Greetings to all my readers! Today I will give a description of the profession of translator. Let's talk about whether this specialty is in demand. Let's consider its features, pros and cons, what the job is, whether it is possible to work remotely, what you need to know for this and how much you can earn.

I have always believed that a translator is an elite, top-ranking profession. Knowledge of languages ​​and the ability to simultaneously translate from one language to another has always been associated with something supreme, I would even say, divine. Something that only a few exceptional people can achieve.

“The translator differs from the creator only in name.” (V. Trediakovsky).

Have you ever wondered when, how and why languages ​​appeared (there are now about 7,000 of them in the world) and how ancient the profession of translator is? There are several versions.

Just a little history

It is not known for certain how languages ​​appeared. Some believe the biblical interpretation of the Tower of Babel as the origin of different languages.

Others believe that languages ​​have their origins in prehistoric times, when people tried to imitate birds and animals.

There is also a version that the first words were formed from natural sounds that people made when they experienced different emotions - anger, happiness, shock.

Scientific version: the reason for the emergence of languages ​​is geographical disunity.

Linguists put forward a hypothesis about the origin of all languages ​​from a single ancient language, which served as the beginning of the formation of language families.

Meet the interpreter or who is the translator?

Be that as it may, the emergence of different languages ​​entailed the need for the birth of a person capable of conveying the meaning of what was said by a representative of one people to a representative of another. This is how the translator appeared.

The first mentions of translators as honorary residents take us back to Ancient Egypt. In Rus', the profession originated with the advent of writing, when the need arose to translate religious scriptures. Oral translators were called interpreters (Old Russian “talmach” - translator, interpreter, commentator).

Variations on a theme or variety of profession

Throughout history, translation activity has not changed significantly, but along the path of its development in different periods it had certain peculiarities.

Initially, there was a period when only the literal translation was important, and not the general meaning.

Then it was time to interpret what was said, when it seemed more important to convey the essence, the message, rather than the details.

In the era of globalization, when information is dominant, the translator acts more like a relay - a specialist transmitting information.

There are several types of the translator profession and each has its own responsibilities. What kind and what does a representative of this or that species do? Let's consider.

• The most difficult type of translation is simultaneous. The difficulty is that you need to be able to speak a foreign language as if it were your native language. The main thing here is to be able to quickly convey the information presented by the speaker.
• The most popular type of translation is consecutive. Unlike synchronous, here the speaker pauses, during which translation occurs.
• Written translation. Widely represented by numerous translation agencies in any field (documents, contracts, business and personal correspondence, fiction and other literature, thematic texts).
• Technical translation. Requires knowledge of highly specialized terminology and presentation style. A technical translator must be well versed in a certain area and master the nomenclature, since in such a translation reliability is extremely important when interpreting technical terms.
• General computerization has expanded the niche segment and a type of software localization has emerged. Provides user interface translation services: documentation, design, voice messages, assembly and testing of online help systems, etc.

What should a translator be like or characteristics of a specialist?

Not everyone can master a language at the proper level, and often more than one.

You need to have certain qualities:

• linguistic abilities: a penchant for languages, simply a sense of the specifics/features of thinking and assimilation processes;
• excellent memory;
• analytical mind;
• erudition;
• fast response;
• attentiveness;
• communication skills;
• competent speech.

Patience, resistance to stress, responsibility, politeness, and tact will also not hurt.

The list of necessary qualities can be either increased or shortened depending on what the translator does. It is clear that, for example, a quick response in written or technical translation is not a necessary or important quality. And, for example, when translating fiction, a sense of words, that same instinct, is as necessary for a linguist-translator as a muse is for a poet.

“Pros and cons” or pros and cons of such work

The profession is not easy. There are enough pros and cons.

Advantages of choosing a profession:

1. High demand. Looking through vacancies, for example, I noticed that almost every second advertisement required the applicant to know a foreign language. What then can we say about translators? The most popular language in demand was and remains English. However, now, due to the intensive development of international economic relations, China is vying for the leadership position.
2. Knowledge of foreign languages ​​provides great prospects for career growth.
3. A wide range of opportunities, freelancing and remote work (translation, interpreting, artistic, technical, tutoring, etc.)
4. Knowledge of languages ​​broadens your horizons, increases your social circle, and provides additional pleasant opportunities (reading literature in the original, watching films in a foreign language).
5. Possibility of foreign travel or business trips (probably, there are those who like business trips).
6. Solid salary.

