Another Getting Started Question Thread poster: Andrew Slusher
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Hello all,
Thanks in advance for any information, help or advice.
I am finishing my BA in German this year, with essentially one semester left in my undergrad career. The thought has occurred time and again to me that freelance translation may be the ideal profession for me. I understand that if I want to be serious about it, I'll need a good CAT program and have a network of consistent, somewhat dependable contacts.
Anyhow, I am posting to ask the opinio... See more Hello all,
Thanks in advance for any information, help or advice.
I am finishing my BA in German this year, with essentially one semester left in my undergrad career. The thought has occurred time and again to me that freelance translation may be the ideal profession for me. I understand that if I want to be serious about it, I'll need a good CAT program and have a network of consistent, somewhat dependable contacts.
Anyhow, I am posting to ask the opinions of translators on Proz.. Are my prospects limited as my degree will be in the German language, and not a specific subject-field, or in translation itself? I do not have experience yet in translating, but have written my share of extended essays in German, and have spent 8 years or so now studying the language since I started.
Also, does anyone have any tips to offer on what I can do in the next 6 months or so while I finish my studies? I'd like to start preparing as soon as possible for trying to earn a living as a translator within a year or so of graduating.
Thanks again,
Andrew ▲ Collapse
| | | | Olga Koepping 
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:27
German to English
+ ...
Hello Andrew
There are quite a few threads on that topic, you could perhaps do a search on them, lots and lots of ideas there.
However, here are my first impressions based on your profile and your line of questioning:
Do you like translation? It seems an obvious question, but your post almost puts the cart before the horse. Anyone "can" make money in a given career, but it doesn't mean that is what they "should" do. Translation is a trickier job than plugging wo... See more Hello Andrew
There are quite a few threads on that topic, you could perhaps do a search on them, lots and lots of ideas there.
However, here are my first impressions based on your profile and your line of questioning:
Do you like translation? It seems an obvious question, but your post almost puts the cart before the horse. Anyone "can" make money in a given career, but it doesn't mean that is what they "should" do. Translation is a trickier job than plugging words into a CAT and spellchecking - not that that is what you are saying at all, I just want to understand why you want to do it.
Before becoming a full-time translator, I did other things, which taught me a lot about what I was good at, and what I enjoyed. So when I made the transition to making translation my business and my career, I knew what I wanted to specialise in.
I also spent a lot of time in the respective countries, before, during and after my degree. (I know, lucky I live in Europe.) That gave me a lot of vocabulary of the real world, small details, things that pop back into your mind so that you can make sense of a paragraph that would otherwise have no context - so that you actually know where to start researching, because without context you can easily translate, for example, "auf hoechster Gesellschaftsebene" as "in high society" rather than "on the highest company level".
I am waffling. Here are my actual tips:
1) Think about topics you enjoy. IT? Computer Games? Finance, Accounting? I won't say medicine as that really is a specialisation too far without extra courses.
2) Read about those, in English, become familiar with their structures, terminology. You could even get a low-level job in one of those industries for a few years, if you don't want to start freelancing straight after university. Your CV will look fuller, clients will see that you have in-depth knowledge of a subject.
3) practice translating. Buy Die Zeit, Die Welt, Frankfurter Allgemeine, or get a few things off the net. Pick and scan an article, and translate it. Then put it away for a few days, go back and read your translation, see if the English sounds right, if it makes sense. Go back to the German, research all the terms you didn't really understand. Start building a glossary
4) Read published translations. Read people's sample translations. Really think about where your weak spots are, if you read something and you say to yourself "I could never do that", then work on it.
5) look into getting accreditation, American translation associations, the largest to my knowledge is the ATA. Passing an exam other than your degree will show that you are serious about translation specifically as opposed to just being good at German. Remember, you also have to good at writing in English.
So in summary, develop your interests, i.e. specialisations, show commitment to them, practice translating, research your options - and remember that it is always better to say no to a job if you're not sure, than to accept a job and ruin your reputation and your own enjoyment of the work.
Then you will have the confidence to say, "I am a translator specialising in IT, with specific experience of "xyz" systems."
[Edited at 2014-11-28 00:46 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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aslusher wrote:
... does anyone have any tips to offer on what I can do in the next 6 months or so while I finish my studies?
