Working Full-time While Being a Freelance Translator
As with any freelance career, a person should not quit their day job. Not at first anyway. Starting any business from home sometimes is a slow process because it takes time to build up a clientele. In this case it is best to continue working full-time at your day job and work your freelance translator business on a part-time basis. One thing you need to run a successful freelance translator business is the ability to speak, read, and write two languages fluently. There is a huge demand for bilingual people in career fields of every aspect so starting your own business can become a very lucrative career.
The more education and experience a person has the more they will be trusted. A person needs to have strong networking, advertising, and marketing skills. They should consider doing some pro bonus work to help get their business off the ground. In doing this a person can get the word out about their business. They can choose to use a blog to help promote themselves and offer samples of their work, their educational background, and experience. They can use websites like Twitter and Facebook as well. Creating and handing out business cards will also let people know you are out there. Make contacts with others in the business.
Translators are needed in healthcare, judicial or legal settings, and literary fields, along with many other areas. These places need people that can translate materials from one language into a language they understand. People with the education, experience, and skills needed to do this can make a great income working for themselves. Eventually the services you offer will become the full-time career. This career is showing no signs of slowing down and competent individuals will always be needed.
If you are considering a freelance translator career gain the knowledge and expertise it takes to run a successful business. Get your name out there with marketing, advertising and networking. Build your clientele with trust and professionalism. Keep an open-mind in order to learn to keep up with the changes in technology and the target language. In order to make your business a success you have to stay motivated, work hard, and be professional. You may have to work long, sporadic hours but it will all be worth it in the end when you can quit the full-time job you are not so passionate about and work for yourself doing something you love.
-By Adriana Tassini
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