You're a translator who wants to grow professionally. What's the best way to do it?

As a translator, growth is a combination of strategic thinking paired with optimal execution. Reviewing your skills paves the way to a 360° assessment where you must reflect on: - who you are (analyse your values, experience, expertise, personal brand, and competitive edge) - who you serve (what industries do you target, who are your clients, what issues do they face, what are their challenges?) - what you offer (craft an offer to provide client-oriented services/solutions, packages, etc.) All in all, it's about the overall experience you provide, that makes you unique, trustworthy, and visible to prospective clients.

The journey of professional growth is a dual expedition including both nurturing skills on a personal level while navigating the dynamic business landscape. You will need to constantly improve your skills through continuous and productive learning; stay ahead by adapting to industry changes and technologies and obtain relevant certifications that validate these skills. Seek feedback on your work from clients and colleagues. Expand your network and build your online presence, join professional translation associations and online communities, attend industry events, and participate in discussions. Collaborate with colleagues and build strong relationships with your clients, this will help understand their needs, and communicate effectively.

A good translator would always keep humble and curious at heart, as they undertand that language is constantly evolving, and so are the words, expressions, techniques, approaches, and tools that surround it. There is always something new to learn under the sun. Perfection can never be attained, although a good language professional would always try to regard this quality as a guiding light in their translation journey. The eternal personality of a translator is that of a student.

Staying at the top of the 'game' is very important, so that you know what is going on in the world, especially when it comes to medical translations. -Reading - subscribing to channels is a good way to grow - Trying to connect with people and companies is also a good way. - teaming up with a good reviewer can help a lot

Attend as many courses/webinars/seminars as you can. Be it in your specific field of languages or some other fields that relate to what you are offering (law, finance, tenders, soft skills, accounting, IT...). You have to grow, always.

One thing to keep in mind with this are your signed NDAs (Non-Disclosure Agreements). Some clients do not want you to name them. Also, always make sure to ask people for every single occasion if they would mind to be a reference. If you do not do this, you could be violating contracts, good business practices or even legislation. My suggestion would be to err on the side of caution.

In creating your legal translation portfolio, regularly include your latest, most impactful projects to showcase your expertise. Gather and feature letters of reference and LinkedIn recommendations to enhance your professional standing. Ensure your name or your company's name is credited in all published works, building your reputation in the field. Utilize LinkedIn to present an easily accessible and navigable portfolio. While sharing project updates on social media can be beneficial, always adhere to confidentiality clauses and contractual constraints. Including client testimonials in your portfolio adds depth, demonstrating the quality and impact of your work to prospective clients.

A language teacher never stops building his/her portfolio, not only because society and language change together, but also because long-life -learning is essential in a globalized world, where intercultural skills are becoming more and more a must.

I usually ask clients if they are satisfied and if I can put them on my website. This is how I got EY (one of the big four!) among my clients on my website and you can even click on their logo and it will take them to their website.

Showcase your linguistic prowess by building a comprehensive portfolio. Include diverse projects you've worked on, highlighting various industries and types of content. A well-curated portfolio serves as a visual testament to your capabilities and can attract a broader range of clients.

In einer Branche wie unserer, wo der Arbeitsalltag in den meisten F?llen allein am Schreibtisch bestritten wird, ist Networking unerl?sslich. Dabei geht es nicht nur um Empfehlungsmarketing und die Gewinnung potenzieller Kunden. Networking ist viel mehr als das: Es bietet Wissensaustausch zu Fach- und Branchenthemen, vor allem aber fachliche und seelisch-moralische Unterstützung, wenn es zum Beispiel um ein Softwareproblem, Terminologiefragen oder auch den Umgang mit schwierigen Kunden, Auftragsflauten, Krisen etc. geht.

Networking is crucial for translators, offering the chance to find new clients, mentors, and gain industry insights. Institutional translators, in particular, should consider attending the annual Translating Europe Forum in Brussels and regional Translating Europe Workshops. These events, organized by the Directorate-General for Translation (DGT), provide invaluable opportunities for connecting with peers and discussing industry trends. Membership in industry associations also presents excellent networking opportunities, allowing for engagement with a broader professional community.

Absolutely! I believe that the word of this decade is networking. I landed many projects and clients because I was recommended by my peers to them.

Strive to develop a relationship with the translation project managers in the companies you work with. Some of the basics are to reply promptly to emails, to be polite if you have to refuse a job (should go without saying but it's less common than you think) and a bit of chit-chat with personal comments helps you stand out. Having been a project manager myself, I know I preferred to give the job to someone who was nice to interact with, aside from a good professional!

Not only in the translation industry, but also in almost every realm, it is about who you know or you are known to/by. Networking with a purpose and showing up your skills or experiences is hugely vital and helpful to get more translation jobs, and staying loyal and dependable will make your clients stay with you in business longer!

One way to grow professionally as a translator is to diversify your services and offer more value to your clients. You can do this by adding complementary skills or services to your portfolio, such as editing, proofreading, localization, transcreation, subtitling, or voice-over. You can also specialize in a specific domain, industry, or genre that matches your interests and expertise, such as legal, medical, technical, literary, or gaming translation. By diversifying your services, you can increase your income, expand your client base, and stand out from the competition.

I have become a better translator by studying things that are not translation-related and, as a result, specializing in different fields. For example, in the pandemic I took a Python course and a data science course, which made me acquire knowledge and terminology related to programming and IT. As a result, now many people contact me to do translations related to coding, InfoSec and cybersecurity. They believe that I have a fair understanding of things that goes beyond language, which in their view makes my translations more reliable.

