After attending the SDL Trados Roadshow in Munich last week and chatting to some of the other attendees, I once again found myself pondering the life of the translator, especially that of the freelancer. Ever since deciding to work as a freelancer as opposed to working for an employer and physically sitting alongside colleagues, I’ve made a conscious effort to stay sociable as a translator. The job of any freelancer can be a lonely one, which makes securing and maintaining connections within the industry even more meaningful. This could be by attending local translator meet-ups, conferences or client events, by joining and actively contributing towards industry-specific groups and associations, or simply by having a good rapport with clients and fellow translators online, in person, or over the phone. It is this last point in particular that I fear we are losing, or at least being encouraged to dispense with, for the sake of increased efficiency.

It’s nothing new that life is becoming more and more automated. The pace is picking up, especially in the business world, where there is a growing expectation for immediate solutions to problems and increasing impatience if these solutions are not delivered pronto. In the translation industry, I feel day-to-day processes are being accelerated by two means. The most obvious, though not the focus of this blog post, is through the increasing incorporation of machine translation and the gradual shift, in some areas more than others, from translator to post-editor. The argument here being that less time is required for translation proper, resulting in increased productivity – quantitatively speaking at least – and thus greater translation capacity. If the translation itself is the product then the second means relates more to the packaging or, more specifically, the reduction thereof; the desire by some to streamline the overall translation process, whether in terms of preparing quotes, sending out requests or uploading files.

At one of the talks back at the Elia conference in February, I actually found myself fascinated by the way in which one speaker – a translator and agency owner – had embraced automation at his company, for instance by incorporating an automated quoting system. Rather than having to email to and fro, a platform had been developed allowing clients to simply upload their texts, indicate the specialist area, and immediately receive a quote. The same day I went for dinner with a fellow attendee who was telling me about an automated process he used to allocate suitable translators from a large pool of subject areas and language combinations to jobs that would come in over a similar system. For the sake of staying on topic, let’s assume that both these approaches to automation work like a dream. While this is all well and good in terms of a quick turnaround, and as much as I’m open to new technologies, a big part of me fears we’re losing the human side of what we do.

I imagine most of us who work in this industry, regardless of in what capacity, chose to work in it first and foremost because of our simple love of languages. With this comes an appreciation of different cultures, perhaps a keen urge to travel, to discover new places and new people, to converse and, insofar as possible, to communicate across borders and barriers. For me at least, that is the essence of why I do what I do. That and I like to talk. A lot. How sad then if in order to do our job – in order to facilitate communication – we are being asked to accept the opposite and have our own communication channels cut down.

It’s for all the above reasons that I hope we aren’t starting to witness the demise of our tongues beyond the products we deliver. It would appear that at some point the road pursued by the LSP splits into two. The first path seeks to drive forward the trend towards greater automation and less human communication in the hope for heightened productivity. It gets you from A to B precisely as the crow flies. Then there’s the other option, a second path that equally gets you from A to B but meanders slightly. It comes with a mountain backdrop and the twittering of birds. Both paths start and end in the same places, you simply have to decide whether you want to turn your trip into a more rounded experience or whether you’re happy to arrive at your destination aware of little more than the number of miles you’ve covered.

I’m a big believer in building and maintaining respectful client relationships. From taking the time to look at a text a client has not only created but also deemed important enough to warrant a translation, to deciding – from an LSP perspective – which translator would be the best fit for the assignment. And not just because they were the first to respond to an automated job request for a “medical” or “legal” text. I love to work with people who ask how I am, how my weekend was and whether Munich has had any snow yet. And they actually want to hear my response! They appreciate what I do just as much as I value them as my colleagues. They make long days at the desk that little bit brighter and more sociable.

By all means, every single one of us should be embracing, or at the very least experimenting with and developing our own opinions on, the latest technologies out there. I’m not advocating that we collectively shake our heads at technological advancement, neither in terms of MT nor process automation. However, I certainly hope that the rise in this kind of technology does not imply a breakdown in human contact. It’s one thing to work with a machine, but it’s another thing entirely to be treated like one. I’m sure there are clients out there who place emphasis on speed and convenience when choosing an LSP, who simply want to get the job done. But I believe there are just as many, if not more, who like to be more involved in the translation process and want to know who they are working with. No matter what side of the fence you find yourself leaning towards, I urge all of us not to lose touch with the human side of our work and not to forget what made us so passionate about our profession in the first place.

The conference kicked off with the welcome and keynote speeches, before it was time to get stuck into a busy day of presentations and proactive professional mingling! Three “tracks” were on offer over the two days, with sessions falling under the categories of relationships, processes and technology. Looking back over the schedule, I did a pretty good job of splitting my time between the three and I’m pleased to report that I came away with notes and scribblings a plenty, some of which have already brought about changes in my day-to-day work.
 
