The Translator Diaries: Lydia Smith

The Translator Diaries is a series that looks at how current freelance translators made it into the career. In this set of interviews, we will learn what makes them so passionate about translation, how they established themselves, and what obstacles they have overcome to succeed as a translator.

Lydia Smith (@smiffinch) is a French and Spanish to English translator with over 10 years’ experience. A former project manager, Lydia studied an MA in Technical Translation to help make the transition to freelance translator, and went on to win the ITI John Hayes Prize in 2012.

So, Lydia, at what point did you know you wanted to become a translator?
I studied French (and subsidiary Spanish) at Sheffield University. It was a fairly traditional, literature-based course, and I distinctly remember my tutor’s look of disdain when I said I would like to become a translator! I think it was considered a second-class career in the world of academia. But it was just what I wanted to do; I enjoyed translating, simple as that.

Lydia Smith

What was your first taste of the industry like?

I graduated in the early 90s in the middle of a recession, couldn’t afford to do a Master's degree, and jobs were scarce. So I headed off to Japan and taught English to pay off my student debts. This was followed by other teaching jobs in various countries (including Spain) and finally about five years later I returned to the UK, headed to London and somehow landed a job as a Project Manager in a small translation company.

I spent three years at the sharp end of things, which was quite an education! I worked in two small companies where I was pretty much in charge of all Production and had to deal with clients too. I gained a very good idea of the translation business, of clients’ often unreasonable expectations. If possible, I would always use translators that worked in the most professional manner – reliable, always on time, easy to communicate with, asked questions, etc.

Was a postgraduate qualification necessary for your translators to have?

There were translators with translation qualifications but little industry experience, those with industry experience but no translation qualifications (sometimes no language degree) and those that had both. To have both was preferable but I often found that people with industry experience (i.e. former lawyers, engineers, City traders etc.) were the best for certain jobs.

  

How did you make the transition to becoming a translator yourself?

I took an MA in Technical Translation (University of Westminster) in 2001, nine years after my first degree, as I did not have specialist industry experience, apart from teaching and the translation business. I think part of the reason I chose to do the MA was to give me confidence in my ability and to give me a better grounding, some of which I had lost in the years between my first and second degrees. I wanted to see if I was any good, and what fields I could specialise in.

Ideally, I would have liked to get an in-house job in London after the MA (for which I got a Distinction), but I was now married and fell pregnant in the April before my final exams. Straightaway, I began to set up as a freelance translator and within two or three months I was getting enough work, mostly from French agencies that I had written to ‘on spec’.

How did you settle back into your job after maternity leave?

When I returned to work, using a childminder three days a week, most of my clients came back to me, fortunately. I had decided to focus on business and marketing translations, and some legal such as contracts, having dealt with a lot of these during my time as a Project Manager.

When I became pregnant again, with twins, I took about ten months’ maternity leave and my main problem over the next few years was keeping all my clients happy, as naturally my time was limited. I ended up relying on one or two main clients, which did not work out well when the recession hit in 2010. So, I had a good long look at my business plan and implemented actions to revitalise and invest in my business, and of course gain new clients.

I haven’t achieved all these aims yet, as I still have a very hectic life in and out of the office, but I am now busy pretty much all the time. Most importantly, I have been able to spend time on professional development – becoming MITI and MCIL in 2011, attending more networking and CPD events, attending webinars, generally connecting with colleagues - and clients – more than before. 

You seem to have been very successful in establishing yourself almost immediately as a freelance translator with relatively little initial experience. What do you attribute this success to?

Looking back, it often surprises me that I picked up work very quickly as a freelancer after my MA, even though I did not have direct translation experience or a specialist background. I think partly this was due to pragmatism - I knew that some UK agencies only worked with MITI translators (which as a PM was something I always noted favourably on CVs) and therefore I did not target these agencies.

Secondly, perhaps it was my knowledge of the translation business and the way I presented myself to clients that helped me gain work. A lot of clients have come through word of mouth or contacts – other translators and existing clients. Of course clients come and go, but I still have a few that I've been working with for eight or nine years so I must be doing something right!

Any final pieces of advice?

I should also add that I joined the ITI and the IOL while on my MA course and have stayed a member of both institutes ever since, being actively involved in several ITI networks. These e-groups in particular were (and still are) a huge source of support, especially in the early days.

Next week, Ramón Olivares (@rolivares_net), a Spanish Hibernophile will talk about how his love of English-language literature and games led to his career as a translator.

The Translator Diaries: Catharine Cellier Smart

The Translator Diaries is a series that looks at how current freelance translators made it into the career. In this set of interviews, we will learn what makes them so passionate about translation, how they established themselves, and what obstacles they have overcome to succeed as a translator.

