How To Be A Translator

Slide 1: How to be a translator? Practical tips By Monokné Müller Andrea

Slide 2: My office

Slide 3: Let’s balance! Who are you?  How to start?  How to be successful?  How is it in practice?  Stand out from the crowd

Slide 4: Who can be a translator? Possible: Impossible: A freelancer Without invoice   Manager type Employer type   Home-sitting type Outgoing type   Talented in writing No interest in writing   Feel calling No calling   Excellent computer Basic computer   knowledge knowledge Fast typing Slow typing   Saved money for Without saved   months money

Slide 5: How to start? Look for 100 translation offices, publishers  or direct potentials. Send letters or e-mails to all of them.  Do not give up if only 10 answer and you  get only 2 orders. Do a lot of short test translations to be  accepted. Look for other 100 offices, later go back to  the previous ones with references.

Slide 6: Price? Ideal 10-12 Ft/word or 2 Ft/letter  In practice it is its half.  2000 words pro day is ideal, in practice it is its  triple or more. – Work all day, from morning till night. Danger of not being paid.  Deadline is above all. Never accept a work without having looked at it.

Slide 7: Help? Translator memory programs – a must  Trados SDLX (800 €) Transit (800 €) Translation Office 3000  A lot of types of dictionaries on PC  A good monitor, a comfortable armchair  A work-mate, who can always help 

Slide 8: How to be successful? Only with correct, precise work  Deadline must be kept  Good self-management  Huge workload in short time (min. 15-20  pages a day)

Slide 9: In practice Advantages: Disadvantages:  You think you are free  You are said when to work  Various work themes  You always sit in front of  Good payment a PC  Creative job  Not regular payment, 30-  More and more need to 60 days after fulfilment translation  Serve an aim, according  More possibilities abroad to rules  You need a certificate for translation

Slide 10: If not, welcome to the Scary? company of translators.