Presentation for translators who are starting up with tips and suggestions on things to consider. Presented at the Cardiff University Lifelong Learning Centre on the 3rd December

1. Starting up as a translator
The 10 most i
Th 10 t important d i i
t t decisions
in the
in the life of a new translator
of a new translator
Trinidad Clares Flores MA MITI MCIL NRPSI

2. Q
Qualifications

3. Which qualifications?
Which qualifications?
MA Translation Studies (Cardiff University)
MA Translation with Language Technology
MA Translation with Language Technology
(Swansea University)
Online: MA Translation (Bristol University)
O li MA T l i (B i l U i i )
Diploma in Translation (Chartered Institute of
Linguists)
Li it)

4. Which qualifications?
Which qualifications?
Highlights MA Translation MA Translation with MA Translation
Studies (Cardiff) Language Tech. (Swansea) (Bristol)
Classroom/distance Classroom Classroom Distance
Languages All FIGS, Dutch, Polish, Russian, FIGS, Czech, Portuguese,
Welsh, Chinese Russian, Chinese
Translation practice All Languages
Translation practice All Languages Advanced Translation module
Advanced Translation module Applied Translation
Applied Translation
Translation Class module
CAT tools Introduction to SDL Language Technology (SDL Computer‐Aided
Trados & Dejà Vù (4 h
Trados & Dejà Vù (4 h Trados) (22 h)
Trados) (22 h) Translation
each)
Specialised Literary Translation Language Technology: (Déjà Introduction to
modules Scientific & Technical
Scientific & Technical Vu, Star Transit, Passolo,
Vu Star Transit Passolo specialised translation
specialised translation
Medical & Pharmac. Systran) (legal, literary,
Politics & Law Terminology Management, commercial, social
Business & Admon Interpreting, Placement sciences, science and
Subtitling technology)
Translation in the Arts

5. In‐house or freelance

6. In‐house
In house
Advantages Disadvantages
‐Stability ‐Less freedom
‐Less freedom
‐Peers ‐Lower earnings
‐Career progression ‐Less control
More support
‐More support More hierarchy
‐More hierarchy
‐More guidance ‐̏Office politics”

7. Freelance
Advantages Disadvantages
‐More freedom
‐More freedom ‐Lack of stability
‐Lack of stability
‐Higher earnings ‐Isolation
‐Higher control ‐No peers
More flexibility
‐More flexibility More expenses
‐More expenses
‐Can work anywhere ‐Need more discipline

8. Questions to ask yourself
Questions to ask yourself
Do I consider myself a business person?
Do I like working on my own? ( Jelly days)
Do I like working on my own? (“Jelly” days)
Do I mind having to do my own sales, marketing,
invoicing and credit control as well as my own
i i i d di l ll
translation work?
Am I technically self‐sufficient?
Can I cope with the uncertainty of the feast v.
C I ith th t i t f th f t
famine scenario?

9. ITI Survey Results
ITI Survey Results
What kind of an entrepreneur are you?
h ki d f ?
‘Inevitable’ entrepreneur: 8%
p
‘Natural’ entrepreneur: 20%
‘Enforced’ entrepreneur: 5%
Enforced entrepreneur: 5%
‘Accidental’ entrepreneur: 18%
‘I don’t see myself as an entrepreneur at all
– I’m just a professional’: 49%
j p
“Weathering the storms and broadening our horizons”, Janet Frasier and
Michael Gold, ITI Conference 2011
Mi h l G ld ITI C f 2011

10. If you want to start a freelance career
a freelance
a) Take out a loan (help from partner/family)
Take out a loan (help from partner/family)
b) Work part‐time
c) Don’t leave your job until you have enough of
a workload
d) Don’t expect your business to take off
straight away
t i ht

11. Professional Associations

12. Professional Associations
Professional Associations
Why should I join one?
h h ld j i ?
• Training/CPD
g
• Peer support
• Know what’s happening
Know what s happening
• Networking
• Get work
• Other services: credit‐check legal advice
Other services: credit check, legal advice,
discounted products and services

