Is it possible to live off translation?

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• AltaLingua, Curiosidades Traducción, Formación para traductores, Herramientas Traducción, Tips for translators, Translation curiosities, Translation tools

The time has come to choose your professional future but, you don’t know what to do? If you are passionate about languages and you have though about studying for a degree in translation, this post will interest you!

After a long process of analysing information about degrees related to language translation, one of the most tormenting questions is, can you live off translation?

To begin this type of study, it is essential to know whether your profile and skills would fit the world of translation.

That is why we explain the basic skills that a translator must possess:

• Mastering the languages of work.Being bilingual is a prerequisite for any kind of translation service. It is not only a question of knowing how to read and write the language with great ease, but also of analysing the context of the text in order to adapt it. Knowledge of the culture of the original and target country is essential to ensure that the translation respects the meaning of the original text.

• Knowledge of translation tools.A professional translator does not use automatic translators, but has the ability to use verified information sources, such as dictionaries, encyclopaedias etc. In addition to these sources of information, it is important to have knowledge about the most important translation software.

• Excellent writing. The fluency that a translator acquires when doing his work is fundamental for the text to be readable. Conveying the same message from the original language to the target language is a skill that takes a lot of practice.

• Organisation. Controlling and properly managing the time you have for each of the jobs you have been assigned will help you improve your productivity and work times.

• Specialise. Apart from the general knowledge and skills that a professional translator must possess, specialisation in specific fields is a very important requirement. Specialisation allows you to carry out both general and technical assignments, so your work requests will be much greater.

Once you have analysed this information, you will know whether your profile could be suitable for further study. But we know that apart from knowing if your profile fits, you care about making the right choice for your professional future.

Is it possible to live off translation?

As in all professions, the increased use of technology has facilitated the lowering of entry barriers into the profession, which could be seen as both positive and negative.

Nowadays, the important thing is to have a differentiating element that makes you stand out from the rest of the professionals. Creating your own personal brand and acquiring enough experience to be a reference in the market is complicated, but with effort and desire everything can be achieved.

The translation sector is mainly made up of freelance translators as it is easier to work as a freelance translator than as an in-house translator.

Perhaps one of the main problems with language translation degrees is that they often do not contain subjects that teach you how to enter the market with notions of marketing and business management.

The problem arises when the recent graduate goes out into the world of work accepting bad conditions and prices. This lack of knowledge will cause the acceptance of the same jobs through the fear of being rejected and being left without the work.

Therefore, carrying out a market study is a good thing for the student because it allows him or her to try out fair prices and conditions in accordance with the sector.

Answering the million dollar question of whether it is possible to live off translation, we will tell you that it is possible!

The digital world is a bridge for opening up different cultures, which makes it much easier for us to be closer to each other. Therefore, adapting to each target audience is essential to keep any company on the rise.

This adaptation requires, among other things, speaking the same language as our customers. It is at this point that both companies and individuals request the service of a professional translator, whether as a freelance translator or as a translation agency.

AltaLingua

AltaLingua is a trusted name in the translation and interpreting sector and provides language solutions in all languages for clients across the world. https://altalingua.co.uk/