Training for Translators

Classes for translators and interpreters


Corinne McKay

How not to panic about the economy

In the past few days, I have had several conversations with fellow (experienced) freelancers that went sort of like this:

“Until the past month, when I had a slow day or two, I actually enjoyed it. I would clean the house or catch up on my admin work or get together with friends. Now if I have a slow day I start to panic; I start thinking about what’s going to happen to my business if one of my major clients goes under…”

Unless you don’t read, listen to or watch the news, it’s impossible not to be a little on edge about the U.S. economic situation these days. While it seems that the bottom is unlikely to fall out of the translation market any time soon, some of us will surely see a major client declare bankruptcy or be bought out by a larger company. Here are some tips for eliminating that panicky feeling:

  • Diversify. If there’s ever been a time to avoid having all of your eggs in one basket, it’s now. Mix it up: agencies, direct clients, revenue streams other than direct income from translation (i.e. teaching classes, writing articles, copy editing, etc.). If you earn a large percentage of your income from one or a few clients, think about branching out.
  • Be a little more cautious than usual. I’ve started checking all of my clients on Payment Practices; I always did this for new clients, but now I do it for established clients too. As I wrote about last week, I’m now asking for some form of advance payment from all new clients who are not either ATA members or rated on Payment Practices; individuals must pay 100% in advance.
  • Have a plan B in place. Don’t think of losing a major client as a catastrophe of unequaled proportions; strategize about what you’ll do if/when it happens.
  • Spruce up your marketing materials. Now is the time that you want to be able to jump on a good opportunity when it arises. Update your résumé, cover letter, website, LinkedIn profile, ATA directory profile, etc.
  • Widen the net. Amid news of financial bailouts, corporate bankruptcies and the plunging stock market, it’s easy to think that it’s gloom and doom all over the world. Not so, says the news. For example, a recent article in The Gazette highlighted the plight of Canadian textbook publishers, who can’t find enough French to English translators to get their books out on time.
  • Market to industries that have to translate. Some industries may have the option of cutting or eliminating translation costs, but others (law, financial services and pharmaceuticals come to mind) don’t. Industries like this, especially if government regulations require them to provide their own translations, are excellent places to look for new clients.


Corinne McKay

How often should you replace your computer?

This is one of those technology questions that a) is critical and b) has no hard-and-fast answer. In earlier times, processor speed doubled approximately every 18 months, but this is not universally true anymore. So, should you keep the old computer until you either max out the hard drive or it starts making odd noises, or should you automatically upgrade every X number of years? The answer depends on a few factors: How intensively do you use your computer? Do you have a backup computer and excellent backup system in case your current computer fails catastrophically? Do you do processor-intensive computing such as using a speech recognition program to dictate into your translation memory program? All of these factors are important in your decision on when to get a new computer.

Regardless of how often you purchase a new computer, basic digital and physical hygiene can go a long way toward prolonging your machine’s life. Especially if you have pets, a thorough cleaning of the inside of your computer’s case (make sure to unplug it from all power sources first) can be a worthwhile (if horrifying!) step, as can deleting large/old files that you no longer need. Movies and music are big culprits on most of our computers, so it’s a good idea to go through and purge the ones that you don’t want.

If you are one of those translators who likes to get the longest possible life out of your computer, make sure that you have a backup computer (i.e. a laptop or a separate desktop that is in working order) in case your computer either literally or figuratively goes up in smoke. In addition, a reliable computer backup system is critical regardless of how old your primary computer is.

When you decide that it’s time to replace your computer, it’s worth considering the option of assembling your own computer from parts. This option allows you to put your money into the features that are important to you; for example you might want a lot of processor speed but just adequate audio and video capabilities, or the other way around. For some advice on purchasing and assembling a good, affordable computer, an excellent resource is the website of computer security expert Daniel J. Bernstein. His page includes exact hardware specs so that you don’t have to figure out, for example, exactly what processor you want (plus you get to visit the domain cr.yp.to ; how cool is that?). My current primary computer is the 2004 version of Bernstein’s basic workstation and I’ve been quite happy with it.


Corinne McKay

Happy International Translation Day

The translation blogosphere is abuzz today with posts about International Translation Day, celebrated each year on September 30, the feast of St. Jerome. If you’d like to learn more about St. Jerome and his works, hop on over to Jill Sommer’s post all about him.

Every year, the Fédération Internationale des Traducteurs/International Federation of Translators selects a theme for International Translation Day. This year’s is “Terminology: Words Matter.” As the FIT proclamation points out, “Affairs of state, public security, pandemics and natural disasters are examples of situations where clear communication, whether in a single language or in many languages, is essential. None of this would be possible without standardized terminology, which allows us to speak with one voice.”

I think that all of us who have found that “perfect word” with the help of a terminological resource can agree with FIT’s praise for terminologists. If a translator’s work is often unseen, a terminologist’s is even less glamorous but arguably more necessary. So, however you celebrate it, have a wonderful day and thank a terminologist!


Corinne McKay

Don't do it: eliminating time-sucking activities from your day

Get Rich Slowly has a great post about the amount of time that most Americans spend watching TV, and what other things could be accomplished if that time were freed up. It’s a good reminder that in many ways, productivity is closely related to what we don’t do.

This post rang especially true to me because our household is broadcast TV-free and (with the exception of our child’s daily 30 minutes of G-rated video) we watch an average of two or three movies a month. When I think back on it, the absence of TV in my life is largely how I found the time to write my book about how to start a freelance translation business. I agree with the comments on the post, which largely point out that there’s a big difference between making a conscious choice to watch a limited amount of TV or movies that you really enjoy (entertainment) and parking yourself in front of the TV every night and weekend (time suck).

In a similar vein, I think that many of us who are basically competent and reliable people are constantly asked for our time, whether it’s for a school fundraiser, a translators association event or a neighborhood block party. My strategy has been to pick one work-related activity (serving as President of the Colorado Translators Association) and one non-work activity (volunteering with our neighborhood’s community-supported agriculture project) and force myself to limit my volunteer work to those two things. In addition, I find that it helps eliminate my guilt feelings when I can say “I think this project is really valuable, but right now I’m concentrating my volunteer time on…”

So, whether it’s “Rock of Love” or the school cookie dough sale, make sure that you’re concentrating your non-work time on activities that are really important to you!