside translating and build up competence in that area. Nobody wants a greenhorn who never had a "real" job.
Regards,
Benjamin
P.S.: Before any of you "only translators" get offended, please note the quotation marks in my posting. Of course, my statement is generalized and there are always exceptions to any rule. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Costanza T.
Italy
Local time: 16:53
English to Italian
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| Experience first... | Oct 4, 2005 |
I agree with MarkPrior, yes the experience is the most important thing. To become a translator freelance you need experience in translation and about "foreign language" in general.
You could spend some months abroad, for ex. in U.K. working or attending a school that fits to you.
You could work as translator for a company in your town which exports or imports,or everything else that concerns languages.
Sure you will learn how to work and will improve also your "general educati... See more I agree with MarkPrior, yes the experience is the most important thing. To become a translator freelance you need experience in translation and about "foreign language" in general.
You could spend some months abroad, for ex. in U.K. working or attending a school that fits to you.
You could work as translator for a company in your town which exports or imports,or everything else that concerns languages.
Sure you will learn how to work and will improve also your "general education". See you. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Angela Arnone
Local time: 16:53
Member (2004)
Italian to English
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| AITI - does exist! | Oct 4, 2005 |
Good suggestion - we have a special student programme!!!
www.aiti.org.
Angela
Stephen Rifkind wrote:
Assuming you have a small budget to start, invest in membership in the Italian Translation Assoication, assuming such a thing exists. .
| | | | | Invest in Chinese | Oct 4, 2005 |
I noticed you have Chinese among your working languages.
Without neglecting English (but as a passive language as Angela said), go to China and improve your Chinese.
Sorry to be skeptical, but I guess it takes time before you might consider it a working language.
I have always been approched because of my rare combination (PL/RO>IT), they saw I did a good job and that's it.
Took an awful lot of time, however. ... See more I noticed you have Chinese among your working languages.
Without neglecting English (but as a passive language as Angela said), go to China and improve your Chinese.
Sorry to be skeptical, but I guess it takes time before you might consider it a working language.
I have always been approched because of my rare combination (PL/RO>IT), they saw I did a good job and that's it.
Took an awful lot of time, however.
Good luck
Paola ▲ Collapse
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| agree with paola | Oct 4, 2005 |
Chinese-Italian will almost certainly pay off in the future. Go to China for a couple of years (teach Italian or something) and set up a translator from Chinese. I would say this was definitely the way forward. With commoner language pairs, which include English for example, you may well have to offer a narrow field or speciality.
| | | | Simona Casadei
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:53
English to Italian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | You are right | Oct 4, 2005 |
I'm thinking to go to China as soon as I'll finish the MA in Translation; I know Chinese is a good language to improve and yes, I'm gonna make some changes in my own ProZ page...I still cannot use Chinese properly...
thank you
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