Experience? Thread poster: Maria Knorr
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I am trying to break into the wonderful world of translating, and I would like some help. I have been doing professional interpreting for a while now, but I have no experience with translating. I am in the process of looking for agencies, clients, or just some kind of work which can get me started. I usually get a reply that when I get some experience they would love to hear from me again, but until then...
I was hoping that someone can point me in the direction where to ... See more I am trying to break into the wonderful world of translating, and I would like some help. I have been doing professional interpreting for a while now, but I have no experience with translating. I am in the process of looking for agencies, clients, or just some kind of work which can get me started. I usually get a reply that when I get some experience they would love to hear from me again, but until then...
I was hoping that someone can point me in the direction where to actually get translating experience. I would love to work with someone from Proz as a proof-reader (I have experience in that), or any other capacity that people can offer.
Thanks.
Maria
P.S. I\'ve read that some people take other people\'s resumes for experience, but I am not that pathetic and don\'t want to lie.
Thanks again ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Festina lente (торопись не сп | May 8, 2002 |
Gosh, there\'s no point of supplying you with any sort of advice as you definitely have a plan of your own in your head and what you need is a good start, e.g., that first work or a project where you would be able to demonstrate your skills. Am I right or right I am? Although there’s no point of waiting till the Kingdom comes. It’s time to act.
I guess initially you have generated a negative experience of working for agencies as they do select “the best skills” and are rather s... See more Gosh, there\'s no point of supplying you with any sort of advice as you definitely have a plan of your own in your head and what you need is a good start, e.g., that first work or a project where you would be able to demonstrate your skills. Am I right or right I am? Although there’s no point of waiting till the Kingdom comes. It’s time to act.
I guess initially you have generated a negative experience of working for agencies as they do select “the best skills” and are rather skeptical about the newcomers. Then no necessarily you should of cry out loud about the lack of it. You are quite a pro in interpreting as said clearly in your entry message. Then why not stick to the idea that you are quite CAPABLE of translation as well? But not with the agencies…Your colleagues, your friends or the other known ones who have been engaged into that business for a long time – that is one of the ways. What I mean is all to often the “old timers” receive the work so frequently and in the amounts they are not able to cope with physically. The principle here is never say NO as the clients will start looking for some other translators and thus will expand their translators database. So normally the translators share their work with their fellow translators. That’s the opportunity. Do you have friends engaged into that business? Can you ask them for some “excess” work to share with you?
Specialize…Just find the area of your best knowledge and stick to it. It does not mean you got to be a “narrow minded fella”, but just be an expert (e.g. learn the generals and the subtleties and the principles and the terminology etc.) in a couple of subjects where nobody else can beat you. It will surely take a while. But that’s how the experience is generated.
Then in the course of events you will learn the ropes and will form up the clients database of your own and eventually you will have the proved records of your achievements which the agencies will be only happy to buy! Just be positive and go!
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| | | | | References are important | May 8, 2002 |
Quote:
On 2002-05-07 15:15, Mashulya wrote:
I have been doing professional interpreting for a while now, but I have no experience with translating. I am in the process of looking for agencies, clients, or just some kind of work which can get me started.
I ... don\'t want to lie.
Dear Maria!
<... See more Quote:
On 2002-05-07 15:15, Mashulya wrote:
I have been doing professional interpreting for a while now, but I have no experience with translating. I am in the process of looking for agencies, clients, or just some kind of work which can get me started.
I ... don\'t want to lie.
Dear Maria!
I think it would be very useful to ask your former and existing clients to give you good references, which they could aftewards confirm via fax or email if requested. OK, let they write that you only interpreted for them (better if it sounds like \'a variety of language-related jobs\'). Such references should however stress your very good/excellent etc knowledge of Russian/English, your accuracy and diligence. Quote the references when applying for work.
I can\'t believe that you\'ve done absolutely no translation work in your life. If being bilingual you\'ve translated 1 page and liked the result, you may write \'experience of translation\' and IMO it would not be a lie (just a slight and forgivable exaggeration).
Best regards and good luck! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Maria Knorr
Local time: 13:50
English
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TOPIC STARTER | Thanks for advice | May 12, 2002 |
Thank you for advice and of course I have done unofficial translations, and I am trying to work my connections now which I am assuming is going to take a while but I not giving up (yet) 
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