Among the various career opportunities available for translators, becoming a freelance translator is probably the one you have the most freedom with. Indeed, it combines the aspects of other types of the translator’s job, and as you are your own boss, you get to choose your field of expertise, your clients, and even your schedule. Working as a freelance translator then requires organizational skills as well as self-management.
What is a freelance translator exactly?
Freelance translators are self-employed professionals. They deal directly with clients, which can include companies, small businesses, non-profit organizations, governments, or any other entity that has translation needs. Sometimes translation agencies get clients and then hire freelancers to perform the job. But in any case, you are free to translate for anyone you choose, in any topic you choose, for the rates that you choose.
Launching your business
Of course, freelance translators are above all translators, and as such they need translation skills and have to be proficient in languages. But in order to become a freelance translator you particularly need business and marketing skills. So here are a few tips to help you start your own translation business on the right foot.
First of all, make a business plan. Try to define which clients you want to target and how to market to them. Remember, it’s important to choose your strategy depending on your personality. For example, if you are good at marketing your services and promoting your skills, you probably should favor one-on-one interaction with clients to set up projects and discuss options. But if managing your marketing campaign independently sounds like too much pressure, keep in mind that you can also work with agencies as well as look for your own clients.
Don’t be afraid to develop your passion! The more you like what you’re doing, the better the quality of your work. Try to find translations on topics you are interested in. If the client sees that you have a passion for their field, he/she will be more likely to entrust you with a translation project and to keep working with you later on.
With this in mind, it is best then to choose a specialization. Decide on the area of expertise from your job or study history. If you have worked with biology before for instance, or studied engineering, you will take scientific articles and industrial manuals’ translation like a duck to water.
And last but not least, say ‘yes’! Don’t stick to your comfort zone. Even if you are not very comfortable with a particular field, with a good strategy and some research, it is possible to handle any type of translation without being an expert in the domain. As long as it doesn’t lead you to burnout or to a waste of money or time, any experience is good to take.
Also, here are some helpful websites to help you start your business:
https://www.ozer-entrepreneuriat.fr/ –> become an entrepreneur
www.translatorscafe.com/cafe/ –> find clients and exchange with other translators
Important skills and perks
Obviously, becoming a good freelance translator requires to be a good translator in general In order to do so, there are a few important skills and perks you need to keep in mind so that your job will go smoothly.
First of all, you will need to have really high language skills, especially in your mother tongue. Most translators translate into their native language, and the result must be high-quality work since you are supposed to master this language. However, don’t forget that the second language you’re translating into ought also to be near native, and therefore you should keep practicing it as much as you can.
The second must-have perk you absolutely need to master is CAT tools. Whether it concerns office software to write documents or keep accounts, or translation software such as SDL Trados Studio to professionalize the way you translate, the more comfortable you are with these tools, the easier your job as a translator will be.
Another tip you may not think of, but that is still very important is to keep translating while searching. Language is something that evolves and needs to be constantly practiced if you don’t want to lose your touch. Even if you don’t have anything to translate for anyone at the moment, keep translating a few lines for yourself, for the sake of your skill and maybe as training for the next texts to come.
As a freelance translator, you will most likely be working from home, and as such you will have to manage a healthy and productive work-life balance. This is linked to time management as well. Choose your working hours depending on your personal rhythm, while keeping the deadlines in mind. But do not push yourself too hard! As your home is now your workspace, try as often as possible to separate your private life from work. Define a room that will serve as an office. You’ll then be able to separate things and change your mind in the living room and rest in your bedroom. Don’t mix everything up, manage as well as possible you work-life balance, and you will be efficient in no time.
Another good piece of advice that might help you be a multitasking translator is cultivating cultural knowledge. Whether it is about a language, its culture and values, about a specific field of expertise or about the last ergonomic mouse pad, be curious and don’t hesitate to develop your knowledge about many things. It may be helpful in the future to know about a certain subject before a translation, as this could save you time on research.
Finding clients
As a freelance translator, finding clients will become one of your top priorities besides translating. But keep in mind that clients can be found everywhere. It can be companies, institutions in every industry, universities around the world, individuals. And more importantly, remember to choose a strategy depending on your personality. Once again, if you have good communication skills, you can try direct clients. On the contrary, finding jobs with a translation agency might be more comfortable. You get to choose!
Here are a few resources you may explore to find clients:
- Online portals and directories
- Associations of translation companies
- Industry journals
- Google search
- Social media platforms
- Events
- Referrals
- Asking other translators for recommendations
Now that you are more familiar with the world of freelance translators, it’s up to you to use your best skills and adopt the strategy that suits you the most to start your dream job!
Lucas Lacouture
M1 TSM 2021-2022
La Traduction de A à Z 