How to get translation jobs?
It is really easy to think that translation is an easy job, especially for non-translators. But anyone who has translated a text before will know that it is not as simple as one may assume. Unfortunately, especially in the Turkish context, the translation market can be challenging because of so many different translators coming from different backgrounds. Some tend to think that this challenging market is a consequence of incompetent translators. Whatever the reason may be, it is no doubt that finding a translation job online is not easy, especially for translator-candidates. In this piece, I will be giving some advice on the possible channels to find online translation jobs for absolute beginners.
One of the challenging aspects of being a freelance translator is the process of searching for jobs. Although many web pages are claiming to offer you a job as you scroll down in search results, it is obvious that they are not the most credible of sources. I am in no way an expert on finding translation jobs online, however, my short-term experience has provided me with some insight on some of the possible channels of freelance translation jobs. Here are some of the ways that you can find online translation jobs.
Promote “Yourself”
This may seem obvious, but it is for sure one of the most effective ones. Building a personal brand is hard, especially if you are a starter. But it will also help you to be flexible, confident, and creative. You can use different alternatives like WordPress to build your personal space online.
Social media is also another way to land translation jobs. If you can coherently use Twitter and Facebook accounts, you will be perceived as more credible and it will make it easier for you to land on jobs. There are also many different freelance translation groups on Facebook that can be utilized to search for online jobs.
Try Translation Agencies
Getting in contact with translation agencies is another way of landing translation jobs. The process is very simple. You send your CV, if the agency is interested, they send back a test assignment or something of a sort. Unfortunately, some agencies may not be willing to respond to every freelance translator.
Use Other Websites
Many websites claim to offer you translation, interpretation, and copywriting jobs globally. Some of the most famous examples of these are Proz, Translators Café, Fiverr, People Per Hour, and Upwork. Proz and Translators Café are among the most visited websites for freelance translation, so the competition may be challenging for newcomers. The others may be more modest in terms of competition. Either way, a presentable CV and a personal website will always be beneficial in terms of credibility.
I tried to give some modes of advice to people who want to take on translation as an online job. Of course, these are not the definitive ways of finding online translation jobs. The internet is a limitless source that one can utilize if they know how to adapt to the rules of the online world. Hopefully, this text will help to ones who have little idea of where to start.