13. Which one?
Which one?

14. ITI CIOL
Entry requirements Qualifications, Qualifications, experience
exam/sample of work,
experience
Member categories Qualified, Associate, PCI, Fellow, Member, Associate,
Student, Corporate Student
Specific groups Regional, Language, Translation, interpreting,
Subject language
For new translators
F t l t Orientation Course
O i t ti C
Professional Support
Group
Training Translation Workshop Translation Division events
Fora LinkedIn, website
LinkedIn, website LinkedIn, own Yahoo group
LinkedIn, own Yahoo group
for trans, int.
Access to Credit Safe Yes No
PI Insurance Yes Yes
Self‐certification seals Yes No

15. Which equipment?
q p

16. Equipment: hardware
Equipment: hardware
Desktop
Laptop
Notebook
Tablet

17. Equipment: hardware
Equipment: hardware
Price
Comfort
Features
Portability

18. Hardware tips
Hardware tips
Spend as much as necessary, you won’t
g
regret it
Get an extended guarantee, it can be a life
saver
If you only work on a laptop, get a good size
screen (at least 16 inches)

19. Hardware tips
Hardware tips
Make sure the keyboard is a full‐size one or
y p
a buy a separate one

20. Hardware tips
Hardware tips
Appropriate desk and chair (better with
)
footrest)
Home Broadband & mobile Internet
connection
Quiet area used exclusively for work
Good All‐in‐one printer/copier/scanner/fax
machine

21. Software
or
Check out Valeria Aliperta’s article on the
latest ITI Bulletin on all things Apple!
latest ITI Bulletin on all things Apple!

22. Windows v. Mac for CAT Tools
Windows v Mac for CAT Tools
• CAT tools available for Mac OS X:
– Wordfast Pro
• VMW
VMWare or Parallels Desktop/Boot Camp:
P ll l D kt /B t C
– MemoQ (fully supported)
– Déjà Vu (not supported)
– SDL Trados Studio 2011 (Windows Office version
SDL Trados Studio 2011 (Windows Office version
needed for preview option)

23. Software
S ft
• Microsoft Office
•CAT tool
•Terminology processing tools (Xbench, Multiterm)
Terminology processing tools (Xbench, Multiterm)
•DTP program (Adobe Acrobat)
Oth t l i i OCR (Abb Fi R d )
•Other tools: unzipping, OCR (Abby Fine Reader),
Search (S&R, Google Desktop)
•Cloud storage software (Dropbox, Box.net, iCloud, etc.)
•Dictionaries (Routledge technical, Oxford bilingual and
monolingual)
•Dragon Naturally Speaking
Dragon Naturally Speaking
•Instant Messaging program (Skype, MSN, etc.)

24. Apps for iPad
Apps for iPad

25. What about CAT tools?

26. CAT Tools: Friend or Foe?
CAT Tools: Friend or Foe?
Advantages:
‐Higher consistency and quality of the translation
g y q y
‐No need to repeat work: all translations are stored
‐Higher productivity
Higher productivity
‐Allows you to work in more formats
Disadvantages:
‐Can slow you down if not comfortable
Can slow you down if not comfortable
‐Lower rates if working with agencies

27. CAT Tools: which one to buy
CAT Tools: which one to buy
What should I take into account:
• What my clients request
What my clients request
• Features (standard file formats: .sdlxliff, TM,
glossary and compatibility with .ttx)
l d ibili ih )
• Learning curve
g
• Availability of resources
• Price

28. Features SDL Trados SDL T Studio MemoQ Déjà Vu X2 Wordfast
Comparison Studio Starter Freelance Prof. Pro
TM size 5000 units Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited 1,000,000
Multiple TMs No Yes Yes Yes (5) Yes
Multiple glossaries No Yes Yes Yes (5) Yes
Create project No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Real‐time preview Yes Yes Yes Yes (.rtf) Yes
Machine Translation Yes 3 MT engines Google MT Google Automated
Plug in
Plug‐in Translate
Term extraction SDL Multiterm SDL Multiterm Yes Build ?
Extract 2011* Extract 2011* Lexicon Manual
Statistics No Yes Yes Yes Yes
PDF files Support Yes Yes No No Yes
Autopropagate Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Price €99/year €845 €620 €690 €350
Alignment tool Yes Yes Integrated Yes Integrated
File formats Sdlxliff, ttx, itd, Sdlxliff, ttx, itd, Xliff, .ttx, sdlxliff, .ttx, .inx, .pdf, .mf,
inx, icml, xml, inx, icml, xml, .inx, .mif, .xml, .inx… .ttx
pdf, resx, xtg pdf, resx, xtg .xml, .pdf