Disadvantages begin to manifest themselves already at the initial stage of acquiring a craft:

1. The competition for admission to the linguistic faculty is very high.
2. Heavy workload and long working hours.
3. Frequent business trips (yes, for many they are more of a minus than a plus).
4. Unstable salaries (mainly for freelance translators).
5. Great responsibility for the quality of translation, which entails a high psycho-emotional load.
6. The need for constant development and improvement, “hone your skills,” which is quite difficult and also leads to psychological stress.

What kind of education do you need to have?

There is an opinion that you can become a translator without a special higher linguistic education; it is enough to obtain secondary vocational education by graduating from college, technical school, or even specialized courses.

However, in order to become a high-class specialist and move up the career ladder, have stable orders and a decent income, you will need a higher education and preferably from a prestigious university with the possibility of an internship abroad.

Employment and career prospects

Where to start your career? Where to look for that very “place in the sun”? Questions that specialists often ask themselves when they leave the walls of an educational institution with a diploma in hand.

The notorious “no experience” can complicate the situation and significantly delay career prospects. But there is no reason to worry. “Moscow was not built right away” and you can start with. There are plenty of them on the Internet now.

You can take orders for translation, completing tests or dissertations, and work from home. Exchanges also provide job openings.

Earnings depend on many components:

• education;
• languages ​​spoken by the specialist;
• skill level;
• number of orders;
• scope of work;
• organizations/places of work;
• living place.

It is difficult to clearly name the amount of income, since many people prefer to work from home and receive piecework payment. It can vary significantly from the lower level of 10,000 to the upper level of 100,000 rubles. The “golden mean” of this spread is the average salary according to job vacancy data.

P.S. or draw conclusions

Agree, although it is difficult, it is an interesting, and most importantly, relevant and in-demand profession at all times. With it, you will never be left without a piece of bread, regardless of any economic situation in the country. What do you think about this?

Friends, if the article was useful and interesting to you, share it on social networks, rate it, and leave comments. See you again!

A bonus for those who read to the end is a humorous miniature from the Comedy Club - “Interpreter in the Chelyabinsk Youth Theater”.

A translator can spend his whole life in a small, stuffy office, translating pages of other people’s documents for notarization, or he can help communicate with leaders of countries during the most important negotiations. A specialist performs the most important function - he helps people communicate and understand each other.

Without them, we would never have read the works of foreign-language writers, watched foreign films, or learned about what is happening outside our country in general. But not every employee’s work is appreciated; only 15% of translators are satisfied with their salaries. Is it worth dedicating your life to this profession? Where to study to become a translator, what to be prepared for and how to build a career? Let's talk in detail.

History of the profession

The profession, although not in its modern form, has existed since ancient times. Then representatives of different nations spoke one more language, in addition to their native one. The key function of these “specialists” was the translation of speech and written messages. Typically, translators were used in negotiations or when announcing the will of a foreign language ruler of a certain territory. Often these were people captured during wars. In ancient Rus', translators were called interpreters. Presumably, their role was determined at the time of the beginning of the dialogue between the Russian principalities and the Turkic tribes.

The importance of interpreters strengthened during the time of vassal dependence of the Russian principalities on the Golden Horde - the collection of tribute and viceroyalty required knowledge of the Turkic language. In this regard, the position becomes official, and many translators go to serve the prince or khan.

Who is a translator and what are his responsibilities?

A translator is a specialist who translates oral or written text into another language. What distinguishes a professional from someone who simply knows a foreign language is the lack of room for error and the ability to correctly present information (match the speaker’s speed of speech, avoid long pauses, and so on). Remember the dozens of incidents that occurred in the negotiations of the same politicians due to translator errors. The same “overload” in relations between Russia and the United States (instead of a “reset”).

Key responsibilities of a specialist:

• Translation of scientific and fiction literature, press, patent descriptions, specialized documents and other materials.
• Performing translations of oral and written texts, ensuring their full compliance with the semantic, lexical and stylistic content of the original.
• Editing translations of other specialists.
• Preparation of documentation and all kinds of texts in a foreign language in accordance with officially accepted standards.
• Scientific work on the unification of terms and improvement of translation technologies.

The range of responsibilities can expand or narrow depending on the employee’s qualifications, experience and place of work. But the skill requirements remain unchanged: a professional must not only be fluent in the language, but also comply with job descriptions. For example, have well-spoken speech, excellent memory for simultaneous translation, high typing speed, and so on.

