The Savvy Newcomer aims to serve newcomers to the translation and interpreting professions by publishing high-quality, peer-reviewed content on a weekly basis. We strive to provide you with the answers to the many questions you face as a new or aspiring translator or interpreter.
This post was originally published on听KGH Interpretation. It is reposted with permission.听 In 2022 I facilitated a session of the Language Access Caf茅 at the NCIHC Annual Membership Meeting and was asked to speak about interpreter self-care. Prior to the meeting, I decided to do an informal survey of medical interpreters asking them some questions about their mental health. I wanted to have a little bit of data that would clue me in on some of the issues interpreters were facing. While most of the results I shared during the AMM focused on stressors and supports, I also briefly shared…
Read MoreFreelance Translator Survey 2020
鈥淚nteresting & fun to complete鈥, 鈥淢ost comprehensive and interesting survey so far”, 鈥淟oved it!鈥, 鈥淰ery thorough and thought-provoking鈥 are just a few of the comments left by people who completed this survey for translators, a survey that took two months to put together, a survey designed by translators for translators. The idea started to take shape a couple of months…
Read MoreFree Training: Getting Started as a Freelance Translator
A four-week online course for beginning translators in any language combination, who want to launch and run a successful freelance business. Also for 鈥渆xperienced beginners鈥 whose primary goal is to find more work. Because a lot of people have a lot of time on their hands right now, I鈥檓 offering a free session of Getting Started as a Freelance Translator.…
Read MoreWhy You Should Never Offer a “Free Quote” On Your Website (Or Elsewhere)
This post was originally published on Madalena S谩nchez Zampaulo’s blog. It is reposted with permission from the author. Whether you’re a seasoned professional translator or a newbie who’s just getting your feet wet, your website should be the place where clients go to find out more about your services and to find out how they can work with you. Not…
Read MoreTranslating for Pharma
What is a translation? A translation is, essentially, a new document for a new audience, since it is written to reflect the meaning of the source document as faithfully as possible in a new language. This new language could express things in different ways, which will be evident if a professional translates the material back to the original language without…
Read MoreWhat Makes a Good Agency?
This post was originally published in the July-August 2009 edition of the ITI Bulletin. It is reposted with permission from the author. Herbert Eppel offers advice for ensuring the relationship between freelance translator and client remains harmonious, productive and pleasant for both sides In the 15 years since I started diversifying into translation I have worked with around 100 different…
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The 兔子先生 (ATA) set up its current mentoring program in 2011, and since then an estimated 240 mentor/mentee pairs have worked together to jointly explore the business side of translation and interpreting. The program has been a big success, so much so that the Mentoring Committee, which is part of ATA鈥檚 Business Practices Education Committee, is working to…
Read MoreQuality Control in Translation: Must-Dos for Success as a Translator
This post was originally published on Translorial. It is reposted with permission from the author. If you are considering starting 鈥 or have just started 鈥 a career in the translation industry, this article may be for you. Here鈥檚 a challenge: if you had to choose a picture to describe the actual process taking place inside your brain when you…
Read MoreWork Smarter, Not Harder: Scripts to Enhance Translator Productivity
*Note: The instructions found in this post should work on the majority of Windows computers. Apple users, let us know if you come up with your own way of making this work! Recently, my IT guy [husband] set me up with a great new tool. It has made my life as a translator so much more effective that it would…
Read MoreHow to Successfully Tackle Translation Tests
Reblogged from The ATA Chronicle, with permission If approached with the right mindset, translation tests can be a professionally enriching experience for translators. It鈥檚 safe to say that most translators don鈥檛 consider translation tests to be their favorite part of the job. In fact, it might be the most dreaded part of a translator鈥檚 day. But it doesn鈥檛 have to…
Read MorePublic Outreach Presentations: Change Perceptions Outside our Industry
This past fall, Veronika Demichelis and I had the opportunity to speak about translation and interpreting at Rice University. My hope is that in sharing our experience, you will be encouraged to seek out or accept similar opportunities. It鈥檚 important to bring greater awareness to the general public about our industry and to educate potential buyers of translation and interpreting…
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