Yesterday I had the pleasure of presenting a webinar on Getting Started as a Freelance Translator as part of ATA’s ongoing series of online educational sessions. I think that it went well, with huge thanks to Lucy Brooks of eCPD Webinars and Mary David and Naomi Sutcliffe de Moraes of ATA. Lots of participants submitted questions, but we only got to a few of them before our time ran out. I’ve started a new blog category, “Webinar questions,” in order to answer some more of them here. Thanks to everyone who participated!
A participant asks: Can one be too old to begin a translation business (for example, as indicated by degree completion years) or do prospective employers generally not care?
Short answer: As a freelancer, I wouldn’t worry about age too much. If you’re up-to-date enough to participate in a webinar and even submit a question, I think you’re fine.
Longer answer: This worry applies to both ends of the spectrum: 22 year old new graduates and 68 year old retirees often ask “Will clients take me seriously?” In both cases, I think the answer is “yes,” if you keep a few important factors in mind:
- As a group, freelance translators aren’t that young. Case in point: I’m 39 and have an 8 year old child, and I’m regularly referred to as a “girl” or “young lady” by elder members of the profession. The oldest freelancer I’ve heard of was in his early 90s and I know of numerous successful freelancers in the 70+ bracket.
- Degree completion years? For a US resumé, I’d leave them off. After all, age discrimination is illegal and as long as you can do the job, your clients really don’t need to know how old you are. Likewise, I know several translators in their 60s and beyond who deliberately do not put their photo on their marketing materials.
- Whether you’re on the young or old end of the freelance spectrum, keep the negative stereotypes of your age group in mind and defy them. For example, take the stereotype that older workers are set in their ways and resist new technologies. Beat this image by pointing out that you’ve recently participated in a webinar (or even more than one!) for freelance translators, that you use Skype to communicate with your clients and colleagues and that you’re really looking forward to getting to know your clients’ preferences and style guidelines. If you’re in your 20s, pay particular attention to being reliable, responsible and possibly more formal than you would be otherwise. For example, a conference interpreter training program director in the UK recently attributed the EU’s difficulty in finding new into-English interpreters to the candidates’ poor skills in their native language: Many of the young hopefuls cannot speak in the appropriate “register” for the event they would be interpreting. Their only modes of speech are informal, peppered with “like”, for instance, she says. They misuse words and don’t know the subtle differences between synonyms. So, brush up on your formal speaking skills before you go for the interview!
- For better or worse, freelance translation is a real meritocracy. On the one hand I think that most clients, at least in the US, are largely concerned with your ability to do a good job and don’t really care if you’re older or younger than they expected. On the other hand, one flubbed assignment can get you kicked to the electronic curb, so make sure to keep your focus on outstanding work.
I’ll be answering more questions from the webinar soon!
I came into freelance translating at the age of 55 after teaching for 30 years. I agree entirely with the final point. In my experience, employers could not care less what age you are, provided you can do the job and all that goes with it in terms of meeting deadlines, knowing your way around the technology etc. etc.
I would say, in terms of older entrants, though, that it will be a lot easier to establish yourself if you have a strong specialism to offer which the market really likes. Mature engineers, doctors, solicitors, accountants, bankers etc. are going to find it much easier to find work, establish a god client base and obtain reasonable rates than more ‘generalists’ like me.
My main concern would be people at eh other end of the age spectrum and I personally would NOT recommend going into freelancing to anyone much below 30 or so. It is a very precarious existence of ‘feasts and fasts’ and I would be frightened to death of taking on a mortgage, pension payments, student debt repayments etc. at that age. I would say, instead, either go and work in translation (agency/in-house) and really get to know the industry ‘from the inside’ and get your employer to develop your specialism/s fro you or do something else for which there is a ready translation market (as above) and then take some form of training (for example, the number of online MA in Translation courses is growing annually) before switching into freelancing.
Thanks, Charles! This comment is fantastic, excellent examples of why older translators can actually have an advantage. I agree, whenever I talk to recent college graduates, I always advise them to delay freelancing for a while. Go to grad. school in Europe, go get a job at a law firm in Brazil, but save freelancing until you have a little more experience, financial stability, etc. Thanks also for that observation on specialties; it’s definitely easier to break into the market in middle age (or beyond) if you can say “After 30 years in corporate finance I was ready for a change,” but you’re excellent proof that generalists can make it too!!
Corinne-
Glad to hear the webinar went well!
I see all ages of students in my certificate courses: just out of high school (had one in a jump start program last semester) all the way to retired programmer and librarians.
I think your observations are spot on, and am very pleased you weighed in on placing dates on a freelance résumé. I’m becoming increasingly convinced that we don’t need résumés so much as professional marketing materials and a portfolio: did you see a résumé for the accountant/photographer/graphic designer/IT guru that you hired? Probably not: you likely looked at their website or portfolio, and something resonated enough with you to hire them. Food for thought!
Caitilin
Thanks, Caitilin! Yes, I am a webinar convert, it was really great. And thanks a lot for those examples of your students; great to be reminded that there are translators all over the age spectrum. And I think that your idea about marketing materials could be a post in itself…right; does your dentist hand you a resume??
Couldn’t agree more.
Here a recent experience: A Beverly Hills translation company that had really interesting jobs over the years was bought by Applied Language Solutions in the U.K. They invited me to register with them. I thought, why not, past work for the company they bought had always been very satisfying.
Their on-line translator registration form had, right in the beginning, mandatory fields for age and gender. I wrote to them saying that I couldn’t really see why they wanted this information and that it made me stop and not apply. I ventured the guess that they would be able to find great translators without asking those two questions.
That was at the beginning of October. Haven’t heard from them since.
Thanks, Michael! Great story! Right, if the fact that you’re male, female, 20, 40 or 80 is relevant to the job, it’s fair to ask. But translators aren’t lifting bags of concrete or flying fighter jets, we’re just typing 🙂 Good for you for calling this agency on that practice, which I’m sure has eliminated some qualified people from the pool!
I agree with Michael.
Age and gender (plus other personal attributes) should be irrelevant for employing freelance, home-based operatives. Qualifications, skills, specialist knowledge and experience should be the essential qualities employers should be looking for. If they are not, then I think Michael’s response/behavior were totally correct.
Thanks, Charles! I agree too!