Translators Prerequisites
If you are serious about becoming a translator
, you must be able to fulfill the following criteria, at the very least.
Your standard of education must be very high; with very few exceptions, a degree is essential, though not necessarily in languages - it is a positive advantage to have qualifications or experience in another subject. Postgraduate training in translation is useful. You must be able to write your own mother tongue impeccably in a style and register appropriate to the subject and have a flair for research on technical subjects.
You should have a thorough grasp of the
languages in your language combination; you must also be familiar with the culture and customs of the country. The only way to do this is by surrounding yourself with the language, i.e: by living/studying in the country where the language is spoken. German is spoken in 5 countries: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Luxembourg. There is no substitute for first-hand experience of living in a foreign culture, and as an Irishman living in Berlin, Germany.
It is best to have a specific field that you specialize in, be it literature, technical, medical, legal.
Have invested in a minimum of equipment and software - At a minimum you should have a computer and appropriate word-processing software; fax machine and internet connection; suitable dictionaries, preferably online dictionaries like LEO, which return results at the touch of button, saving you an enormous amount of time searching through printed dictionaries. A telephone; answering machine; increasingly, today's translators are also using translation memory software and other translation tools. In an office translation environment, the use of the Computer-Aided Translation (CAT)-tool Trados has become the standard. CAT-tools like Trados can cost quite a handful. If funds do not allow, seriously think about taking out a loan to cover start-up expenses. The investment will pay off.
While it is not the industry standard, Wordfast also offers a very resourceful alternative as it has the functionality of Trados , but doesn't cost you a penny.
Produce a well-typed, well-presented curriculum vitae, briefly describing your education, qualifications and the languages from which you translate.
A translator translates from a source language into a target language. You should translate only into your mother tongue. Make sure you mention any other degrees you may have or relevant work experience. Say how you produce your work and whether you can communicate by email or fax.
Never shy away from asking a friend who works in business or in the language world to take a critical look at your CV before sending it out. It is your career. If they can help you even more, all the better.
An online
translation forum is a great way of getting your foot in the door. Sign up for e-zines and newsletters.
You should send your resume and a short covering letter to possible places of employment: Not just translation companies though, try local exporting/importing firms of whose products/business you have special subject knowledge. If you are a student, there are plenty of companies out there looking to take on apprentices with a view to later full-time employment.
Aunes Oversettelser AS has been in the business for 26 years, and we are specialized in technical translations. We are specializing in the Nordic languages, and can offer services into Swedish, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Icelandic. The premier translation agency for Norway and the Nordic region! Technical translation services for businesses in the Nordic countries and translation agencies world-wide.
by: carmen
Enrich Your Cms Based Website With Professional Drupal Developer Varied Attractions Of This City Visited By The Cheap Flights To Wellington Brand Promotion Delhi Best Way For Using Website Content Writing? A Smart Solution-live Chat For Website How To Improve Your Website How Your Website Structure Can Affect Your Search Engine Rankings? The Importance Of Redundancy To An E-commerce Website Search Engine Optimisation For Websites With Global Content Methods To Obtain In Search Of Very Affordable Brazilian Bikinis Determine Very Best Sites To Go Loo Website Content Writer - Best Way To Improve The Website Performance How To Protect Your Website Against Hackers How To Choose A Domain Name For Your Web Site