TranslaStars

  Let’s say you’ve just earned your degree in Translation and you’re wondering: “All right, but what are my career options – besides translating, of course?”. Or let’s say you’re an experienced freelance translator who wants to add some pizzazz to his or her tried and tested routine. The best thing you can do in both situations is to ask your fellow translators to share their experiences with you. While you’re waiting for them to answer, we’ve asked some great professionals with a translation background to show you how you can put your hard-earned array of language skills to work in a different field. Table of contents 1.      Kelsey Frick, Freelance Account Manager 2.      Bilyana Ancheva, Copywriter 3.      Virginia Vizcaíno Ruiz, Marketing Consultant 4.      Lucy Walhain, Terminologist   1.      Kelsey Frick, Freelance Account Manager “I spent 5 years wo...

  You’re all set : you’ve received your degree, you’ve followed a bunch of translation courses, workshops, and summits and you’ve spent a few months (or maybe a few years!) abroad to improve your language skills. What now? Now it’s time to go from theory to practice and... you don’t know where to start! If you are a newbie in the translation business, here are 5 mistakes you should definitely avoid in the first few years of your freelancing career. Table of contents 1.     Take every opportunity that comes your way 2.      Try to work out everything by yourself 3.      Work without having signed a quote or a contract 4.      Send mass emails to translation agencies 5.      Neglect your professional development   1.      Take every opportunity that comes your way What? Should I refuse the few work proposals that translation agencies are sending me...

  New year, new me! January is the perfect time to think about your new professional goals and how to achieve them, especially if you are a freelance translator. Whether you are an experienced language professional or a freshly graduated translator, thinking about (at least) 5 New Year’s resolutions is fundamental: it will help you freshen up your business strategy (and hopefully stick to it), but also focus on the latest industry trends and how to keep up with them. Are you ready to fill your 2022 bucket list ? Here are a few suggestions: Table of contents: 1.    1 Master the art of translating SEO and SEA related content 2.    2. Stop feeling the freelancer fear 3.    3. Add another feather to your cap 4.    4. Consider learning more about audiovisual translation 5.    5. Make inclusivity a must-have, not a nice-to-have   1.               Mas...

  Legal translation is a specialization that not only requires an in-depth knowledge of both the source and target languages, but also a grasp of legal terminology. Of course, it helps if you are able to get familiar with a specific area of the law or the legal system of the target language country you are serving. But that doesn’t mean to say you need a law degree in order to competently translate legal texts.   Here are 6 simple tips that will help ensure that the legal translation you produce is highly accurate and relevant to the specific needs of your client. Table of Contents 1. Discuss how the document will be used 2. Create a glossary 3. Don't forget the dialect 4. Get to grips with the legal system 5. Be clear about formatting 6. Keep lines of communication open   1. Discuss how the document will be used Some legal translations are required for nothing more than information purposes, while others will be referred to in a court of law. Having a clear under...

  Why are women still lost in translation? The girls outnumbered the boys in my high school Spanish class. Both my undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs were pretty female dominated too. And yet it seems the reverse is true when it comes leadership roles in the language service industry. I first learned of this perplexing statistic back in early February while tuning into a #LocFromHome session from the comfort of my home office and decided to do a little extra digging. What do the statistics say? Having worked in the translation field for a little over half a decade, I’ve come to realize that the industry is one of very few in which women continue to dominate. To give you some idea of the actual figures, it’s claimed that around 67% of EU translators and interpreters are female. Now, of course, there’s no denying that all this is extremely impressive, especially when compared to other industries. Yet, while the raw data indicates that women continue to outnumber th...

  What's inclusive language all about? You’ve most likely heard the term ‘inclusive language’ being thrown around on social media, but do you really know what it’s all about? It’s got nothing to do with political correctness, although you’d be forgiven for confusing the two. In short, it’s a conscious effort to communicate in a way which facilitates the inclusion of certain societal groups who are often the  subject of exclusion or social prejudice.  Still confused? Read on to find out more about this fascinating topic and its implications for translation and interpreting professionals. You won’t master it overnight Inclusive language essentially challenges us to transform deeply embedded forms of communicating. It requires us to consider the implications of  those words and phrases that may have existed for centuries, but are in some way disrespectful. That said, it’s not necessary to overthink every single word. There are bound to be a few bumps in the road, but w...

5 best sites to find job opportunities for new translators Y ou’ve spent weeks scouring the net for that coveted junior translator role at a professional agency and finally come across a contender. The problem? The post requires a minimum of two years of experience. But how on earth are you supposed to get industry experience when you can’t even get on the bottom rung of the career ladder? The catch-22 of entry-level job searching is a headache for graduates across all industries.  Having once been in your shoes, we know how difficult getting established in the translation industry can be. So if you’re desperate to get some work experience on your resume, then check out some of our top sites for getting your hands on a translation project or two today. ProZ Some would say that if you want to get anywhere in the translation industry a ProZ profile is an absolute must. This site enables you to bid for projects posted by agencies and direct clients from across the globe. There are a...