After 25 years in court and sworn translations, I decided to enhance my professional capabilities by venturing into law, complementing my translation services. I achieved a Bachelor and Master of Law in Italy and am now a practicing lawyer. Currently, I'm preparing for the SQE exam to qualify as a solicitor in England. I specialise in immigration and citizenship matters, allowing me to provide a broad spectrum of services that complement my translation expertise. This journey underscores the value of diversifying services in translation. By adding skills in areas like legal or technical translation, we can broaden our client base, increase income, and distinguish our brand in a competitive market.

Specialising in a certain field is one of the effective methods to diversify the services. As for me, I chose to study law after working for a foreign law firm as translator for four years. The role of a translator is not merely to change one word or sentence in the source language into that in the target language. Sometimes a translator needs to translate the concept behind the text (e.g. tag along and drag along for share transfers) to make it acceptable or understandable to the target audience.

Drawing from my experience as a lawyer-linguist and head of a legal translation provider, I recommend specializing in related domains like law, finance, and banking, complemented by focusing on selected language pairs. This combination ensures expert knowledge and translation accuracy. Providing a full suite of services, such as OCR, DTP, proofreading, editing, and expert consultations, is essential. My experience shows that effective project and terminology management are key to delivering high-quality translations. This approach, grounded in my extensive practice in the legal translation field, meets specific client needs while establishing a strong reputation for comprehensive and reliable service in the industry.

Feedback is essential for translators, particularly in institutional settings where translations for EU institutions or UN bodies undergo rigorous review. Implementing the feedback from these reviews is crucial, as it directly influences the quality of future projects. For freelance translators, client feedback is one of the most significant sources of knowledge. It provides direct insights into areas needing improvement. Being open to constructive criticism and using it to refine skills is vital, as well as participating in the feedback loop by offering constructive critiques to colleagues. This culture of feedback enhances individual performance in the translation profession.

Feedback is an essential tool for translators who aspire to deliver high-quality work and enhance their skills. By seeking feedback from various sources, such as clients, colleagues, or mentors, translators can gain valuable insights into their strengths and weaknesses, and identify areas for improvement. However, a translator should also be receptive to constructive criticism and willing to learn from their mistakes. Moreover, translators should also offer feedback to others when appropriate and appreciate their input. Feedback is a two-way process that can help translators grow professionally and achieve excellence in their field.

A good Translator is an open minded person who constantly seeks feedbacks from others. It is even worth having someone who can regularly proofread your translations before you submit.

In the translation industry, feedback is essential for continuous improvement. Actively seeking opinions from clients, colleagues, or mentors is invaluable. Consider utilising platforms like Google Reviews for client feedback, which can offer public endorsements and insights. Being open to constructive criticism and acting on suggestions can significantly elevate your performance. You might also consider professional reviewers or editors for detailed critiques. Providing feedback to peers and showing gratitude for their input fosters a supportive professional community, beneficial for collective growth.

Also, look at it from the other side: if you perform a review/proofreading for an agency, provide them with fair feedback regarding the translation. Name the good as well as the bad and put it mildly as if you are addressing yourself on a bad day. That way, the project manager is more likely to forward your feedback and you can all benefit from it. If we all do this and others start to notice its importance, it may become more of a common practice and the need to make an active effort to obtain feedback will be reduced.

What helped me personally was indeed the amount of money I need to get my bills paid, plus a bit extra I would like every month. I then calculated how much I had to earn per working day and how many words of translation, review or post-editing that amounted to. Now I can easily decide every day if I earned enough to stay on track...or if I could even take the afternoon off to enjoy the nice weather.

Just one thing to add: the future of this profession is going to be determined by the AI, computerization, automation ... and decision-makers in this field. Perhaps only the strongest translators and interpreters, who will be able to compete more or less with the smart and quick machines may survive.

To grow professionally as a translator, it's essential to first define what "growth" means for you—whether it's increasing your income, gaining prestige, working on more specialized projects, or diversifying your activities. Setting clear, measurable goals is key. For some, growth might involve transitioning to high-profile clients or complex subjects like legal or medical translation. Others may focus on combining translation work with teaching, speaking at industry conferences, or even branching into project management. Whatever your path, continuous learning, networking, and staying adaptable in the evolving industry are crucial to long-term success.

Always give your best to each and every one of the services you provide. Make each piece (translated document) the best it can be and wait. It will resonate among your clients.

Otro consejo útil es hacer algún curso de marketing para saber cómo y a quiénes ofrecer nuestros servicios. No basta con tener una formación académica en traducción, sino que también es necesario aprender cómo identificar posibles clientes, dónde encontrarlos, y cómo mantenerlos.

Do public translations (like Wikipedia articles) and publish them to have feedback from your fellow translators and colleagues or the general audience. Put samples of your translations on professional platforms (like Linkedin) and have feedback, notoriety, and potential clients.

If you want to grow professionally, I suggest mixing professional fertilizer and plant food in a watering can and watering yourself with the mix every morning in the shower. You'll be growing professionally in no time.

One thing to consider before every else is: what do you consider to be professional growth? Put differently: what is your goal? Do you want to become a better technical translator? Do you want to become a good all-round translator? Do you want to work with more language combinations? Or do you want to delve into subject matter to eventually land a job pertaining to that subject matter? Also, skills aren't everything. Work smart, too. I myself invest a lot of time in finding accurate translations for terms and often look at related terms at the same time. I add them to my termbase and can rest assured that anything I pull from that has been well-researched. If your translation tool offers auto-correct, teach it ALL your non-ambiguous typos.

Consistency and patience! Always seek knowledge. Stay updated with language trends, tools, and industry developments. Network with other professionals and seek feedback on your work to improve. Specialize in specific fields or industries to become an expert in those areas.