Jobs in Translation Industry: 9 Career Options For You

Based on the latest data shows that jobs in translation industry will continue to grow over the next decade, and this will be one of the bright career options for you.

So, if language is your passion, you have language skills, and you enjoy the challenge of getting involved and working in translation industry, now is the time to start looking into it. Because in this article, we will discuss several important points related to jobs in translation industry, such as the types of jobs, the choice of jobs in the translation industry whether it is a good career or not, and the job requirements for working in translation, as well as a list of skills translators use in their careers.

9 Types of Jobs in Translation Industry

Below are types of jobs in translation industry:

1. Translators

This profession is in charge of translating various kinds of literary works, business documents, personal documents, academic materials, and films from the source language to the target language. For example, translating Indonesian into English for birth certificate and passport for someone who are moving to Indonesia for work.

This job involves not just foreign language skills but also the capacity to re-express messages from works or papers translated into the target language. So, the translator does not simply change the text but provides information using the best terms. Currently, many written translators work in specialized fields such as law or technology.

2. Interpreters

An interpreter has the task of translating orally and directly. An interpreter must have a high concentration, and must really have qualified translation skills. The interpreter must be able to focus on listening to the spoken sentence and immediately translate it orally. Being an interpreter will certainly be very fun, especially if you become an interpreter from foreign tourists, you will be invited to go around tourist places without having to pay a fee. Interpreter services may be provided live on the client site or over the phone/skype/etc.

3. Editors

The editor will edit the translator’s translation. They improve the quality of the writing, while their primary objective is to improve the translator’s selected terminology. There may be proper and consistent usage of terminology throughout the texts, particularly in technical jargon.

4. Proofreaders

They tend to be the last people to work on a process of translation. Their responsibility is to ensure that there are no mistakes on a document before sending it to the client.

5. Project Managers

He or she is responsible for each translation and coordinates the numerous parties involved (translators, proofreaders, graphic designers, etc.), as well as monitoring the various stages up to the final stage. He or she is responsible for checking the style, which includes syntax, grammar, spelling, and typography. Your contact person is responsible for explaining how your project was completed.

The translation industry’s essential component. Project managers serve as the glue that holds together all of the individuals involved in a translation project. They will take a project directly from the client or business developer and assign all necessary resources to execute it. Project managers work long hours connecting people from different countries. They are typically held accountable for the project’s success or failure. Because of this, project managers are usually in charge of deciding whether or not a team member is a good fit for the project. This is a job that demands a lot of patience, solid organizational abilities, and the ability to work with translators to meet the needs of the client.

6. Business Developers

Client relationship managers (CRMs) are another term for a business developer. Clients and potential clients are the primary focus of their work.

Customers in the translation sector have limited awareness of the processes involved in the process of translating a document. Most clients don’t realize how much time and effort to produce a high-quality translation.

The most difficult problem for translation business developers is to educate clients without scaring them away. Clients don’t like it when they are told that a deadline for completing the translation is impossible. People who are good at business development can help translation clients get the most out of their money without sacrificing the quality of the translation.

7. Typesetters / DTPists

A typesetter works on a translated document to ensure that the content is consistent with the design of the original document. Some languages are significantly lengthier than others. As a result, the size of the translated text will frequently change from the original. Consequently, there will frequently be a size difference in the translated text. When translating a document for 100 pages from Chinese to English, for example, the document may originally have 120 pages. One of the typesetter’s responsibilities is to edit the text, resize text placeholders, and manage the “adaptation” process as a whole.

Similarly, DTPists are experts who work with Desktop Publishing. It is a term that refers to publishing work done “through a computer screen.” As a DTPist, you can do the job of a typesetter and work with images at the same time! (conversion, OCR, etc).

8. Graphic Designers

Graphic designers concentrate on the DTP’s visual features. In any case, they have the option of starting from scratch or mixing already-created photos. In some cases, graphic designers will also give thoughts or templates for the building of a web page.

9. Localization Engineers

They will be responsible for the technical aspects of large-scale translation projects. They may provide assistance to translators and project managers in the use of translation software such as Trados Studio. Localization engineers work on increasingly complicated software and website translations. They also assist with project issues such as converting currencies, dates and measuring units.

Jobs in the Translation Industry: Is it a Good Career or Not? Why?

There are many reasons why working in the translation industry is an excellent career choice, so continue reading if you are still unsure about pursuing a career in this field.

Good Salary

Unlike most jobs that pay a regular wage based on their hours per day, translators are often paid on a project basis. This means that the price of a project might be rather high because of the amount of time it takes for the translator to research and become familiar with the subject matter, as well as the author’s style. You’ll likely calculate the price per word or the number of hours needed to accomplish a job when setting a price for it.

Have a Variety of Specializations

Don’t like literature? That’s okay, this is because a career as a translator is still a good fit for you! It is important to change the stigma that translation is a boring career in which you work hard to translate uninteresting texts. Choose your expertise instead, and you will be able to pursue your interest and passion, whether it is in the medical, legal, literary, scientific, or other disciplines!

Have a Diverse Environment

Companies all throughout the world require translators these days. You can work at an agency, receiving projects from a range of sources, or as an in-house translator, learning the inner workings of a single company and becoming a master of transmitting its messages and personality.

You Can Never Stop Learning New Things

Every translation project is a research endeavour. There is a high possibility that the author of the original text or material has a different background, specialization, and general interest from yours. So, to submit this information in your own local language, you must first understand it so that others can understand the context in which you are translating.

Words can have many meanings, which is why understanding the context is very important. Gradually, you will become an expert in hundreds of fields, increasing your IQ and making you a more attractive person.

There Is No Fixed Schedule

Translators will be assigned a project (which they may accept or reject) and a deadline. As long as the work is ready before it is required, translators have a great deal of freedom in terms of how and when they work. If the 9-5 routine is not for you, you can create your own hours that fit your lifestyle or are more productive.

Requirements for Getting Jobs in Translation Industry

What are the most important requirements for a professional translator to have? The following are the most important qualities for becoming a successful professional translation: professional abilities, a sense of responsibility, and a wide range of information.

What Skills Do You Need To Work In The Translation Industry?

Translators use a variety of skills while converting words from one language to another. Learning about a translator’s skills can help you become a translator as well as enhance your translation skills. Below are some examples of skills for your reference:

> Have a fluent understanding (near-native) at least one foreign language (source language).

> Have the ability to speak and write fluently in at least two languages.

> In-depth cultural knowledge.

> Accurate translation evaluation.

> Computing and CAT abilities.

Popular Languages

For aspiring translators, popular Asian languages are Chinese, Malay, Korean, Tamil,  Japanese, while top European languages are French, German, Spanish, amongst others. So if you are a native speaker of any of these languages and are bilingual in English, you should pursue this career!

How to Improve the Skills?

The following are some suggestions for improving the abilities of translators in order to help them progress in their careers:

1) Make sure you’ve done everything you can before moving on. Using grammar and spell check software can help you become a better translator by ensuring that your translations are error-free.

2) Learn a language through watching TV, reading books, or listening to podcasts.

3) You can take CAT software training courses. It is available to assist you improve your productivity as a translator by increasing your proficiency with the software.

To Conclude

Those are some of the points we layout about jobs in the translation industry, a career option that you should consider. For that, we have to get started, the sooner you gain valuable work experience in the translation industry, the better your chances of attracting and retaining the best clients. Everyone has the potential to be a great translator or interpreter, so practice it as much as you can from the start. Until you actually start translating or interpreting, you won’t know if it’s something you want to pursue.

Once you gain greater confidence, you can start applying for the positions you like.