Frankie Lafferty - 22 September 2007 04:14 AM
Hi there, just wondering if anyone out there has advice about the translation business? I am wondering about several things, such as how do you find a job (do you apply to companies on the off-chance they need a translator?), what are the standards of pay like, is there a demand for translators ? Anyone any words of advice?
Frankie Lafferty
Hello, Frankie.
There is certainly plenty of advice out there about the translation business. Have you subscribed to the SWET mailing list, SWET-L? That’s one place where you can find good advice about translation as a business. Another good place to get information is the Honyaku mailing list. In both cases, I am assuming that Japanese is one of the languages you plan to work with, but there is a good deal of information in both places that is not language-specific.
As far as how to go about getting work is concerned, you certainly can approach companies cold about translation work, but you may find that you have to invest more effort in that approach than some others. One thing you might try is keeping an eye on job postings at places like Honyakuhome.org (again, I’m assuming Japanese is not a problem here).
Another approach you might consider is to get involved in organizations like SWET or JAT, where you will no doubt have many opportunities for networking with potential clients, and may even be in the fortunate position of having clients contacting you as a result of your involvement.
I hope these suggestions are useful to you. Good luck in your search!