Catharine Cellier Smart (@Smart_Translate) is a British-born French to English freelance translator (and occasional interpreter) based in Réunion Island, an overseas department of France in the Indian Ocean, where she has lived for 18 years since 1990. Cath translated professionally part-time, in parallel with her job, from 1992 until 2008 before going full time.

Cath, at what point did you know you wanted to become a translator?

When my husband's job was posted to South Korea in 2008, I had to resign from my (non-language related) job in industry. Officially in South Korea I wasn't allowed to work, and when we learnt we were coming back to Réunion after three years in Asia, I decided I wanted to translate full time. I enjoy helping people understand each other – communication is extremely important in our lives, and translation is part of that.

Catharine Cellier Smart

What relevant qualifications and experience do you have?

I have a BA (Hons) language degree from a British university, an MBA from a French university Business School (IAE), and a certificate of translation (via distance learning). I have about 20 years’ experience translating, of which 18 years are part time and 2 years full time. 

Have you ever contemplated studying for a Master's in translation?

I would dearly like to study for a post-grad in translation, but I would prefer to study for it in person rather than via distance learning. Réunion Island has a university, but there are no suitable translation-related courses, and I can't just hop on the tube and go somewhere else. That's one of the frustrations of living on a remote tropical island. 

Do you think a postgraduate qualification is necessary or considerably advantageous?

I think there are some very good translators out there without formal translation qualifications. "A qualification does not a translator make".

How much experience did you have when you went freelance, and how hard did you find it?

Getting work is not always easy; most of my specialisations are in highly competitive fields, and my unique specialisation of Réunion Island/Indian Ocean islands isn't very much sought after. However, I find that when an agency really needs you, they don't worry about the experience, qualifications and test translations. And don't forget that agencies are not the only clients out there!

What major problems did you face and overcome? 

Making myself known, trying to stand out from the crowd, building up a clientèle. Fingers crossed, I've never had any payment problems so far.

Has it all been worth it?

Yes! There's no doubt. Although maybe that's the sort of question you need to ask yourself at the end of your career.

Next week, Lydia Smith (@smiffinch) explains how working as a Project Manager in a translation company put her in a good position to become a freelance translator and how she managed to remain successful whilst raising her children and during a recession.

The Translator Diaries: Sarah Pybus

The Translator Diaries is a series that looks at how current freelance translators made it into the career. In this set of interviews, we will learn what makes them so passionate about translation, how they established themselves, and what obstacles they have overcome to succeed as a translator.

Sarah Pybus (@PybusTrans) is a German to English translator with six years of experience, having worked in-house for five and a half years in Germany and the UK before going freelance in late 2012. She holds a BA (Hons) in English and German and an MA in Translation Studies.

At what point did you know you wanted to become a translator, Sarah?

It wasn’t really until university that I discovered translation and how much I enjoyed it. Careers advice had always been a bit scarce, and pretty much the only thing suggested to me at school was to become a librarian (presumably because I was quiet and enjoyed reading and languages). Had the idea of translation been put to me sooner, I might have chosen a slightly different university course (two foreign languages perhaps, or German coupled with a subject more obviously vocational than English Literature that would have allowed me to specialise in my translation career).

Sarah Pybus

What made you decide to pursue a postgraduate qualification in translation?

I decided to continue onto a Master’s course straight after graduating because I assumed it would be the best way of getting into the industry. Whilst my MA did prepare me somewhat, if I had my time at university again, I don’t whether I would have chosen the same course at the same university. A Master’s in Germanic Studies might have improved my language skills more, and a Master’s in Translation Studies at a different university might have served me better.

Would you say that having a Master’s is considerably beneficial?

As awareness of the translation industry grows, it does seem as though companies are more likely to consider candidates for both in-house and freelance work if they have a specific translation-related qualification (although this does not necessarily have to be an MA). However, I can only speak as someone whose entire career thus far has been related to translation, and I should also point out that some of the best translators I have worked with did not have any qualifications in translation, simply their language degrees.

How did you acquire experience translating?

When I finished my MA, I applied for freelance work, which didn’t succeed because I had no experience and couldn’t afford any CAT tools. I missed out on one in-house opportunity because I only offer one language pair. Eventually, I started working as a project administrator for a translation agency, which gave me first-hand experience of the pressures to which project managers are often subjected from all sides, and how freelancers can both alleviate and intensify the stress of their work.