Personally, I found the session held by Delphine Guérou in the morning of day two to be the most useful and instantly applicable. In her presentation “Converting reference material: ready, steady, rock!”, Delphine introduced, among other things, an open-source alignment tool called LF Aligner which ultimately creates TMX files based on bilingual reference files, i.e. parallel texts or past translations for which you might not have a TM to hand. I’ve already found this to be such a useful tool. Recently, for example, a colleague passed a new client on to me who wanted a press release translating fairly quickly in an unfamiliar field. Luckily for me, the German company discussed in the press release has an excellent English translation of their entire website, including pages on the products specifically mentioned in the text. This meant that after feeding a few relevant pages of source and target text into the alignment tool, I was quickly able to create a TM that provided a great base for, and ensured terminological consistency in, the translation.
 
Similarly hands on yet completely different in nature was the presentation given by Iwona Bak on day one. Entitled “Hide and seek in partners’ recruitment”, Iwona discussed a number of ways to help translators stand out from the crowd and gain the attention of vendor managers. She described, for instance, how a recruiter would go about trying to find a translator, a process that was then flipped around to highlight how a translator can best be found. Advice here ranged from the obvious – including a CV on online profiles that can then be found by a relevant search – to things we may already do but not be fully aware of, such as using keywords specific to our work on our CVs and websites. A very useful tip here was to take a thesaurus and look up keywords that might be obvious to us to then draw our attention to other keywords that could also be incorporated, with the ultimate goal of increasing the chances of being picked up by a recruiter’s radar.
 
Besides the great many presentations on offer, another fantastic part of Elia Together was the Together Fair held at the end of day one. A number of translation companies were represented here both in a little booklet, which was really handy for preselecting companies that matched your specialisms and language combinations, and of course in person at various stands. Due to the sheer popularity of the event and the number of freelance translators in attendance, it did turn into a bit of a speed dating scenario, but it was still a great way of making initial contact with potential clients in person.
 
Alongside the many new companies at the conference, I was also fortunate enough to be able to put faces to the names of a couple of colleagues I already work with. This is something we don’t have the chance to do often enough in our industry, making this kind of event even more worthwhile. Just being able to put voices and personalities to the names often cropping up in our inboxes really helps bring our virtual workplace to life and reinstates an element of social interaction that many of us lose when predominantly working alone. As I’m writing this, I’m not-so-secretly hoping that there are people out there reading my emails, or this post, in a little Yorkshire accent – what a treat that must be!
 
In all, I think it’s fair to say my reconnection with the more human side of our industry was a great success and well worth straying away from my screen. If you happen to have missed this year’s conference and are now wishing you hadn’t, worry no more! Plans are already under way for Elia Together 2018, quite possibly in a slightly sunnier location... Watch this space!

A very open question to kick off – why should freelancers bother with business cards? There are so many ways for freelancers to advertise themselves nowadays, are they really necessary?

Though you are right to say that there are so many ways to advertise these days, (online especially), I would argue that a business card is less about advertising and more about a simple form of communication. It's a potentially sealed deal, or at least a "call to action" (as they say), when meeting someone one-to-one. A business card won't do the job for you, but it will connect you to your contact details which someone will then have to hand. It may not create business immediately, but when a potential client recalls you and your services, there's a better chance they'll get in touch if a business card is lurking in their wallet or desk drawer.

What kind of information should be included on a business card? How text-heavy should it be?

As with many applications of graphic design, "less is more" usually rings true. However, when it comes to deciding which contact details to include, technology has provided us with various portals of communication. Tricky part is understanding which ones your potential clients prefer to use. Having two to three options covers a lot of bases. Whether the person wants to speak to you right now (telephone) or just wants to know a bit more or is shopping around (email), the important factor is how you want to receive these forms of communication. If you're often not around to pick up the phone, for example, then it may do your business more harm than good to include a telephone number.

Is there a standard size that should be adhered to?

As with many formats there sadly isn't an international standard, but most are similar. This is presumably based on pocket/wallet sizes, (being a similar size to things like credit cards). To stand out, many companies and professionals are now breaking this mould. Some opt for bespoke die cut shapes, different ratios and even different materials. The key is then to ensure that the attention-grabbing factor outweighs the frustration of the card perhaps not fitting comfortably into a wallet...

Would you recommend choosing a card with content on both sides, or would one side be enough?

"Less is more" still applies here, but having a whole other side and not using it is just wasted. It shouldn't necessarily be an opportunity to pile in more content, but more a space to say something about you/the business visually. Branding aside, a cute photo of a kitten would be better than a blank space.

Do you have any tips for creating a logo or image that others can connect to you?

Tricky one. It's hard to suggest a tip without going into the whole reasoning behind branding, but I would say that it is well worth having a logo or image. The shorter the thinking time between associating your (business) name with what your business does, the better. Branding is something that shortens that gap.

