The Savvy Newcomer aims to serve newcomers to the translation and interpreting professions by publishing high-quality, peer-reviewed content on a weekly basis. We strive to provide you with the answers to the many questions you face as a new or aspiring translator or interpreter.
Many language professionals start out doing their work “on the side” of whatever else they are doing in life. When people find out you are bilingual, you may be asked to do some volunteer interpreting to help out a friend, family member, or someone in need, or you may agree or be expected to do the occasional translation—and maybe even get paid for it. Volunteering and doing small side jobs are great ways to gain experience and improve your skills as a translator or interpreter. But in order to be a professional—whether you plan on doing this work part-time or…
Read MoreTranslation or Transcreation?
This post was originally published on the Gaucha Translations blog. It is reposted with permission from the author. Whether we provide a translation or a transcreation, at Gaucha Translations we always keep the end users of the translation in mind. Will this document be useful to them? Will it be useful to the people they interact with? Will it cause…
Read MoreA Must-Attend ATA Conference Event: Buddies Welcome Newbies
Whether it’s your first conference or your fortieth, all attendees to the 60th Annual American Translators Association Conference in Palm Springs, CA are invited to attend “Buddies Welcome Newbies,” a time for first-timers and veterans alike to mix and mingle, breaking the ice and getting to know a familiar face before conference sessions get under way. Why should I attend?…
Read MoreNetworking 101 for Freelancers
Every freelance professional knows the drill. You enter a door to some event space and there’s a desk with name tags on it. “Hi! My name is ________.” You take a black marker and write your name on the small blank canvas. You peel off the nametag and stick it to your shirt. And yes, it will fall off several…
Read MoreInternational Translation Day 2019 – A Day in the Life of a Translator or Interpreter
Have you heard? ATA is encouraging translators and interpreters to celebrate International Translation Day (ITD) in a BIG way this year! A United Nations resolution passed in 2017 recognizes ITD as the day to pay tribute to the work of language professionals, and to celebrate this huge step for our profession, ATA is celebrating big time on September 30, 2019.…
Read MoreThe Whys and Hows of Translation Style Guides. A Case Study.
This post was originally published on the Financial Translation Hub blog. It is reposted with permission from the author. Last week, a marketing manager of a global investment company called me. He was referred to me by a colleague. They are launching the company’s website in Italy and had it translated into Italian by a global translation company. However, they…
Read MoreUncovering New Opportunities: Genealogical Translation as a Specialty
Genealogy is in the news these days with the popularity of services like 23andMe—and that has implications for professional translators. At the most basic level, genealogy is the study of family history. Yet, it is a wide-ranging field that includes everything from the hobbyist trying to identify their fifth great-grandparents to the professional genealogist helping a probate court locate the…
Read MoreEl encargo de traducción: ¿qué preguntar antes de aceptar?
This post was originally published on the En la luna de Babel blog. It is reposted with permission from the author. Últimamente he trabajado con varios clientes nuevos (empresas, agencias y particulares) y buscando en la red cómo enfocaban este asunto otros compañeros, di con un listado de Tomedes, que reproduzco aquí con su permiso y amplio con algunos apuntes…
Read MoreGet out the vote 2019
ATA members should vote! We get the leaders we vote for. ATA is fortunate to have an all-volunteer Board of Directors that dedicate their time and energy to directing and bettering our organization. These directors and other specific positions are elected at an annual meeting of voting members during the annual conference each year. In September, ATA always gives voters…
Read MoreHow to Set a Budget for Your Freelance Business
This post was originally published on the Thoughts On Translation blog. It is reposted with permission from the author. Setting a budget for your freelance business is important, because: -Many freelancers have no idea how much they need to earn in order to achieve the same level of financial security as someone with a traditional job. -As a freelancer, you…
Read MoreStumbling on the Vocabulary of National Life (Part Two)
by Joseph P. Mazza This post is part two of a two-part series by Joe Mazza. Read last week’s post here (you won’t regret it): Stumbling on the Vocabulary of National Life (Part One). Having survived the surly eviction from a Latino grocery store, I decided long ago to pursue the vocabulary of national life on less dangerous turf—namely around…
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