It is necessary to constantly develop - every language lives and changes, new slang words and new trends appear in it.

If a specialist does not improve his skills, then in 1-2 years of “downtime” he can completely lose his skills.

Where can a specialist work?

Translation agency. At least 50% of university graduates work in specialized bureaus that provide interpretation and translation from foreign languages. The organization's customers can be individuals and legal entities, institutions and government agencies. The bureau primarily carries out written translations - these are documents (in particular, those preparing for a notarial application), educational works, books and magazines, letters, articles and much more.

Private organizations. Here specialists work for many customers, but in the interests of one company. Only 1-2% of organizations can afford to maintain a staff of translators - usually 1-2 people who perform a wide range of tasks. They go to negotiations, translate business correspondence, technical literature and documentation, prepare requests and papers for negotiations with foreign partners or customers, and provide information support to clients from foreign countries.

Government structures. Specialists work in government agencies or collaborate with them on individual projects. Example: the regional administration is building partnerships with investors, say, from the Czech Republic. They require translators with knowledge of the Czech language on an ongoing basis, since the volume of work is large and the workload is regular. Another example: from the same Czech Republic, a delegation of, say, athletes comes to the region to participate in some event. In this case, a translator with knowledge of the Czech language will be required for one-time project work.

Publishers and studios. Thousands of books, films, TV series and song lyrics are translated every year. Working in publishing houses, film studios, production centers and similar companies requires a specialist to know the specifics of the literary language and modern slang. You've probably noticed how the quality of translation, for example, of the same series in different studios varies. This is not about voice acting, but about vocabulary. Here, not only the clarity of the content depends on the translator, but also the pleasure received by the listener, viewer, reader from the oral or written text.

Freelancing. According to unofficial statistics, at least 10% of the total number of graduates of educational institutions in Russia constantly work as freelancers. They find regular customers, collaborate on projects with organizations and institutions, or look for work on popular freelance exchanges. The key advantage of this regime is absolute freedom, the ability to set your own schedule and regulate your income. The main disadvantage is the lack of any guarantees, in particular stable payment and fulfillment by the customer of the terms of the contract.

Where to study to become a translator? TOP 5 Universities

The best choice would be a linguistic university. You can start your education in college and continue it over time by enrolling in a university through an accelerated program.

A diploma of higher education gives preferences in employment, being an indicator of the quality of training.

However, the key argument in your favor for the employer is your work experience and qualifications. You will have to improve it throughout your career. And the higher quality the knowledge gained during training, the better. Therefore, it is worth trying to enroll in the best university available to you.

TOP 5 linguistic universities in Russia:

1. Moscow State University named after Lomonosov.
2. St. Petersburg State University.
3. MGIMO.
4. Moscow Linguistic University.
5. Russian State University named after. Kosygina.

Choosing a university is an important step in a translator’s career, but not a determining one.

Graduates of provincial educational institutions that are far from the top of the rankings can build a successful career. But during self-study, they will have to do much more than students at elite universities. Moreover, you will not receive the most valuable connections that graduates of prestigious universities acquire during their studies and which help them in finding a job.

An excellent solution would be to enroll in master's programs at foreign universities. This opportunity is worth taking advantage of not only for bachelors who want to emigrate, but also for graduates who want to succeed in a career as a translator. The opportunity to study a language in depth for several years in a country where it is official is an invaluable experience. It will help you reach the top and will become an important line in your resume. You can also: approve scholarships and grants from foreign universities that honestly offer free education. The procedure for admission and paperwork is quite complicated, but it’s worth it.

What qualities do you need to have?

• Excellent memory. One of the basic requirements for in-depth study of any language. If you are forgetful, you must be prepared to put a lot of effort into developing your memory.
• Logical thinking. It is not enough to remember individual words and phrases - you need to understand its logic, features of vocabulary and word formation. Developed logical thinking will become the basis for understanding grammar and slang expressions.
• Perseverance. The work of a translator can hardly be called exciting - it usually involves many hours of sedentary work over piles of foreign language texts.
• Stress resistance. It is especially important during simultaneous interpreting, when you are under constant pressure, trying to synchronize your speech with the speech of the speaker.
• Attentiveness. Each mistake can lead to distortion of huge blocks of text. History knows many examples of failed negotiations or, say, unsuccessful film releases due to inaccuracies in translations.