How important is colour choice?

It depends on what you're trying to achieve. As with all visual factors, (shape, size, weight, font) if it communicates the wrong message then it could produce serious negative results.

Comic Sans is known for causing a bit of a stir when it comes to the wonderful world of fonts – what should be considered when choosing a font?

All kinds of things should be considered, from how you want to come across to simple technical aspects such as legibility.

There are plenty of different templates, not to mention low prices, at several online one-stop shops for business cards... opinion?

I accept this is part of the commercial world but, like many things, if you want to take cheap options then you're likely to get cheap results. If you want to be perceived as generic then go for something generic. Technology is putting more control in the individual’s hands. This is great for people who may never have had the opportunity to create their own branding before, but this does create a sea of mediocre (more often than not: bad) output. Although you could argue that this helps the truly good work shine. My frustration with the availability of these “one-stop shops” in terms of what I do is that many don't believe there is a genuine skill (or even talent) to graphic design and thus think it isn't worth paying for because the impact of bad design often isn't instantly obvious.

What’s the difference between creating business cards in Word and drafting in a graphic designer to do the job for me?

Likely the difference between a good and bad business card, haha. Again, it often isn't obvious to people what looks good and bad because it's not their job to make this distinction. Also, Word is simply the wrong tool. Terrible analogy, but I don't try to cook my dinner in the fridge.

When it comes to printing the cards, where do I start? What do I need to consider?

Printing is the final stage of the product and should be considered as carefully as the design itself. Paper weight, type, quality, and cut are just as important as the design factors. Again, as with anything, if you go for quick and/or cheap, the quality will suffer. If you go to a professional printer’s (and not chain store that offers a whole range of products and services) then you are more than likely to get back something professional. Professional printer's will be run by people who not only know their stuff, but will actually care about the product you're trying to create.

Thanks Adam, this has given us plenty of food for thought!

I never dreamed in a million years I’d end up living in Munich and working as a translator. I’d always been good at languages at school and so it was a natural choice to go on to study them at university. I studied French and German at Newcastle University and I guess it wasn’t until my year abroad that I started to consider a career in translation. Even then, I was too wrapped up in uni life and wasn’t really thinking about what I might do after I graduated. That was still two years away, after all. When it came to the year abroad there were three options: study, teach English for the British Council or do a work placement. Any combination of those options could be done as long as roughly the same amount of time was spent in a French and a German speaking country. At that point I had a friend who was studying in Paris. I’d been to visit her and had fallen in love with the place. I became adamant that I had to spend the French part of my year there, no matter what. I’d already ruled out teaching – it’s really not my thing. My university had no connections with the Sorbonne or any other higher education institutes in Paris and so I was left to my own devices to find myself a work placement there, which I did. Great, I was moving to Paris! That was the dream. But I still had to decide what to do in Germany.

I had no idea where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do in Germany. After speaking with my Mum – rather annoying how she always seems to know best, but that’s another story – we decided that doing a work placement there, too, was the way to go for me.

I had no idea where to even start looking. I went to the Newcastle language school for advice and they told me it had been a few years since anyone had expressed any interest in doing a work placement in Germany. Still, the secretary dragged down a ring binder – covered in a layer of dust may I add – and I began to look through the rather limited contacts to see if there was anything I fancied. To be honest, I wasn’t really bothered. I was so excited about going to Paris it didn’t seem like such a big deal at the time. I emailed a few of the contacts and waited to see what would happen. After receiving several replies and offers, I ended up opting for one that was based in Munich – a six-month placement in the translation department of an international company with its headquarters in the Bavarian capital. What I hadn’t realised at the time was that the company was one the biggest employers in Munich and amongst the top 100 employers in Germany. So I was moving to Paris, but first I had six months to spend working as a translation assistant in Munich!

I guess I was a bit naive when I first started. I had done some translation as part of my degree but I had never learned anything about translation techniques, research, the importance of good grammar... A month into the placement I realised two things: I loved Munich and I loved my job! I was doing a lot of proofreading but I also got the chance to translate some short articles for the company’s intranet site and bi-monthly company magazine. It gave me an amazing sense of satisfaction to see my work published. My two colleagues were amazing. They had both been in the industry for over 20 years and patiently taught me all the skills needed to produce quality translations. Suddenly, six months had passed all too quickly and it was time to move to Paris. I was gutted to be leaving and I knew then that translation was the career for me.

Fast forward a year and my finals were approaching. Friends were starting to apply for jobs and go for interviews. Everyone was talking about ‘London’ and ‘grad. schemes’. I panicked. It was just a few months until I graduated and I had no job lined up. I knew that I wanted a career in translation, but when I looked into it, it seemed I needed either an MA or much, much more experience than what I had. I applied for a couple of positions in the UK but to no avail. Most of the companies didn’t even respond to my applications. I got quite down about it all so I decided to contact the company I had worked for in Munich on my year abroad. They’d told me to keep in touch, after all. They were delighted to hear from me and said I could go back and do another six-month placement with them. I’d secretly been hoping for more to be honest but there was no scope in the company budget for a third full-time translator.