29. Translation Memories Survey 2006
Translation Memories Survey 2006
Imperial College London:
‐Around 80% translation professionals use TM
Around 80% translation professionals use TM
‐Most‐widely used tool: TRADOS (51% + 24%)
‐Highest rating: Déjà Vu
‐Less than 2% of respondents used MemoQ
Less than 2% of respondents used MemoQ
http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww3.imperial.ac.u
k%2Fportal%2Fpls%2Fportallive%2Fdocs%2F1%2F7307707.PDF&date=200
9‐09‐18

30. CAT Tools: types of matches
CAT Tools: types of matches
• New words
• Low fuzzy matches (up to 84%)
• High fuzzy matches (85‐99%)
• 100% matches
100% matches
• Repetitions
• 101% /Perfect matches/ICE matches (context)
• “Internal matches”
• “Leveraged” words
Leveraged words
• Post‐editing

31. Should I specialise?
p

32. Absolutely!
‐Key to professional sector
‐Less competition
Less competition
‐Higher rates
‐Increase your professional self‐esteem

33. Industrial v. professional sector
Industrial v professional sector
Industrial
I d ti l Professional
P f i l
‐Fast turnaround ‐Highly specialised
‐High volumes ‐Professional profile
‐Low rates ‐Direct contact
‐Intensive use of technology ‐Technology as aid
‐Imposed conditions ‐Negotiated conditions
‐Translators as commodity ‐Translator as valued
‐Impersonal mass offers
p p
partner
‐Translators bear exchange ‐Translator as linguistic
rate costs
rate costs “consultant”
consultant

34. Examples of industrial sector
Examples of industrial sector
• http://nopeanuts wordpress com/resistance/llorens/
http://nopeanuts.wordpress.com/resistance/llorens/
: charge for using their own tool “Translation
Workspace
Workspace”
• “
“Requests” to reduce your rates by 5%
” d b
• No payment for 100% matches and repetitions
• http://nopeanuts.wordpress.com/2010/11/11/mega
‐mills/

35. Dear Sir/Madam,
We are looking for a long term commitment with a freelance for our different projects,
based on translation, editing/proofreading, audio transcription, interpretation, voice
b d t l ti diti / f di di t i ti i t t ti i
cover, copyright, DTP etc.
Current project details:
p j
Language: Italian>English
Subject: Tech
Deadline: November 30th, by 5:00PM GMT+1
Volume / Length: 10 000 words (It is a part of a project of 100 000 words)
Rate: 0.035 EUR/word, please consider the amount of work.
We need partial deliveries every day.
p y y
TRADOS is required.
Target lang. should be your native one. PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW
MUCH CAN YOU TAKE.
Would appreciate if you could send us some details about your work as it follows:
1. A link to proz profile (for easy tracking)
2. Your CV
3. Indicate the rates you operate for:
• Translation
• Editing / Proofreading
4. Contact information (phone numbers, hours to be contacted) required.
4 Contact information (phone numbers hours to be contacted) required
Let us know if further collaboration is possible.
Best regards,

36. How?
• St d i f
Studying for a degree in your chosen subject
d i h bj t
• Attending short specialised courses
• Watching webinars:
– 6th December ‐ Getting Started with Telephone
Interpreting
I t ti
– 1st February – Specialising in Medical Translation
– 9th F b
February – Ch i t f T
Chemistry for Translators
l t
• Reading journals and related literature
• V l
Volunteering to work in your specialised subject
i ki i li d bj
(NGOs, charities, etc.)

