The Translator Diaries: Series 1

The Translator Diaries is a series of interviews with tweeting translators, from some of Twitter's most established linguistic professionals to recent industry débutants.

Rather than reciting their CVs, the interviewees talked specifically about how and why they got into translation, how they acquired experience and qualifications, how they made the transition to freelancer, and how they survived the start-up phase. 

The series therefore provides inspiring accounts that can help translation students and newcomers to make decisions when it comes to breaking into the industry and making their career successful.

Series 1 ran on this website in March and April 2013. Read the interviews here:

• Megan Onions - 2 March 2013
• Clare Goodman - 9 March 2013
• Sarah Pybus - 16 March 2013
• Catharine Cellier Smart - 23 March 2013
• Lydia Smith - 30 March 2013
• Ramón Olivares - 6 April 2013
• Carolyn Yohn - 13 April 2013

A big thank you to all the contributors for sharing their story.

Also check out Series 2, which ran in summer 2013!

The Translator Diaries: Carolyn Yohn

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.

Carolyn Yohn (@untngldtransl8n) is a French and Hungarian into English translator based in the US, specialising in legal and academic texts. She has run untangled translations in Virginia since February 2012, having been in the industry since 2009.

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

Becoming a translator was just a logical extension of my interests, really. One of my earliest memories is of flipping through a French Babar book! I began studying languages semi-formally in elementary school through a wonderful program in my hometown, then narrowed in on French when I was barely a teen. In high school, just to stretch my legs a bit, I signed up for a student exchange year through the local Rotary club. They sent me to Hungary; I did not waste the opportunity.

Carolyn Yohn

What relevant qualifications and experience do you have?

I ended up with a BA in French, but minored in foreign affairs for good measure. Study abroad trips to France and Morocco, plus a pleasure trip back to Hungary, rounded out my academic career. After college, I took a job as an administrative assistant, which involved some proofreading; I quickly outgrew that and found a position as a copyeditor, in keeping with my language interests. Nights, I translated texts pro-bono through different online portals for the experience, and I signed up for distance courses through NYU in translation.

How did you get your first work as a translator?

My first translation job landed in my lap during my second month of college, at an American school in southern Switzerland. A professor was writing a book on Switzerland and the European Community; he could read all his Italian and German sources, but he needed help with the French. I became his research assistant for two semesters. That was really all the taste I needed to be hooked on this profession. It was a challenging assignment, but not impossible. I learned a lot about a topic I never would have studied otherwise. And it made me realize there was a need for someone with my skills. Up to that point, I really had no clue what to do with a language degree. 

How did you make the transition to freelance translation?
I quit my day job to translate full time in August 2012. The first few months I spent completing my Certificate in Translation and casually looking for work. It can be difficult getting steady work at first, but diligence does pay off eventually. Now that I have more time for sales and marketing, I am seeing great results. The best advice I have is to choose two specialties: one you love, no matter the demand, and one you like that people need. For me, legal translation pays my bills, and academic texts keep my day-to-day from being monotonous. Another big thing is to join your local translator association, if you have one. Translators are often generous, friendly people, and they'll think of you when they are swamped by work.

Do you find that agency clients really do require 5+ years' experience, a postgrad and half a dozen test pieces?
Agencies and individual clients don't seem bothered that I don't have a Master’s degree. In some far-off future, I may apply to a Hungarian university for a Master’s program, since furthering my education in that language outside that country is basically impossible, but it's too soon to tell.

Right now, my portfolio of work from my pro-bono days and my résumé seem reassuring enough for clients to hire me. I don't feel forced to accept minimum wage. I invested quite some time in making sure my website looks professional and my various directory listings are consistent and current. Having a listing in a rarer language in the American Translation Association’s directory doesn't hurt, either.

What major problems did you face and overcome? 

The biggest problem I faced in getting this far was being patient enough. You have to invest a lot up front to have the solid background in your languages, your writing skills, and your subject matter necessary for producing quality translations. You also have to be patient in seeing returns on your marketing and sales efforts. Ten emails today might garner one response next week. Don't lose heart! One response is often all you need, as long as you aren't undercutting the market.

Has it all been worth it?

Absolutely! I've picked up so much since the day I decided to turn my hobby into my career. My colleagues in the local translator association treat me as an equal, despite age and education differences. Finding a working style that suits some of my more personal needs, such as being able to take a day off to accommodate a migraine, without the penalty of losing vacation time, is just icing on the cake. I love what I do. My life is much fuller for this work. I can't wait to see where it will take me next!

The Translator Diaries: Ramón Olivares

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.

Ramón Olivares (@rolivares_net) is a freelance translator from English and French into Spanish and Galician. He has 7 years’ experience in the industry and specialises in international development, business and finance, sport and gaming. He is based in A Coruña in Galicia, Spain.

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

It was something I found out quite late, actually. I have always been very attracted to literature; I read a lot when I was a kid, so when I started thinking about my future job, I imagined myself typing exciting detective novels near the fireplace. However, I never got to write more than two pages, so when I grew up a bit, I started to consider becoming a journalist. That was before I learned there were people who actually earned a living translating novels, films, speeches, etc. I only became aware of this when I was about to end high school, but I felt immediately that was the path I wanted to take. I knew hardly anything of the profession, but I enjoyed English lessons, I adored Radiohead and Tarantino, I loved Ryan Giggs. It may sound a bit silly now, but back then I thought becoming a translator would allow me to be in contact with these things.

Ramón Olivares

What relevant qualifications and experience do you have?

I have a BA in English Language and Literature and an MA in Translation. Moreover, I completed the first 2 years of a PhD in Irish Studies. After completing the second PhD year, I decided it was time to invest all my efforts in translation. I don’t think it is essential to have a Master’s, but indeed it is an advantage, especially if you can specialise in some way. If I were to enrol now on a postgraduate course, I would choose something very specific. You have to specialise in order to be competitive.

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

It was quite smooth. When I got my BA, I moved to Ireland with my girlfriend and we spent a year in Cork city working in a call centre. A year later, I enrolled on an MA in Translation, as I had no specific translation training, and I also got a scholarship that allowed me to look for my first clients while completing my education. The institution where I worked as a research assistant also gave me the chance to translate my first book, which was a very valuable “medal” when I started sending applications to agencies.

How hard did you find it to build up a client base?

Finding clients is always hard at the beginning and it took me around two years to form a relatively solid client base. The most important thing to bear in mind is that the process never ends; you should always be looking for new and better clients.

What major problems did you face and overcome? 

I didn’t know anything about the profession when I started. I had to learn everything as I went along: how to use CAT tools, how to negotiate rates with clients, tax issues, etc. In this regard, being in contact with some colleagues or joining a professional association can make a real difference for recent graduates. Actually, for all translators. Isolation is not a good policy.

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

Test translations are apparently almost inevitable, even if you have years of experience. Nevertheless, no one has experience in the beginning but all of us have got to find that first client, so a lack of professional experience might be balanced with good tests, good references, volunteering for NGOs, and so on. Obviously, the better the client, the harder the requirements.

Has it all been worth it?

Indeed it has been worth it. It is not easy but it is exciting, every day is a challenge and you are (or should be) always learning. I love the profession and I love being a freelancer. Finally, I’d encourage future translators to work hard and hang on to their dreams.

Next week, the series concludes with an in-depth account from Carolyn Yohn (@untngldtransl8n) on the value of pro bono experience and how signing up for a student exchange year through the local Rotary club shaped her career.