So I moved back to Munich to start building up my experience. The six months came and went all too quickly again and I was back to not really knowing what to do next. I applied for more translation jobs in Germany and in the UK but I still didn’t have enough experience. I didn’t have enough money saved up to start up as a freelancer and ended up moving back to the UK. The job situation had gone from bad to worse as the economic crisis worsened and I ended up temping. Not quite the dream career in translation I’d had in mind. I considered at that point doing a Masters in translation but financially it just wasn’t an option. Sick and tired of it all I decided to go travelling for a few months and when I returned I was lucky to find a job using both my languages. It wasn’t in translation but I’d have been silly to pass up the opportunity. It was by no means my dream job: the opportunities to progress within the company were limited and after three years I began to get itchy feet. After a particularly horrendous Monday I was all for handing in my notice and starting a translation MA. I got home that night to find an email out of the blue from the company in Munich. One of my former colleagues had decided to take early retirement and there was a position available! I had to double take. I couldn’t believe it. If I was interested, the company would fly me out for an interview the following week. I flew out for the interview and got the position. The company looked favourably on the fact that I had done two placements with them previously, that I knew the company and that I had experience in the industry.

And that’s the story of how I became an in-house translator. It wasn’t as straight-forward getting to where I am now as I might have hoped, but I got there eventually and it was well worth the wait. I love my job. It goes without saying that having an MA in translation is seen by employers and clients as greatly advantageous, but my story also goes to show that it is possible to enter into a career in translation without necessarily having the “expected” qualifications. A bit of perseverance, determination and willingness to go out there and find some experience, even if it is unpaid, goes a long way. I was lucky enough to get my foot in the door during my Bachelor degree. If there are people reading this out there who are doing a BA in or with modern languages and are contemplating what to do on their year abroad, take some time to think outside the box. Teaching and studying appeared to be the popular choice going off the track record of previous years’ students at my university, especially for those who weren’t actually studying any business modules.  In fact, there’s a whole spectrum of industries that you could explore as part of your course – translation being just one of them. The choice you make could have more of an influence on your future career than you might ever realise at the time.

I hope that this story inspires anyone considering a career in translation who perhaps finds themselves in a similar situation to the one I was in. Good luck and don’t give up on the idea!

As previously written in the article on CPD, taking advantage of opportunities to actively develop your professional skills can only be beneficial. With this in mind, at the end of May this year, I bravely took a step out of my comfort zone and signed myself up to the “Interpreting the Future” conference, organized by the BDÜ and held on 28-30 September at the Freie Universität in Berlin.


This was the first translation conference I had attended and after looking over the conference programme and pondering the various seminars and talks on offer, I was very much looking forward to getting stuck into the weekend. I chose to attend seminars and workshops which focussed on areas I specifically work in or often come into contact with, as well as a lecture on how to market yourself as a translator.


The conference was kicked off with an opening session which included a keynote speech by the German Minister of Education and Research, Professor Annette Schavan. Professor Schavan emphasised the need for and perception of translators and interpreters as communicators of culture, not just as a means of getting from language A to B. Besides this, she also touched on the much debated topic of the expectancy of politicians from different countries to be able to communicate in English, quite rightly commenting that this is not the way forward – how can two people be expected to discuss matters of such importance in a language which neither of them fully master? Translators and interpreters are essential in bridging this gap.


The conference was made up of a number of sessions which covered a wide and diverse spectrum of topics and ensured there was something on offer for everyone. Some were aimed at giving a broader overview of a specific subject area, for example a workshop I attended on mergers and acquisitions. Being an area that is often touched upon in other translations, rather than a field I specifically work in, I had prepared myself in advance by reading around the topic online. This meant that I could go into the workshop with a rough idea of the various types of mergers and acquisitions, and with a basic knowledge of the situations in which M&As take place. The presentation was well-structured; the speaker was extremely knowledgeable; and the information was well-received by all participants, regardless of their experience in the field.


By contrast, another session I attended was a medical seminar, part of which was very much focussed on the translation of one specific document type – the “benefit dossier” or “Nutzendossier” which is provided by a drug’s manufacturer and used to document the benefits of a new drug. This talk was extremely useful in giving a more detailed account of what to expect if asked to translate such a document.


The session that proved to be my personal highlight of the conference was entitled “Marketing for translators and interpreters”. The three speakers each competently addressed a slightly different aspect of marketing and were very open in their talks and subsequent discussions. Practical topics were presented, such as how to make yourself stand out on the market; how to set your prices; how to know what to charge; how to cope when work’s running thin; and how to acquire direct clients. This gave a lot of food for thought in terms of how translators and interpreters (should) see themselves as a brand or a business.