37. How much should I
charge?

38. The $64,000 question!

39. Types of work
Types of work
Do we know what we are talking about?
Do we know what we are talking about?
o Translation
o Proofreading/Reviewing/revising/Editing
P f di /R i i / i i /Editi
o Transcription/Voice‐over
o Transcreation
o DTP
o Localisation
o Testing
o Interpreting (consecutive, simultaneous, whispered,
telephone, etc.)
)

40. Types of charges
Types of charges
• Rate per word/thousand words
p /
• Rate per character, cartella, etc.
• Hourly rate
Hourly rate
• Proofreading/reviewing/editing*
• Special jobs: localisation (translation+resizing),
testing, transcription, etc.
• Minimum charge g
• Weekend and urgent work

41. When deciding your rate, take into
account..
• Taxes!!
• Expenses
p
• Holiday pay
• Sick pay
• Pension contributions
• CPD
• Slack time
• Admin time

42. How do I calculate my rate?
How do I calculate my rate?
Daily output
Daily output
2000‐2500 words/day
2500 words/8 hours = 312,50 words/h
Hourly rate
Hourly rate
To earn £20 per hour: (equivalent to £28,800/year)
Word rate
£20/312,5 words £0,064 per word/£64/1000 w
£20/312,5 words = £0,064 per word/£64/1000 w
£30/312,5 words = £0,096 per word/£96/1000 w

43. CalcPro
• http://www.asetrad.org/pdfs/CalPro_v1.3_(EN‐
GB).xls
• To help us determine how much we need to
charge depending on how much we want to
charge depending on how much we want to
earn

44. Other information to help us
Other information to help us
• Bear in mind language combination,
p y
specialised field, country
• Check rates published by professional
associations (i.e. recent survey by ITI/CIoL)
associations (i e recent survey by ITI/CIoL)
• Most importantly… talk to other experienced
translators

45. Should I give volume discounts?
Should I give volume discounts?
Author: Alejandro Moreno Ramos
(http://mox.ingenierotraductor.com/p/author.html)
(http://mox ingenierotraductor com/p/author html)

46. Is competing on price good?
Is competing on price good?

47. I m a novice, I should charge less
I’m a novice I should charge less
If you accept a lower rate, the client won’t pay the
y p , p y
higher rate of experienced translators and
everybody will lose
y y
Once set, it s very difficult to increase your rate with
Once set it’s very difficult to increase your rate with
an existing client
Novice translator + reviewer = same quality as
experienced translator
i dt l t
http://nopeanuts.wordpress.com/

48. How do I promote myself
p y

49. How do I promote myself?
How do I promote myself?
1. Professional associations
f i l i i
2. Translators’ fora
3. Translators’ directories
4.
4 Social media
Social media
5. Powwows or other translators’
gatherings
h
6. Training and other events
g
7. Specialist fora and events

50. 2. Translators Fora
2 Translators’ Fora
• P f i
Professional Associations: TransNet (
lA i ti T N t (general CIoL
l CI L
forum for translators), InterpNet, etc.
• Technical fora TW users WF Pro dejavu I
Technical fora: TW_users, WF_Pro, dejavu_I,
memoQ
• Language specific: Traducción en España
Language‐specific: Traducción en España,
Apuntes, Asetrad, SpanNet (ITI)
• Specialised: iJurado PS interpreters Wales
Specialised: iJurado, PS_interpreters_Wales,
Medtrad
• Jobs adverts: Jobs‐translators tr‐jobs Infotrad
Jobs adverts: Jobs translators, tr jobs, Infotrad
• Payment: http://www.paymentpractices.net

51. 3. Translators directories
3 Translators’ directories
• www.Proz.com
• www.aquarius.net
• www.translatorscafe.com
• www.trally.com
• www.translatorsbase.com
www translatorsbase com
• www.traduguide.com
• www.bewords.com, www.mytranslation.com, www.bookinterpreter.com,
www.interpretersportal.com,

52. Advantages Disadvantages
Job offers Strong competition
Exposure “Cattle market” approach
Blue Board Low quality offers
Powwows Pay‐per‐services
Pay per services
KudoZ Limited ability to comment
Translators forums Commercial company profits from
p yp
translators
Training events Perpetuates translator as “commodity”
Group buys
G b Perpetuates culture of clients setting prices
P l f li i i

