Training for Translators

Classes for translators and interpreters

Classes for translators


Corinne McKay

Winter/Spring online courses: new format and offerings

I’m excited to announce that, subsequent to the survey that I did about a month ago, I’ve reshaped my online course offerings and the winter/spring classes are now open for registration. I’ll be offering four classes in more of a coaching group format, and instead of one major homework assignment every week, I’ll be splitting the work up into 20 “tasks of the day” (one every weekday for the four-week session) and we’ll discuss the tasks in an online discussion group (Don’t worry: not Facebook! Survey says 25% of translators will not do an online course that requires Facebook!).

Over the past two years or so, my online course sessions have continued to fill up, but fewer people have completed the weekly homework assignments, although they still reported that they got a lot out of the class. So, I’m reworking the course material into smaller chunks, and including more ways for participants to interact with each other. The coaching groups will still be limited to 10 people, still include a weekly live question and answer conference call, and still include lots of personal attention!

Here’s what’s in store for the winter/spring session. Early bird rates ($290; $15 discount for ATA members) apply through December 15, and each class runs for four weeks:

  • Getting Started as a Freelance Translator (beginning/new translators only): January 11
  • Beyond the Basics of Freelancing (experienced/established translators only): February 22
  • Marketing to Translation Agencies (all levels): March 14
  • Marketing to Direct Clients (all levels, but must have some experience in the industry): April 11

To read more about any of the courses or fill out the application form, hop on over to my website.


Corinne McKay

Survey: online coaching groups

As I mentioned in a previous post, I have some new classes in development for 2016. If you’d like to join this year’s final session of Beyond the Basics of Freelancing, it starts on November 11 and is open for registration now.

I’ve prepared a short survey to help me decide how to configure these new classes: what topics to cover and how to structure them. If you’d like to fill it out, it’s here, and if you include your e-mail address at the end, you’ll receive an Early Bird pricing link once I get the class schedule sorted out. The survey is completely anonymous (e-mail address is not required) and you don’t need to register or create an account to complete it. Thanks in advance for your feedback!


Corinne McKay

Beyond the Basics of Freelancing-last class at 2015 prices

The next session of my online course Beyond the Basics of Freelancing begins on November 11, and it’s the last session of 2015. I have some new things planned for 2016, so if you’ve been waiting to take this course, now is the time!

Beyond the Basics is a four-week online course for established translators who want to earn more money, enjoy their work more, pursue new specializations and market to higher-quality agencies and direct clients. This is a “high touch” course in which everyone gets individual feedback from me on weekly homework assignments, we do a one-hour question and answer conference call every week, and everyone gets an hour of individual consulting time with me. Registration is $350 ($50 discount for ATA members) and includes copies of my books How to Succeed as a Freelance Translator and Thoughts on Translation.

A recent participant in this class commented:

I took a four-week online course called Beyond the Basics of Freelancing, developed and taught by Corinne. Though I was more or less satisfied with my business, it had plateaued and I wasn’t sure how to up my game. Corinne’s class was exactly what I needed. She asked questions that forced me to focus on the most important aspects of my business and acted as a sounding board for marketing ideas. I especially appreciated that the class included ample opportunity to ask specific questions about nearly anything. I learned a great deal from Corinne and from the other students and came away from the class with a concrete plan and timeline for the next 6-12 months to take my business to the next level

Hope to see some of you there!


Corinne McKay

Getting Started as a Freelance Translator- starts September 23

The next session of my four-week online course Getting Started as a Freelance Translator starts on September 23, and I have five spots left. If you’re attending November’s ATA conference, this session is a good opportunity to get your freelance plan in place before then!

The course is open to beginning translators in any language combination, and everyone gets individual feedback from me on four assignments: your resume and cover letter, marketing plan, rates and billable hours sheet and online presence. We also do a one-hour question and answer conference call every week (recording provided if you can’t attend the live calls) and everyone receives free copies of my books How to Succeed as a Freelance Translator and Thoughts on Translation.

Registration is $350, with a $50 discount for ATA members. A recent participant commented that, “Although I have been a full-time freelancer for over 10 years now, Corinne’s “Getting Started as a Translator” course greatly helped me by requiring me to rewrite my resume and cover letter, create a solid marketing plan, rethink my rates, and improve my online presence. It was an excellent opportunity to fill in some of the gaps that had been limiting the growth of my business. Corinne’s individualized advice on targeting direct clients and developing my specialties has given me new hope for my business.”

Hope to see some of you there! Visit my website for the full course description or to register.


Corinne McKay

Beyond the Basics of Freelancing: starts August 19

The next session of my online course Beyond the Basics of Freelancing starts on August 19, and I have several spots available. This is a four-week online course for experienced translators who want to earn more money, work with higher-quality agencies and/or direct clients, focus their specializations or get more enjoyment out of their work.

Everyone in the class receives individualized feedback from me on four homework assignments (your resume/professional profile and cover letter, marketing plan, rate sheet and online presence) and we do four question and answer conference calls for the whole group, plus an hour-long individual consulting call for each student. It’s a great class if you need a nudge to reach your business goals in the second half of this year.

A recent participant commented that, “Though I was more or less satisfied with my business, it had plateaued and I wasn’t sure how to up my game. Corinne’s class was exactly what I needed. She asked questions that forced me to focus on the most important aspects of my business and acted as a sounding board for marketing ideas. I especially appreciated that the class included ample opportunity to ask specific questions about nearly anything. I learned a great deal from Corinne and from the other students and came away from the class with a concrete plan and timeline for the next 6-12 months to take my business to the next level.”

Registration is $350, with a $50 discount for ATA members. You can read the full course description or register on my website.