All in all, the conference proved to be very beneficial. Not only did it provide an opportunity to clearly gain a great deal of knowledge, but it also allowed participants to meet other like-minded professionals, exchange experiences, and come away with plenty of thoughts on how to enhance both their translation and business skills.

Preparing to attend an industry conference


Read through the conference information

At the very least, you should prepare yourself for a conference by making sure you go over the available material released beforehand, be it a website or emails sent specifically to prepare attendees. Not only will this provide information on the conference content, but will also cover essentials such as what time and where you have to register by, directions to specific buildings, forms of public transport, parking facilities, etc. One thing I found useful in my role a project manager was that the BDÜ had compiled a list of attendees on a password-protected section of their website, which had been set up especially for attendees. This allowed me to meet up with a couple of translators who have spent many years working for my translation office and finally put faces to names!


Research specific topics

Even if you have signed up to “introductory” sessions as I did by signing up to the M&A seminar, you should still ensure that you have a very basic understanding of the topic. With the wealth of quality information available on the internet, there really is no excuse for going into a session completely unprepared. Investing a couple of hours in advance will go a long way to you understanding and following the discussion, thus considerably improving your own knowledge of the topic.


Dress for the occasion

The phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover” exists for a reason. All too often we let our first impressions influence our perception of people, especially in environments where you might only have a minute or two to speak to colleagues, industry professionals and possible future clients. A couple of speakers mentioned that having a good “elevator pitch” will help you be remembered by others. Similarly, heading to a professional event looking like you’ve been dragged through a bush might not do you any favours!


Business cards

When you’re at the start of your career, you might not have really given much thought to having business cards designed; however, having professional business cards to hand is hugely important and useful when networking and is something that has certainly now been bumped up my own to-do list! Admittedly it has been on there a while, but while you are still “finding yourself” as a translator (figuring out your specialisms, creating your own corporate identity as a service provider) it is very easy to put this off. However, having cards which simply state that you are a translator from X into Y languages, together with a telephone number, email address and website if you have one, will suffice in terms of giving very basic information and is a very easy yet worthwhile way of making yourself more accessible. Note to all – printing your own on supermarket-bought card the night before a conference may be a step in the right direction, but pulling these out of your bag in exchange for professional cards might get a little embarrassing… cutting in straight lines is an acquired skill!

Going back over my notepad…


Over the weekend there were definitely a few tips and snippets of information that emerged as recurring themes or were simply good pieces of advice. Here are a few tips I noted down:

• If you’re translating a press release, always translate the title last: you’ll have a much better feel for the article and the message it wishes to convey.

• When proofing work, it helps to put the text in a different font and then print it out. This makes it feel like you’re reading a new text, and not the same one for the umpteenth time.

• Develop an “elevator pitch” for when someone asks what you do, you never know if you are speaking to a potential client. Get creative: telling someone you’re a translator from A language into B language specialising in XXX is absolutely fine, but see if you can think of something that will make you stand out from the crowd.

• Keep online profiles polished and updated.

• Speak to clients in their own language.

• Be as passionate about the text/industry as the client. This means doing your homework, reading the same industry news as the client, etc.

• Don’t be a slave to CAT tools. Some texts are more approachable when you see the bigger picture, for example in terms of playing with sentence structure in a complex paragraph. CAT tools can sometimes be more restrictive than helpful.

• Localisation doesn’t just apply to website translation, but could also be applicable to weights and measure, temperature units, names, currencies, and even pictures. Imagine a photo of someone opening their window – does this swing inwards or outwards in the TL culture, and which side is hinged? Getting this wrong could make the text feel more foreign than if pictures relevant to the TL culture were inserted into the TT. Of course these aspects, and many of those mentioned above, should be discussed with the client.

Continuing professional development, or CPD, is a type of further education or advanced training which leads on from formal, initial education – i.e. a BA or MA – and is continued throughout a professional’s career. The key aim of CPD is to keep professionals abreast of changes and developments in their field. In some professions this is obligatory, such as for doctors and lawyers who need to be aware of the developments taking place in their profession in order to remain current and provide a competent service.

For freelance translators, CPD describes the conscious steps taken to deepen knowledge in a whole spectrum of areas, for example, to improve translation techniques, develop strong business models, or broaden expertise. As we are well aware, translation software, to take a specific example, is constantly being developed and updated, as are the file formats it uses and the range of functions it provides. Not only are we to assume that these developments are for the general good of translation, thus it would be extremely beneficial for us to be aware of them, but we should also be mindful of a software’s life cycle: as new versions are created, old versions are phased out. The same applies to language: as demonstrated in Bill Bryson’s “Mother Tongue” – the book that just happens to be tucked into my bag at present – language is constantly evolving and changing. For the most part, these changes are very gradual; however, take a moment to consider all the technological advances and new findings which arise in just one year, not only in IT and technology, but also in medicine, physics, chemistry, business, geography… the list goes on. In all of these areas, new discoveries are constantly being made and new processes continuously developed, resulting in the formation of new linguistic terms and concepts. Our ability to keep up with these changes keeps our services current and effective in the long term.

