The perfect way to start your career in translation is to join a professional translation association.

As previously mentioned, the perfect way to start your career in translation is to join a professional translation association. Through this association you’ll receive whatever you need in the way of real-life experience; in addition to gaining important contacts which can be invaluable to your career.

Choose Your Specialty

There are various areas within translation that you may choose to specialise in, such as Legal, Medical, Literary, Academia, Film, Technical, and so on. You’ll be required to follow a set of systems and norms that belong to each one of these specialties, so choose one or more of these areas that you believe you’ll be comfortable working with for the rest of your career. Making these decisions will determine how quickly you rise to the top in your career. Your chosen areas of expertise will depend on various factors, such as previous experience, your personal interests, hobbies, and so on.

Start Networking

Now that you’ve determined your areas of expertise, it’s time to meet the important people in your chosen field. These people are the movers and shakers in your area of expertise, so by making yourself known to them and keeping in regular contact you’ll receive a huge boost to your career. This is where having a business card can be extremely useful: it’s a way for them to contact you if they should require your services and it gives you a professional demeanour.

It’s All about Practise!

Like other careers, practising is probably the most important tip we can give you for boosting your career in the translation industry. Just keep working and practising, and make sure you stay abreast of the very latest developments and updates in your field. The more translation projects you complete in your area of expertise, the more proficient you’ll become, and of course your self-confidence will also receive a boost. Practising truly is the best way of rising to the top - and then staying there.

So, if your goal is to become a professional translator, you now know what you need to do to set yourself up for success. Don’t wait for success to come to you, and certainly don’t wait for clients to come to you. The quicker you get onto choosing your area of expertise, networking, marketing yourself, and practising, practising, practising, the quicker your progress will be. It won’t be long before you’re enjoying a wonderful, well-paid career that most people can only dream about.