1. Carry out a thorough investigation into the life-long economic viability of a 'career' as a free-lance translator, in your languages. I repeat: 'life-long': your earnings while active must also support you (and your eventual dependents) in retirement.
2. Learn all you can about running a small business from home, with clients in the international markets you think you will be exploiting in the first 5 years of your career.
Were I of your age (sigh...), either of those 'reality checks' would be sufficient to deter me from entering this profession.
- - - - -
Buy 2, get one free!
Answer this question: "Is freelance translation really the very best I can do with my qualifications?"
| | | | Andrew Slusher
United States
Local time: 11:27
German to English
TOPIC STARTER | Thx for your answers | Nov 28, 2014 |
Olga Koepping wrote:
Do you like translation? It seems an obvious question, but your post almost puts the cart before the horse. Anyone "can" make money in a given career, but it doesn't mean that is what they "should" do. Translation is a trickier job than plugging words into a CAT and spellchecking - not that that is what you are saying at all, I just want to understand why you want to do it.
Thanks for your insight, Olga. I am interested in translation because my passion is language. If I could pick anything to do with my life, it would probably involve studying as many languages as I can effectively, travelling for fun. One has to make money somehow, though. Translation to me seems the ideal marriage of my intellectual interests and my economic needs.
Robin Levey wrote:
Answer this question: "Is freelance translation really the very best I can do with my qualifications?"
You make a valid point, but I feel BA in German (not an Ed degree) does not exactly provide a world of options in terms of gainful employment. Short of attending grad school, I do believe that freelance translation is my best bet for earning a living at the moment. Even noting the difficult aspects you mentioned in your post, I still would prefer difficult, albeit interesting and mentally-stimulating work to what I do at the moment (landscaping), and what I have done (waiting tables, delivering pizzas) to make a living.
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564354352 (X)
Denmark
Local time: 17:27
Danish to English
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| Life experience, cultural immersion | Nov 28, 2014 |
In addition to what has already been said here (and in countless other forum threads on this topic), I would stress the importance of getting some first-hand experience with LIVING the foreign language you want to work in, not just STUDYING it. In other words, whatever you have learnt through your studies will never compare to what you could learn from living in a country where you can immerse yourself completely in German language and culture. And in a sense, it doesn't matter what you do while... See more In addition to what has already been said here (and in countless other forum threads on this topic), I would stress the importance of getting some first-hand experience with LIVING the foreign language you want to work in, not just STUDYING it. In other words, whatever you have learnt through your studies will never compare to what you could learn from living in a country where you can immerse yourself completely in German language and culture. And in a sense, it doesn't matter what you do while you are there, as long as you aim to live, breathe and speak nothing but German for an extended period of time. I would say, as an absolute minimum, at least six months (I have no proof for that assumption whatsoever).
So, the jobs that you have been doing until now in the US may seem menial to you and to your career dreams, but if you could do any of those in Germany, working and living with German-speaking people (and not falling into the trap of speaking English to help them improve THEIR language skills), you would improve your grasp of the intricacies and nuances of the German language immensely. I understand that as an American citizen (I presume that you are), you may have trouble getting work in Europe, so you may have to look at other options rather than paid work. But going straight from student life to a career as a freelance translator would, in my view, not be your best option. You need hands on experience with the German language first. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Get education in translation! | Nov 28, 2014 |
Translation in itself is an art + craft + science and there are important things you need to know in order to do well in translation. Ideally you want to do a MSc in Translation once you finish you BA in German or, if that is not financially feasible, you might want to look for courses on translation given by reputable institutions (universities, training centres specialising in translation...), to give you a quick introduction (e.g. six months of courses or so) on what this is all about.
... See more Translation in itself is an art + craft + science and there are important things you need to know in order to do well in translation. Ideally you want to do a MSc in Translation once you finish you BA in German or, if that is not financially feasible, you might want to look for courses on translation given by reputable institutions (universities, training centres specialising in translation...), to give you a quick introduction (e.g. six months of courses or so) on what this is all about.
In any case, if you finally begin a career in translation, enjoy it, and feel that it could be your life career, you definitely want to do another BA in translation while you work. It will give you a completely new perspective and it will boost your depth and quality in translation. I say so from experience: I am in my sophomore year in a BA in Translation which I started after 20 years translating full-time (literally).
Good luck!