I was fortunate enough to be offered a job as a junior translator at a company in Germany. It was a great experience – they gave me excellent training, my German improved immeasurably and I stayed for nearly three and a half years before returning to the UK. After a couple more years as an in-house translator at another company, I decided to relocate again and took the opportunity to go freelance. Unfortunately, it does seem as though the number of in-house positions available in the UK is dwindling somewhat. But if personal circumstances allow, working abroad is something I would definitely recommend to new translators.

Some agencies require their translators to have at least five years' experience. Do you think this is about right?

Having worked for over five years before turning freelance, I now have the years of experience requested by many translation agencies. Although I can understand that they want to use people with experience, five years does sometimes seem a bit excessive – after all, years of experience do not necessarily indicate quality. I have met translators with two years’ experience who are far better than others with 10.

In my particular case, the main problems I have faced in getting freelance work are my language combination – there are already many people translating from German to English – and the fact that many companies want freelancers to submit three references (although two are sufficient for most). Having worked for just two companies, I will not be able to provide three references until I have more clients.

Has it all been worth it?

Although it took me a while to actually start translating, I am happy with the way things have worked out so far. My experiences in the year after finishing university prompted me to move to Germany, and working as an in-house translator for a while gave me the confidence and professional background to strike out on my own. Now, I’m enjoying the flexibility and freedom that freelancing offers.

Next week, Catharine Cellier Smart (@Smart_Translate) tells us about the frustrations of working from a remote tropical island.

The Translator Diaries: Clare Goodman

The Translator Diaries is a series that looks at how current freelance translators made it into the career. In this set of interviews, we will learn what makes them so passionate about translation, how they established themselves, and what obstacles they have overcome to succeed as a translator.

Clare Goodman (@blaue_hortensie) is relatively new to the world of freelance translation and is currently halfway through completing an MA in Legal Translation at City University in London. Her story begins in 2010, when she was living in Germany during her year abroad as part of a 4-year BA degree in French and German.

At what point did you know you wanted to become a translator, Clare?

I had previously been curious of the translation industry as I had attended several language careers presentations at university; the main focus of these tended to be translation and interpreting, as these are obviously careers in which fluency in a foreign language is vital and central to the career, rather than just an extra asset that might occasionally come in useful. 

Clare Goodman

How did you go about getting experience?

When most of my classmates were signing up to do their year abroad at a foreign university, I was busy applying for translation internships and was extremely excited to be given a paid position at a company in Berlin. It was there that I had the opportunity to gain a realistic insight into the industry and quickly became aware of how valuable the ability to translate was, especially when combined with an area of expertise, such as medicine, technology, or law.

What made you opt to study for a postgraduate qualification?

I think being able to specialise in a particular field is incredibly important and is likely to make you very attractive to clients who require a translation within that field. I chose law as it is an area in which I am genuinely interested. Legal translations are also becoming increasingly in demand as more companies are going international, more people are buying property abroad, etc.

I think this qualification will reassure potential clients that I have a solid knowledge of both English and German law and am able to apply this knowledge to the source text in order to create an accurate translation of a legally binding document. I want my clients to have peace of mind that I actually understand the true nature of their important document and am not just someone who is fluent in another language is and blindly translating.

Surely peace of mind = more clients, more work! I think, however, that networking, marketing yourself and gaining all the translation experience you can is just as helpful as a postgraduate qualification.

How did you find it when you were first setting up as a freelancer?

It was in Berlin that I first decided to freelance. I sent so many emails to charities, companies and local businesses explaining my current situation and many of them were happy to give me a chance (albeit, not for a great deal of money to begin with!).

I went on to work for various individuals and companies through networking. All this really means is meeting new people. Although I did find clients by attending conferences/translators’ events, I also found work by talking to people on the train, and even down the pub.

As a result, I now have experience in translating a wide range of texts, from real estate, to plaques in museums, to company brochures, to film subtitles and children’s books. Never be afraid to ask and offer your services – if you don’t ask, you don’t get!

How can freelancers who are just starting out build up their portfolio?

Once clients see you can do a good job, they’ll give you more work and even recommend you. Gradually you’ll be able to spend less time marketing yourself, and more time translating. I see myself as still being very much on the ladder to becoming an established, successful translator, and am unsure whether I will apply for an in-house position or go freelance full-time once I have completed my MA, but it is certainly a worthwhile career that I will continue to pursue, because I enjoy the challenges it presents and love that every translation brings an insight into a new subject. I love learning new things and translators never stop learning.

Next week, Sarah Pybus (@PybusTrans) will be talking about the difficulties faced when attempting to go freelance straight after a Master's degree and the importance of in-house experience.