The relevance of the translator profession and its prospects

Key confrontations are unfolding in the IT fields. Many experts say that in the near future, trained artificial intelligence will be able to completely replace a human translator. However, the developers themselves speak with caution about such prospects. Most of them talk about this possibility as a rather distant reality.

According to analytical data, in the next 20-30 years machines will not be able to replace the work of translators even by 15%. At the same time, the specialists themselves are happy to use new developments and professional software - it really helps in their work. If you liked the presentation of the profession at the Open Day at the university or if you have been writing an essay on the topic “My future profession is a translator” since elementary school, then you can safely follow your dream.

Pros and cons of the translator profession

This specialty is suitable for people who like complex, intense, orderly work. There are no risks or threats to life or health. It is difficult for a translator to get physically injured at work. But it is quite possible to weaken your psyche and drive yourself to hysteria as a result of constant stress and the burden of responsibility.

pros translator professions:

• Relevance of the specialty . This is a profession in demand and even university graduates, as a rule, do not encounter a shortage of vacancies. The only exceptions are rare, particularly endangered, languages.
• Lots of employment options . You can work in a regular translation agency, in private companies and government agencies, you can translate books, films and TV series, you can accompany tourists, or even remain a freelancer.
• Career prospects . All in your hands! If you are constantly developing, continue to study the language throughout your life, do not marinate yourself in one job and are not afraid of change, you have every chance of achieving success.
• Quite high salaries . They cannot be compared with the income of top managers in oil companies, but in comparison with the national average they are high. Moreover, with experience and advanced training, you will be able to qualify for a salary increase.
• Real opportunity for emigration . Translators especially often use special programs, complete master's degrees abroad, receive grants and scholarships from foreign universities, as they have an excellent command of the language and successfully pass testing.

Minuses translator professions:

• Difficult and responsible work . Most specialists are under constant tension, feel a burden of responsibility and often suffer from stress.
• The need for constant development . Just 1-2 years without practice (for example, during maternity leave) and you “fall out” of the profession. The language changes very quickly and you must constantly improve your skills.
• Monotonous work . No matter where you work, you will constantly be dealing with large volumes of text - written or spoken. There are no surprises to be expected.
• Low salaries at the start of your career . University graduates, even with 1-2 years of work experience, can rarely get a well-paid job.

If you love languages, if you are ready to devote your life to establishing communication and linguistic connections between people, this profession is for you. If you want something more dynamic and exciting, but you go to a linguistic university only because of the prospect of a high salary, you will hate your job with all your heart. Before enrolling, we recommend that you analyze all the pros and cons in advance, and then make an informed choice.

How much do translators earn in Russia?

According to analytical services, the average salary of a Russian translator is 34.7 thousand rubles. At the same time, there are significant differences between average salaries in the regions. Specialists from Moscow (42 thousand rubles), St. Petersburg (38 thousand rubles) and Vladivostok (36 thousand rubles) receive the most. Salaries vary not only in regions, but also in organizations - maximum in private companies, minimum in government agencies.

As they progress in their careers, translators can expect significant salary increases. In 5 years of work, it is possible to increase your income by 10-15 thousand rubles. We should not forget that the amount of wages also depends on the relevance of the language. In some cases, specialists with knowledge of rare languages ​​receive large fees, but usually collaborate with them only on individual projects. Translators specializing in English, German, French and Arabic earn the most.

The profession of translator is gaining popularity on the Russian labor market. What is this work? What types of activities does it include?

Who should study in this specialty? What is the salary of a specialist? Let's talk about everything in detail.

Professional translator - description and characteristics of the profession

Some people think that learning a foreign language well is enough to get a job. But this activity is not as simple as it seems at first glance. The success of negotiations and the conclusion of an important deal sometimes depends on the professional qualities of a specialist.

Translation can be oral or written. Written specialists translate texts, fiction and other works, and documents.

Interpretation is divided into consecutive and simultaneous. Consecutive interpreting is often used in situations where a speaker speaks to a large audience. In this case, he pauses after a certain phrase, and the translator reproduces what was said in another language. Consecutive interpreting is also often used in negotiations.

Simultaneous translation is different in that it is carried out during the speaker’s speech. It is much more complex and requires the following qualities:

• attentiveness;
• literacy;
• good command of the language.