Despite CPD not necessarily being a “required” element of working as a translator, it is still strongly encouraged by translation organisations, with some organisations asking for proof of CPD in order to reach the higher membership tiers of their organisation. So how can we actively undertake CPD?


Workshops and conferences
Despite being the more time and money intensive variant of CPD, attending events in person is not only great for gaining knowledge, but also for embracing networking opportunities and prising us often solitary beings away from our desks! Visiting and contributing to online forums is, of course, another way of discussing elements of translation and interacting with other people; however it just isn’t the same as speaking to someone face to face.

Conferences and workshops tend to be provided and advertised by organisations, university departments and other language specific groups and websites. Take a look at the websites hosted by relevant professional organisations to find details on upcoming events, for example:

• Chartered Institute of Linguists Training
• ITI Events Calendar of Events
• ATA Calendar of Events

Webinars
Webinars are the newest and probably the easiest way of attending talks from the comfort of your own home. Webinars are offered to professional linguists by a variety of language service providers, from CAT tool developers to translation organisations. They focus on an array of topics and can range from being offered free-of-charge to costing up to around £40 (based on personal experience!).

For more information and details on upcoming translation webinars, see eCPD Webinars which hosts both its own webinars, as well as webinars on behalf of organisations, i.e. the UK-based ITI. Also take a look at websites belonging to translation software providers which tend to offer general webinars introducing their software, as well as specific webinars on certain functions. Another useful source is the Training for Translators website which gives a comparative overview of a number of CAT tools.

 

Self-study
As recent translation graduates will be well aware, there is a whole host of literature available both on aspects of translation and areas of specialism. Once I finished my university course and set out to become a “real” translator, I found that many of the course books I had used weren’t so relevant to “real” translation. The one book I did find extremely useful and practical during my studies was a textbook on audiovisual translation, published by St. Jerome Publishing. After searching for the publisher online I was pleased to find an extensive range of literature focusing not only on general translation techniques but also on specific specialist areas. Despite not being a legal translator myself, I often have to deal with legal language in all sorts of “non-legal” documents. In my quest to improve my own legal knowledge and therefore feel more confident when such language crops up, I purchased the St Jerome title Legal Translation Explained, which I can only recommend. The various chapters cover wide-ranging elements of the law and legal systems, detailing the types of language used in different types of documents and suggesting translation approaches that should be considered in each case.

Besides reading subject-specific literature, another way of actively undertaking CPD is by immersing yourself in your source language, especially if you are not resident in a country where your SL is spoken. This doesn’t have to be by reading technical manuals or medical pamphlets, but rather by reading the news, listening to the radio, or watching films in your SL to prevent those carefully acquired tongues from fading away. Especially now, in the era of the Internet, it is incredibly easy to get hold of foreign language material well-suited to this purpose.

It could also be worthwhile looking up popular industry journals and magazines as you start to recognise which areas you tend to work in more often.

Back to basics
If, like me, you (fairly) recently graduated from a translation degree course, it’s well worth you going back over your notes and handouts, and picking out any that may prove useful before they get hidden away somewhere. This might not lend you new knowledge, however it will stop you forgetting some of the things you spent hours writing essays on! Not only could this be useful for brushing up on CAT tool features, but also for going over tutor feedback on previous translations and pinpointing areas of your actual translation skills that you could spend some time on as part of your CPD.

A more long-term option, once you begin to see what fields you are getting more work in or which areas you enjoy and might like to expand on, might be to go back to formal education in order to strengthen a particular subject area and make you more competitive as a translator. This doesn’t have to mean another three-year university course, but could also be achieved through a part-time course, evening classes, or a distance learning programme.

Business advice
Something that tends not to be taught as part of a university translation course is how you actually run a business. Where do you have to register? How do you deal with taxes? Do you have to open a separate bank account? There is no single answer for any of these questions; each depends on your individual situation. It is, however, well worth searching for organisations in your country of residence which give help and advice that can be tailored to your specific circumstances.

Business link is a UK-based organisation that provides a wealth of free information and workshops for people setting out to start a new business. The advice offered on their website is extremely useful for providing an overview of the initial steps to take and points to consider when starting out.

Also don’t forget about groups you are already part of: speak to an advisor at your local bank, make an appointment with your university’s careers centre or, if you are still studying, suggest that your department arranges an extra seminar on the business side of becoming a freelance translator. Banks, careers centres and even tax offices will provide a range of leaflets geared to respond to frequently asked questions which may also be useful as a starting point.