[Edited at 2014-11-28 08:14 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Dan Lucas
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:27
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
Andrew Slusher wrote:
Thanks in advance for any information, help or advice.
Here's the good news. A degree in the language is an excellent start. Others will say that translation ability is the only thing that matters. Well, perhaps once you're established as a translator, pure ability as shown by an extensive track record is all that matters.
However, having applied to many agencies over the past few months I know that there are many firms who will not look at you without a piece of paper in something. And you will have that piece of paper. So far so good.
Here's the bad news: it's probably not enough. When I finished my degree I spoke my language well, I think I got a First in the spoken/conversation part of the course. I still wasn't really good enough. A year working in Japan made a huge difference.
So, my advice is go and live in Germany. Get a job and just be there for a few years. Experience living in the source country is, in my humble opinion, vital for a translator or interpreter. Immerse yourself, talk, listen, focus on getting able to speak fluent, demotic German, on absorbing the zeitgeist, reading everything (signs, the back of cereal packets, magazines) and travelling around both in Germany and Europe.
Even if you decide not to be a translator, provided that you do something constructive while you're in Germany it will look good on your resume. You might want to try and get a job at one of the big car companies or some engineering outfit, since that's what Germany does well.
Or you may already have interests that you'd like to weave into translation work. Think carefully about what you'd like to specialise in and what you already have that you can use.
Go East, young man.
Regards
Dan
PS if you already know Germany well and have lived there e.g. as a military kid, this advice may be redundant...
| | | | | immersion and specialization | Nov 28, 2014 |
I agree with most of the others here. Language or translation degree without additional qualifications = dependency on agencies as a dime-a-dozen member of the Intelligenzarbeiterklasse.
Sorry to repeat a fair amount of what Gitte and others have said, but this is the way it came out:
As an American, it is difficult to get a long-term residency visa in Germany: option A is teaching at a language school (I worked at Berlitz in Magdeburg: It's key to go somewhere that people do ... See more I agree with most of the others here. Language or translation degree without additional qualifications = dependency on agencies as a dime-a-dozen member of the Intelligenzarbeiterklasse.
Sorry to repeat a fair amount of what Gitte and others have said, but this is the way it came out:
As an American, it is difficult to get a long-term residency visa in Germany: option A is teaching at a language school (I worked at Berlitz in Magdeburg: It's key to go somewhere that people do not want to be. The teachers in Berlin were lucky to get more than 5 hours a week and I had 100 hours per month guaranteed and could always actually teach a lot more.) and option B is entering a graduate program here and getting a German MA in a field you're interested in. Like others have said, real immersion is the key: Don't let the Germans you know start speaking English with you (they will try) and actively avoid hanging out with other people who speak English.
Working in a field that interests you would probably be even better, but that just isn't really an option, unless you do not need a visa to be here (an EU-born parent, etc.). I would also seriously think about Austria or Switzerland: The short-term high cost of living might be a good investment in terms of concentrating on clients from these countries in the long term. And make sure to do internships while a student (something I failed to do) and think seriously about interning at a translation agency (miserable work, but probably invaluable experience in terms of the business side of your future work).
Hope things work out for you. ▲ Collapse
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Andrew Slusher
United States
Local time: 11:27
German to English
TOPIC STARTER
Thank you all for your thoughts and responses. It seems like the consensus among you guys is that I'm jumping the gun to think I'll be able to do much upon graduation, and will need to bolster my experiences/resume in order to make it happen.
I've spent a good deal of time in Germany, though not more than 6 months at a time, and this was prior to beginning my degree. Moreover, I definitely can see at the very least that all the academic language I've acquired in the past 2-3 years n... See more Thank you all for your thoughts and responses. It seems like the consensus among you guys is that I'm jumping the gun to think I'll be able to do much upon graduation, and will need to bolster my experiences/resume in order to make it happen.
I've spent a good deal of time in Germany, though not more than 6 months at a time, and this was prior to beginning my degree. Moreover, I definitely can see at the very least that all the academic language I've acquired in the past 2-3 years needs to be reified through use in experiences outside of classrooms. As I love linguistics, I have thought of applying to a few MA programs at German universities. That is probably what I will do, and if I am accepted, I'd be able live in Germany for an extended period. If I have a desire to try freelance translation then, that might be the right time to get started.
Thanks again all, your insights are much appreciated. ▲ Collapse
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