If you recently started thinking about working with languages in any way, don’t stop. The languages specialists have been always demanded because languages are inalienable from our communication, and, hence, are vital. Yet, with the rise of social isolation, international medical cooperation, and overall virtual interconnectedness, translators and interpreters are now needed as never before. At the same time, working closely with languages is totally worth it in relation to both the monetary and non-monetary perspectives.
Driving Human Communication
The big idea about translation and language interpretation is to improve human communication by transferring the intended message from one language to another. Sounds cool, right? And what about the material perspectives? Well, according to the relevant source, the average salary is quite decent, with some freelance translators managing to earn up to $100,000. So, the language specialist’s job sounds almost perfect. Yet, there are some challenges in it as well, just as with everything in this life. Even if you possess the skill high enough to impress some of the employers, you might still end up getting confused as you look for the job. So, here are a couple of tricks to cope with the challenges that might get in your way as you start working as a freelance interpreter.
- Practice, practice, practice. Looking for a job might take a lot of time, effort, and lifeforce, yet, there’s no reason to stop practicing your craft every day. A lot of professional and even experienced translators and interpreters seem to forget about the magical qualities of constant practice and can sometimes stumble upon the problem of getting invited to the interview but never making past it. So, don’t forget who you are and never stop doing your job, even if formally you don’t have one.
- Collect and organize your portfolio. You must have probably worked on a couple of peculiarly awesome translations throughout your career. When you’ll start looking for freelance jobs, you’ll quickly notice that everybody will want to see your portfolio to assess what you’re made of. So, retrieve those old works of glory, polish them well, and prepare to put them on display and amaze your potential employers. In case if you don’t have a portfolio, create one, you’ll definitely need it.
- Register at translation platforms. While searching for freelance interpretation jobs on your own might be somewhat challenging, getting some well-paid jobs on freelance platforms might be easier. It is recommended to check the top translation services providers as they are reliable enough and pay well. Besides, there are many of them, so you won’t be left out.
- Combine with your full-time job. If you’re only considering switching to freelance, don’t do it right away. Combining freelance and a full-time job is a trivial practice today and it keeps you safe from a financial drain, fear of uncertainty, and rushed freelance job search. By working only 2-3 hours per day in addition to your full-time job will provide you with some spare cash for weekends or allow you to save some money for the time when you’ll switch to freelance completely.
- Search everywhere. Look for translation jobs in every category you feel you’ll be able to handle. Even if you have the basic skill but still can handle a relatively easy Spanish translation, go for it. You’ll be able to grab some additional cash to motivate yourself, plus, get some experience and maybe even learn a new language to feel even safer when working as a freelancer full-time. Just check out some of the most popular languages to learn and see whether any of them is the one you can work with.
Challenging Yourself
Working as a freelance interpreter might be very challenging but it also has a great payoff. By constantly managing yourself, you’re pushing your own limits further, thus, expanding your abilities and becoming a better interpreter and a better person overall. You might have no idea how great your potential is and you can find out only by discovering your own new horizons.
BIO:
Henry McDowell is an aspiring author, traveler, and educator who loves learning and sharing his experiences with others. Although Henry has already managed to find his home, he’s still constantly on the move. “You never know what you can learn tomorrow without trying something new today,” he loves saying.