As discussed above, there are endless ways in which you can approach CPD, just as there are various areas you could choose to develop and strengthen. Think about the areas which you personally feel you need to work on, be it a specialised field of work, a piece of software, or language skills. By regularly undertaking CPD, you will constantly build on your own knowledge, which, in turn, will improve your confidence and help you to sell yourself as a quality-conscious language service provider.

It’s fair to say that when it comes to word documents, spreadsheets and presentations, translators are generally in their comfort zone. Many of us have been brought up using this type of software and we continue to use it on a daily basis today. However, how many of us can truly say that we are experts when it comes to general office software?

If you went out and bought the newest smartphone, you wouldn’t just buy it, charge it, give someone a ring and send a couple of texts; you’d go beyond this, exploring what other functions and applications the phone has to offer, thus getting the most out of your new investment. So why don’t we have the same attitude when it comes to the software we use every day – the software without which we would have difficulty working as a translator?

This section of sourcetext-targettext shall be used to collect tips which aim to improve your use of office software and, in turn, speed up your productivity, as well as covering formatting issues and other general functions which can ease the translation process and improve the quality of the end product. It may not be the most exciting read (sensible and practical texts don’t tend to be the most catchy) however it hopes to be useful – not just for new translators, but for anyone who has trouble stepping out of their little zone of IT comfort.

We aim to build up these tips over time – feel free to send in tips of your own using the contact form!

Tip #1 – Compare documents
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Situation: you are sent an existing source text and translation, along with an updated source text. The updated source text shows no marked changes, leaving you to go through the two source texts, looking for which sections (or words, or even the odd number!) have changed.

Solution: rather than spending time either checking the old translation against the new source text, or checking the source texts against each other manually, Word can do this for you at the click of a button. Open one of the source text documents, go to the Review menu, click on “Compare” and select the other source document. This creates a new document which tracks any changes between the two texts. You can now amend the target text much more easily and quickly by referring to these changes.

(Specific example for Word 2007, this function is available in other versions of Word, i.e. under the Tools menu in older versions)

Tip #2 – Header and footer on first page only

Situation: you are translating a letter written on company headed paper, with the company’s financial details at the bottom of page 1. Rather than typing these details into the document as if it were the body of the letter, you would prefer to use a header and footer. However, when you do this, the same information appears on every page of the document, not just on page 1.

Solution: select the “Insert” toolbar, then go to add a header. This will bring up a specific menu for the header, where you can check the box next to “Different first page”. This then means that any header or footer you add to page one is intended for this first page only, and anything else you insert from page 2, i.e. a page number in the footer, shall appear on all other pages.

(Specific example for Word 2007, this function is available in other versions of Word, i.e. under “Page setup” then “Layout” in the File menu in older versions)

If you’ve never had to write an invoice before, knowing where to start and what to include might not be all that straightforward. That’s why we’ve put together an in-depth guide covering everything a freelance translator needs to know when it comes to invoicing.

Creating a template:
If you’re confident using programs such as Excel, it’s recommendable to create a template from scratch. This allows you to include all and only the specific information which is relevant to your work, and gives you the freedom to structure the document as you see fit. Excel offers the advantage of being able to calculate totals or VAT amounts based on pre-defined formulae, which saves having to do the Maths manually. If you’re not confident working in Excel, either have a go at creating a template in Word, or search online for a ready-made template which you can then adjust to suit your needs.

What to include:
- The word “Invoice” at the top of the page
- Your name, company name if applicable and address
- Optionally, your qualification and/or job title
- Client name and address, specifying the name of the actual person who commissioned the translation
- Invoice date
- Invoice number
    - Each invoice must have a unique reference number. Create an invoice number which will allow a sequence to
    build up over the months and years - i.e. YYMM## (for the third invoice in March 2011: 110303)
- Job details
    - Brief description 
    - Client’s project/order number, if applicable
    - Date of assignment and delivery
    - Rate (i.e. cost per word) and units (i.e. how many words)
    - VAT if applicable 
            - VAT rules vary from country to country, you’ll need to check what applies for your country
    - Total amount due 
            - Make this clear - in bold or a larger font - so it doesn’t get lost among the other numbers and information
            on the invoice
    - Payment period 
            - A payment period of 30 days is fairly standard. If you are involved in a project which is spread over
            several weeks or months, a good idea would be to agree upon a system of regular invoicing with the client.
            This could be done on a monthly basis, or it could be split up into three parts as is common in other
            industries, i.e. a payment upon assignment, a payment midway through the project, and a final payment
            upon completion.
    - A “thank you” note
    - Your bank details
            - Account holder
            - Bank name
            - Account number
            - Sort code
            - IBAN / Swift numbers if your client is based abroad

Sending your invoice:
Always check whether new clients are happy to receive your invoice by email or whether it has to be signed and sent by post; be aware that in some countries, invoices sent electronically are not recognised by law.

