Who is my main competition as I look for a translation job?
This partly depends on whether we’re talking about a job, per se, or a job as a onetime project or long-term collaboration, i.e. in-house vs. consultant.
Addressing the former first, your main competition is you, i.e., you’re competing against others like yourself, and so you’re going to want to stand out against them. So you can polish your skills and get that degree or certification. Publish in trade journals, blog, etc., etc. On the other hand, how you compete for a job, what you say, how you style and target your application materials, are all ways in which you compete. In terms of the latter, i.e., as a freelancer, you are also competing against translators across the globe. If you don’t make yourself stand out, you’ll be competing against translation professionals who can do your work considerably cheaper, as their costs of living and doing business are nowhere as high as yours may well be. So make sure you stand out and don’t compete on cost. Finally, it is somewhat useful and interesting, though, to think of it this way: you are only competing against yourself. Do your best, be your best, and put your best foot forward. That’s all you can do—once you determine what your best is. The rest is out of your control.-By Adriana Tassini
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