Article: Getting Back on the Horse After Years Away Postavljač teme: ProZ.com Staff
|
|---|
| | | Getting back into Business of Translation | Jun 7, 2006 |
This article has just hit the raw nerve: this is exactly what I'm facing now. That's one of the reasons I searched the internet and came across this web site. How to get back into business after being away for far too long. I have the qualifications, the right education, I even had a very good lucky break to begin with: I worked for the government as an interpreter. But, life had got in the way and I had to make a choice between a secure 9-5 or insecure freelance work. Now I'd like to go... See more This article has just hit the raw nerve: this is exactly what I'm facing now. That's one of the reasons I searched the internet and came across this web site. How to get back into business after being away for far too long. I have the qualifications, the right education, I even had a very good lucky break to begin with: I worked for the government as an interpreter. But, life had got in the way and I had to make a choice between a secure 9-5 or insecure freelance work. Now I'd like to go back to translating and interpreting. I'm fine with the source language: English. But I need to re-learn my own (target) language: Serbo-Croat, Serbian or Bosnian or Croatian. This web site has given me the confidence to start all over again. Translation has become a very expensive business for the freelance translator: one has to keep abreast of all professional development and it doesn't come cheap in the UK - being professional costs money. All those seminars, certificates, diplomas that need to be updated, travel to former homeland, not to mention computers and software packages - they are all costly. Before you even start earning you need to spend. But I am determined to make a fresh start and dust all those old dictionaries and books of long ago. Enrol for new interpreting and translation diplomas, achieve new qualifications, network, renew the old and create new business contacts. I'd like to hear from other translators/interpreters how they got back into business after a break. Also an advice on how you re-learn your own mother tongue. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Thayenga 
Njemačka
Local time: 06:36
Član (2009)
engleski na njemački
+ ...
| Not a moment too soon | Dec 7, 2009 |
While reading this article I couldn't help but smile because it has been way too long since my last "real" translation. Many of the tips given here are matching what I'm doing at this point in time, exploring the site, reading articles, job offers, answering question just to get the feel of it back and so rekindle the flame.
The knowledge and the skills are still there, though they definitely need some duting off. I'm fortunate as to having a relatively secure job so that the pressu... See more While reading this article I couldn't help but smile because it has been way too long since my last "real" translation. Many of the tips given here are matching what I'm doing at this point in time, exploring the site, reading articles, job offers, answering question just to get the feel of it back and so rekindle the flame.
The knowledge and the skills are still there, though they definitely need some duting off. I'm fortunate as to having a relatively secure job so that the pressure of having to make money at all costs just to pay the rent and the bills doesn't exist. Therefore, I can get my knowledge up-to-date and do some private translations which will then enable me to provide clients with a pretty accurate word-per-hour estimate.
Having come across ProZ.com thus marks one of the great "discoveries" this year, and also encourages me to launch a freelance-translator career.
@ Tanja
In order to relearn your own mother tongue, I'd suggest that you start reading articles related to your fields of translation. This would improve your knowledge of modern terminology in your field/s and give you a "feeling" for the smooth flow of sentences. In any case, this is how I'm working on improving my own mother tongue.
Regards ▲ Collapse
| | | | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Article: Getting Back on the Horse After Years Away | Pastey | Your smart companion app
Pastey is an innovative desktop application that bridges the gap between human expertise and artificial intelligence. With intuitive keyboard shortcuts, Pastey transforms your source text into AI-powered draft translations.
Find out more » |
| | Protemos translation business management system | Create your account in minutes, and start working! 3-month trial for agencies, and free for freelancers!
The system lets you keep client/vendor database, with contacts and rates, manage projects and assign jobs to vendors, issue invoices, track payments, store and manage project files, generate business reports on turnover profit per client/manager etc.
More info » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