53. 4. Social Media
4 Social Media
• #l8 #i10n, #ITItranslators, #ITIconf, #IntJC
• ITI, CIoL, Freelance Translators & Interpreters
Network, Translation agencies bad practices,
N k T l i i b d i
Translation Professionals
• Aiic interpreters, Asetrad
Aiic interpreters Asetrad
• Blogs, own website

55. LinkedIn

57. There s
There’s something about translation

58. A Pragmatic
A Pragmatic Eye (Charlie Bavington)
(Charlie Bavington)

59. Translation Times: Judy & Dagmar
Translation Times: Judy & Dagmar Jenner

60. 5. Powwows and translators
gatherings
7

61. 6. Training and other events
6 Training and other events
10th December: Contract Terminology and Law, and Civil
10th D b C t tT i l dL d Ci il
Liability by Lexacom English Law Courses, London
10th December: Translating Business Film material, Aston
g ,
University, Birmingham (ITI)
21st January: NWTN Boost your Business Day, Manchester
(business planning, marketing, sales negotiation and
(business planning marketing sales negotiation and
assertiveness) (ITI)
24th January: webinar “Choosing your market” (ITI via
y gy (
eCPD Ltd.)
13th February: LRG Pricing Workshop
Free webinar: “Quality CPD on a budget”
F bi “Q lit CPD b d t”
http://www.ecpdwebinars.co.uk/cpd_on_a_budget.html

62. 7. Specialist fora and events
7 Specialist fora and events
• Chambers of commerce
• Trade fairs
Trade fairs
• Professional Associations
• Conferences & professional events

63. How to break the vicious circle
How to break the vicious circle
No
No work
No work
experience

64. Test: to do them or not to
do them?
do them?

65. Tests
Reasons to do them:
Prove your knowledge
y g
Prove you can follow instructions
Prove your technical skills
Prove your technical skills
X Reasons not do them:
X A sample can show my work
X The client is just following bureocratic process
The client is just following bureocratic process
X I have qualifications and experience

66. Tests
Should they be paid?
If very specific requirements from existing client
y p q g
If required by a specific timeframe
Unusually long (more than 300 words)
Unusually long (more than 300 words)
X We consider them a marketing tool
y p
X We are confident that they will lead to paid work

67. Where to look for help?
p

68. Where to look for help
Where to look for help
• ITI’s Orientation Course
• Books published by experienced translators
Books published by experienced translators
• Fora
• Translators’ blogs
• Colleagues
• Webinars

69. Books
The Entrepreneurial Linguist
h i l i i
(Judy and Dagmar Jenner)
(Chris Durbam)

70. Webinars
– “Quality CPD on a budget”
(http://www.ecpdwebinars.co.uk/cpd_on_a_budget.html)
– “A l i f j b ff
“Applying for job offers: top tips for translators”
i f l ”
(http://ecpdwebinars.blogspot.com/2011/11/applying‐for‐job‐
offers‐top‐tips‐for.html?spref=tw)
offers‐top‐tips‐for html?spref=tw)

71. Other resources
Other resources
• Fire Ant and Woker Bee
p j j
http://translationjournal.net/journal/56fawb.htm
• Th T
The Translator’s Tool Box:
l ’ T lB
A computer primer for translators
http://www.internationalwriters.com/toolbox/

72. What to do if I don’t have
work?

73. Feast v. Famine
Feast v Famine
‐Update/improve your CV
‐Update/improve your website (or create one)
d /i bi ( )
‐Update your social media sites
‐Learn more features of CAT tools
‐Get more software and learn to use it
Get more software and learn to use it
‐Learn more about a subject you are interested in (it
could be a new specialised field)
could be a new specialised field)
‐Learn/improve another language
‐Send your CV to existing clients
y g
‐Send your CV to new targeted clients
‐Catch up on translators’ directories, fora and blogs

74. And enjoy yourself!
And enjoy yourself!

75. trini@trinidadclares.com
Skype: tclares
Twitter: trini.clares