Becoming a Translator

Liraz Postan

January 16 , 2020 · 3 min

Professional translation experts around the world agree that there are certain guidelines, behaviors, and traits you need to have in order to become a competent translator in the competitive field of human translation.

Translation service providers should pay close attention to the following recommendations and suggestions in order to not only become better professional translation agents but to also turn out to be the best human translation specialists possible. They should raise their heads up high when striving for excellence in this particular field because constant improvement for the sake of professionalism is what becoming a translator is all about.

A true translator reads for pleasure and hunts down books at his own behest.

An excellent translator is supposed to be a well-read individual because no self-respecting translator working in the industry specifically catered to writing and reading in two or more separate languages should be ignorant of today’s lingual trends.

A translator should be able to confront nitpicking editors when it comes to writing issues. “It doesn’t sound right” is not a valid retort; a translator should be able to point out in a grammatical or reasonable way why he constructed a particular sentence or chose a specific idiom for his work.

Ergo, reference books, grammar books, or even just professionally edited books should be on hand at all times in order for the translator to justify each and every last one of his translation or writing decisions.

A true translator must behave professionally at all times

The translation service industry offers professional careers, so it’s, therefore, a field that deserves professional conduct and behavior from all its participants. When it comes to becoming a translator that’s worth his salt, being an upstanding worker that fulfills all his responsibilities in the most proficient and excellent manner possible is par for the course.

The translation industry is a professional association, not some social club for the privileged. Therefore, in the interest of any given translator’s professional growth and development, he is regularly tasked to improve himself and his career at every opportunity.

He must frequently consult with his superiors and seniors in order to learn more about the tricks of the trade, discuss current trends, and get introduced to other knowledgeable people that can help him become better at his work. In short, a translator’s need for professionalism entails professional growth.

A true translator must consistently attend meetings and conferences

Even though not all conferences should be attended to because of the potential inconvenience and expense they bring, it’s always a good idea to be a regular visitor at meeting venues that are easily accessible in your area.

What’s more, there are some cons that deserve the extra effort, expense, and hassle, so be on the lookout for those as well. Also, because a true translator must not remain stagnated when it comes to his translation career, there should come a time when he himself should serve as a speaker in one of these conventions. Evolution, improvement, and advancement are marks of a true professional regardless of the profession.

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