The Translator Diaries: Megan Onions

The Translator Diaries is a series that looks at how current freelance translators made it into the career. In this set of interviews, we will learn what makes them so passionate about translation, how they established themselves, and what obstacles they have overcome to succeed as a translator.

Megan Onions (@speechmarksxl8) has been translating since the age of 15! She now runs Speech Marks Translation in Herefordshire and translates from French and German into English. With nearly 6 years of professional experience, she specialises in travel and tourism, sport and leisure, fashion and design, and marketing and advertising.

At what point did you know you wanted to become a translator, Megan?               

I can trace this back to when I was around 15. We were all required to do a week’s work experience placement wherever we chose, so I searched high and low for companies with a translation department in my local area. I ended up going to a great, close-knit translation team within a polymer processing company, and my mentor guided me through a lot of both technical and general translation, as well as proofreading work done by external translators. The week really cemented my intentions, and I worked on getting volunteer experience (and finishing my GCSEs!).

Megan Onions

What relevant qualifications and experience do you have?

When choosing a university degree, I was looking for something different. At the time, there were only a small number of specialist translation degrees, and I found mine at Swansea University in South Wales. I had a great time there and the year abroad options were fantastic – I spent 5 months working as a translator at Volkswagen in Germany and a semester at the prestigious Ecole de traduction et d'interprétation (ETI) in Geneva, Switzerland.

During my degree, I started to work with a pregnancy and childbirth charity and carried out voluntary translations of clinical trial papers for them. I also spent two summers as an au pair in Austria, which did wonders for both my general confidence and spoken German. In addition to developing my language skills, I gained valuable knowledge of the translation industry from a series of internships in local companies.

How did you make the transition from university to freelance translation?

I started with a lot (and I mean a lot) of research, collecting and drawing inspiration from fellow translators’ CVs, and getting some experience with volunteer translations. After that, I just worked very hard and did a good job every single time, which made it easier to move on and get more clients.

I also found student membership of both the Institute of Linguists and Institute of Translation and Interpreting to be rewarding in terms of advice and networking. I have since moved up the membership ranks, contributed articles to the ITI Bulletin, and feel part of the community.

Having already established yourself as a translator, you have taken up an MA in Translation. Do you think a postgraduate qualification is necessary to have in the industry?

I certainly don’t think it’s necessary. I’m not doing an MA because I don’t think I could get work without it. I feel like I’m getting the best of both worlds, in that I’m getting that extra piece of paper, but not sacrificing too much of my working hours (at most, I have two two-hour lectures per week). 

You really have to decide for yourself what a Master’s will offer you, and if you need it. Everyone has a slightly different path to translation, and their previous employment or education may cancel out the need for further formal study.

Do you find that agency clients really do require 5+ years' experience, a postgrad and half a dozen test pieces?

If you work with languages of lesser diffusion, you may well find that your skill level outweighs the experience requirement. Even for more common languages, there are agencies that put more emphasis on your current abilities. I was speaking to a fellow translator only last week, who has worked as a project manager. She said that she has worked with some brilliant translators with only a few years of experience and, similarly, has had to clean up the mess left behind by a guy with more than 15. There are agencies out there who appreciate that.

How much experience did you have when you went freelance, and how hard did you find it getting work?

I have been very lucky when it comes to work, but I also work extremely hard. As soon as I made my mind up that my goal was to be a freelance translator, I set about getting as much experience as possible: pro bono work, translating news articles as practice and making glossaries for specialist fields. Of course, I was also translating in my lectures and workshops at university, too. All of this stood me in good stead for looking for paid work, which started while I was saving interesting-looking agencies to my favourites. I noticed that one of them was looking for translators working with German for work on medical reports – something which I had pro bono experience in. That was my way in.

What major problems did you face and overcome? 

As has been discussed by many colleagues (including this great post by Marta Stelmaszak), one of main problems is myself. Working at home can sometimes lead to feelings of isolation or issues with self confidence. I certainly had my fair share of doubts about my abilities when I started freelancing, and I can’t say that those feelings have completely disappeared, but feedback from clients and colleagues have helped me realise that I’m actually pretty good at what I do!

Has it all been worth it?

Absolutely! I’m pretty much where I wanted to be when I started out, and everything is coming along nicely to push on and make a great career for myself. I’m always working on ways to develop skills, gain knowledge and forge relationships to further my business, and I honestly couldn't enjoy it much more. In time, the career I have made for myself will lend itself to being adapted to fit around family commitments, and long-term job satisfaction was a really important factor in me choosing to go freelance.

Next week, Clare Goodman (@blauehortensie) will talk about why she is studying for an MA in Legal Translation and how it will benefit her and her clients.