| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | How to get a job in translation (guidance)? Thread poster: LauG
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Kay Denney 
France
Local time: 17:35
French to English
| Not wanting to be responsible for someone's depression but... | Feb 10, 2014 |
LauG wrote:
Hi,
In first place, this question is not for me, but for a very close friend in real need. He's moving and he doesn't have net connection right now. So I'm asking for him.
He really wanted to become a translator but had to interrupt his studies and couldn't take even a bachelor degree. He doesn't really have any degree at all and needs to find a job. He also doesn't have any experience in anything. (he's almost 22) Of course that he's not expecting to get a very well paid job and he knows how hard it can be to get established on the translation field. But languages is the only thing is good at and besides, it's his dream. So, how hard could it be for him to get a job in translation? Could it be possible for him to get a full time job? Should he sent emails to translations agencies?
He can translate:
English - Portuguese
Portuguese - English
Spanish - Portuguese
Spanish - to English
Also, he can also translate from French and Italian, but just not as fluent as he is in the other languages.
How can he get into translating books, movies and TV shows? (Since this is what he likes the most.)
He's also a very fast typist, so I wonder if he could also do copy typing works...
Anyway, it would be very good for him to get a full time job, it would solve a lot of problems in his life, but freelancing would probably have to do since I doubt that anyone would hire someone would complete no experience and no CV to show. Unless there's some sort of test that agencies provide. (I'm not into this field at all). Also, he can only work from home.
I truly ask for your guidance. He's falling into depression and I'm really worried about him.
Many tanks in advance
OK, you're a great friend for this guy and if he's depressed he needs one. Good on you!
Now, the list of his language combinations has to be pared down. You only translate into your native language. If for example that's Portuguese, he can translate from English and Spanish into Portuguese. Forget the other languages, if he isn't fluent, there's no point trying. He could always get these languages up to speed, but two source languages is plenty for a good translator.
If language is all he is good at, then I don't know how on earth he can ever specialise in any subject. You have to have extensive knowledge of at least a couple of fields to be able to translate the texts required.
NB: when you're asked to translate a text, it's because it's difficult. Google has squeezed out the easy end of the market, we only have the trickiest texts left to translate. So if you translate for the fashion industry (to name one of my specialist subjects) you need in-depth knowledge of how garments are made, what they are made of etc. It's too complex to just rely on the dictionary, otherwise Google could manage it.
It'll be up to you to break the bad news: unless he has the chutzpah necessary to just walk up to a movie mogul and offer his services (which I doubt a depressed person is capable of) no way will he get into translating movies easily. Literary translation too is a closed circle and is very hard to get into.
As for freelancing: you need considerable stamina and resilience, especially in the beginning, because it takes a while to build your business up and you have to negotiate rates, deadlines etc. with all sorts of people including bullies and ignoramuses. And while you don't need a document called a CV you do need to reassure prospective clients that you have the knowledge to produce a translation, which is why we all have profiles on here and these profiles contain much the same info as a CV.
I gather his lack of Internet connection is a temporary issue but no way can he work without it: practically all translation business is conducted by e-mail and you need to research terminology too. Of course libraries exist but the world won't wait for you to use it any more.
If he can type fast, he could maybe get into transcribing. He might want to take a TOEFL course and teach English, it's a job you can do anywhere and demand is high. But to get into translation these days you need at least a Master or considerable experience.
You might suggest he takes a look at today's poll too.
Good luck!
[Edited at 2014-02-10 16:18 GMT]
| | | | | We don't know what his life story is | Feb 10, 2014 |
John Fossey wrote:
One other point that could be mentioned is that although he may think he is fluent in many languages and directions, he would be well advised to stick to translating into his mother tongue. I also agree that it's a numbers game - once he has an internet connection and a professional looking CV (see the articles on this site for how to put together a CV), then you can count on at least a 2-5% return on the number of agencies contacted, and possibly much more.
[Edited at 2014-02-10 12:40 GMT]
and whether he has one definite, fully developed through the academic stage mother tongue, so thisa advise would need more context really.
It is not as black and white with the native language v. versus non-native( whatever these terms mean these days). Perhaps if your mother tongue is English and you translate form French--you would mostly translate into English, unless you wnat to do something else like Samuel Becket. It is not as clear-cut as some of you present it. Find some native English, or French, speakers who know Lithuanian, or Estonian to a degree that they could translate form those languages. Good luck, if you find two.
You can translate in whatevr direction you want to and dream of--if you are good at it.
Otherwise, I agree-specialization is really important. As to working for movie companies--it is not that hard to start working for film companies, if you are a really good translator and have a good writing style, but you need some education and experience first.
[Edited at 2014-02-10 21:14 GMT]
| | | | LauG
United States
TOPIC STARTER | Thank you for all your answers | Feb 11, 2014 |
Sorry for not answering sooner, but I am having exams and need to study.
Thank you for all your comments and advices. They are all very useful.
As for his internet connection: yes, it's temporary. He's moving and therefore he needs to make a new contract. He will be properly installed in his new house in 2 weeks or so. Then he will have internet again.
Well, I guess the best he can do is trying really. Maybe he can get a few translation jobs here and there whil... See more Sorry for not answering sooner, but I am having exams and need to study.
Thank you for all your comments and advices. They are all very useful.
As for his internet connection: yes, it's temporary. He's moving and therefore he needs to make a new contract. He will be properly installed in his new house in 2 weeks or so. Then he will have internet again.
Well, I guess the best he can do is trying really. Maybe he can get a few translation jobs here and there while transcribing? Or maybe he should try to volunteer to get experience. Do you know where he can get volunteering translation jobs?
Another thing: How do you get samples of your work? Should you translate a book - that it's probably already translated on bookstores by another person - and show it?
(This question is also for me, actually, since I was in a similar situation days ago and didn't know what to do)
I wanted to answer each one of your comments, but I don't really have time. I really wanted to help my friend. Thank you all really.
Note: Translation is definitely not my field, but after saying that one should only translate into his/her mother language, made me wonder. What if his/her language is totally not in demand? What if there's nearly no translation jobs in one's language? That would mean that one is doomed by its own language... ▲ Collapse
| | | | Kay Denney
France
Local time: 17:35
French to English
| Whoa there, there's such a thing as copyright! | Feb 12, 2014 |
LauG wrote:
Another thing: How do you get samples of your work? Should you translate a book - that it's probably already translated on bookstores by another person - and show it?
It's illegal to translate books just off the cuff, you need permission from the author.
You can simply take a piece of writing with no copyright and translate that. Wikipedia entries are a good example. Of course, you need to make sure there is not translation.
No need to do the equivalent of a whole book either. You can tell whether a translator is any good with fewer than 250 words.
LauG wrote:
Note: Translation is definitely not my field, but after saying that one should only translate into his/her mother language, made me wonder. What if his/her language is totally not in demand? What if there's nearly no translation jobs in one's language? That would mean that one is doomed by its own language...
It's swings and roundabouts. The more people speak a language, the more translations there will be in and out of that language. For a tiny country with its own language that's pretty well cut off from the world, there will obviously be far less demand. However there are also far fewer competitors (my combination is pretty well saturated for example since French is the most popular foreign language among English speakers).
It mostly means that for the most popular language combinations, people tend to specialise a whole lot more. I know of a translator who only translates texts about motorbikes. She doesn't do cars or pushbikes or even scooters despite the fact that they have a lot in common with motorbikes.
Whereas for less common combinations, I remember at the agency I worked for we only had one translator into Catalan, but he translated anything and everything into that language, from about four languages.
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