If you send your invoice electronically, make sure it’s saved in a “read only” format, such as a PDF file.

Language:
A rule of thumb is to write your invoice in the language spoken where the client is based. This holds especially true for larger companies which may have a separate accounting department responsible for processing your invoice. If this is a language you don’t speak, i.e. if an Italian agency hired you for a Russian – English translation, then writing in the language you’ve been communicating in would be the next best option.

Many translators use bilingual invoice templates which can overcome the possible language barrier mentioned above: if this is a route you choose to go down, make sure the information is laid out clearly and concisely.

When to invoice:
It’s completely up to you when you choose to do your invoicing. There are translators who send through their invoices on a per job basis, waiting a couple of days after the finished job has been sent, whereas others prefer to set time aside at regular intervals, i.e. sending out invoices at the end of each month for all jobs completed within that month (preferred for regular clients).

Contrary to the advice given on many online forums aimed at freelancers, sending the invoice together with the completed job might not be ideal in the case of translators. Although you may have finished the job assigned, it could be that additional files are sent for translation shortly after delivery which you might then want to invoice together with the rest of the project.

Keeping track:
When it comes to tracking jobs and invoices, organisation is key. Use a spreadsheet or table to keep a clear record of all your jobs, including specific details as listed above. Have columns where you can enter the invoice date, and mark off jobs once they’ve been delivered and subsequently paid. Not only will this allow you a clear overview of your business, but it will also mean that the invoice details are ready to be copied and pasted directly into your template.

If you belong to the ever reducing population of printer-users, it might be an idea to keep hard copies of invoices in a folder, then you can simply cross them off or throw them away as payment is received.

You should also keep an “invoices” folder on your computer, with subfolders for “pending” and “paid” invoices. It’s also worth keeping a “templates” subfolder where you can store invoice templates for different clients. 
 
Late payments:
It’s completely up to you how you proceed with clients who haven’t paid your invoice within the specified period. A general suggestion in the translation community is to leave sending late-payment notices until a week after your payment deadline as delays could be incurred which are out of the client’s control, such as delays at the bank with wire transfers. If payment has still not been received by this point, send a polite yet firm reminder, including the invoice number, and ask that the receipt of this reminder be acknowledged.

This article is by no means the be all and end of the world of invoicing, but rather aims to erase some of those question marks which tend to appear when you have to come to grips with a completely new process. As with any financial and legal aspects of business, you should always check what laws and regulations apply to invoicing/bookkeeping in your country.

“Well, duh. Everyone can write an email” is what you’re probably thinking, but you’d be surprised. This article isn’t about how to write the content of an email – that’s a given. What it aims to get you thinking about are the all important aspects which go beyond the email body; smaller considerations which often go forgotten; elements which will make your email stand out as professional and well thought out, which are of particular importance when writing an email to advertise your services as a translator. Here are a few things to think about... and a few to avoid:

• Your email address – "likklebunny83@hotmail.com" just isn’t going to cut it. A simple "your_name@..." is much more professional. Including your whole name in the email address rather than a nickname or pseudonym also means that you can be found again more easily if your email is in among fifty others received the same day.
• Don’t neglect the subject line! The subject line is the first piece of information a recipient receives when they log onto their email system. Make sure that a) you have one and b) it clearly reflects what you’re emailing about in as few words as possible. A good example is an email from a new translator introducing themselves to an agency – rather than your subject line being “Future work” or “Application”, make sure you include the language combination in there too. Then, if the agency has a specific folder for new translators, they don’t need to search through your email body to find out what it is you’re offering, instead the information is right there for them.
• Tone – keep it professional: no smileys, no “lol”s, and no writing about what you did at the weekend unless you personally know the recipient!
• Spell check – spelling mistakes in an email offering translation services is a major no no, especially when you are writing to prospective clients or employers for the first time. If your email account doesn’t offer an inbuilt spell checker, copy and paste your email into a word document and run the spell check there. This could stop your email landing straight in the “deleted” folder.
• Signature – create one that automatically signs off every new email you send (have a look in your email account’s “Options” menu). Good to include are contact details and any professional associations you are a member of or relevant qualifications you have, i.e.:
  
  Best wishes / Mit freundlichen Grüßen
   
  Your Name
  Associate of the Institute of Translation & Interpreting
   
  Your address
   
  Tel: 0044 (0)123 456789
  Email: your_name@provider.co.uk

This isn’t to be taken as the ultimate guide to writing an email, there are also cultural considerations to take into account such as how you space out an email, how you address the recipient, where you use capital letters, and so on. The buzzword here is professionalism. If your email is professional, this reflects well on you. If your email is sloppy, well, who wants to employ a sloppy translator?