In this case, the interpreter usually sits in a special booth. The work requires a lot of mental effort, so specialists work in shifts of 20-30 minutes with an hour break.

Professions related to foreign languages

If you know foreign languages, you can master other professions. Foreign languages ​​open up many new opportunities.

What do people with knowledge of foreign languages ​​do:

• teacher;
• linguist;
• guide translator;
• literary translator;
• transcriber.

Knowledge of a foreign language may be required not only in professions related to it. Sometimes Russian companies cooperate with foreign ones. Then knowledge of the language will be a plus for an employee of such a company.

How to become a good translator

To become the best specialist, you need to know many nuances of the profession. For this You should study works compiled by qualified professional translators. In them you can find a description of many mistakes that prevent talented people from moving forward.

For example, the most common mistake is literal translation. And the task is to convey meaning. It is important to understand that each language has its own style and way of presentation. You need to feel the language.

To do this, you can try to put yourself in the author’s shoes and ask the following question: “How would he say this phrase if he spoke in my language or in the language into which I need to translate?”

One more thing - the English language will no longer surprise anyone. A good specialist must know several foreign languages, preferably rare ones.

Russian universities with a specialty in Translation and Translation Studies

The peculiarity of the profession is that translators are required in various fields and spheres of life, for example, you can become a military translator. Therefore, appropriate education is available in military, humanities, physics and mathematics, and in various other institutes.

Examples of Russian universities with this specialty:

1. Institute of International Law and Economics named after Griboedov.
2. Moscow State Transport University.
3. Moscow International School of Translators.
4. Institute of Linguistics, Moscow Energy Institute.
5. Nevsky Institute of Language and Culture in St. Petersburg.
6. International Academy of Business and Management.
7. Far Eastern Institute of Foreign Languages.
8. Ural State Pedagogical University.

You can enroll in first or second higher education. This is the best way to learn a profession.

University is almost the only way to get a profession. Colleges do not train translators. Translation courses are gaining popularity. However, it is better not to forget that a diploma can play an important role.

What exams do you need to take?

To be able to become a translator, you need to pass Russian language, as well as social studies and foreign languages ​​as additional subjects.

You can get a profession at the Faculty of Foreign Languages.

How many years does it take to study to become a translator?

The time you will have to spend on training depends on the choice of program. It takes 5 years to study to become a specialist, and 4 years to become a bachelor.

If you choose courses, no one guarantees you either subsequent employment or the quality of knowledge. But the duration of training will be no more than 12 months.

Where can a translator work?

The translator’s place of work depends on the direction of activity he chooses. Most students begin to earn extra money as written translations during their studies. This can be done without leaving home, via the Internet.

There are many platforms and online sites that require translators. True, you won’t earn much from this, but you can get the first skills.

After training, you can go into teaching or get a job in a foreign company. The position of a personal assistant provides many opportunities for career advancement.

What is the salary of a translator in Moscow

Payment for work varies. It all depends on the experience, professionalism, area of ​​activity, company.

Beginning specialists will receive from 20,000 to 40,000 rubles per month.

With the acquisition of experience and professional qualities, new opportunities will open up. Over time, income can grow to 100,000-125,000 rubles.

Career growth and development prospects

Currently, international cooperation is only developing. The growth of the economy and the expansion of sales of many companies have made the profession of translator in demand. Many companies are willing to pay specialists high wages.

True professionals are worth their weight in gold in the labor market. Therefore, career growth and development depends only on the translator’s willingness to grow and improve.

Is it worth studying to be a translator: the pros and cons of the profession

Pros of the job:

1. Opportunity to work as a freelancer. In this case, the employee has freedom of action. You can set your schedule and work at your own discretion.
2. No income ceiling. If you work with foreign bureaus or foreign customers, you can significantly increase your income.
3. There is always an opportunity to work or, as they say, “you won’t be left without work.” Translators are constantly needed. But even if it is not possible to get a job in any company, you can again start freelancing.

Disadvantages of work:

1. Great competition and difficulties when starting. It will be difficult for a novice translator to find a job without experience.
2. Health problems. They usually occur among freelancers. If you constantly sit at the computer, your vision will decrease. There is also a possibility of curvature of the spine and problems with posture.
3. Low wages in Russia. Not everyone manages to reach an international level in their work, and wages in Russian companies do not please anyone.

It is worth studying to become a translator for those who truly love foreign languages, read books in the original, watch films, and travel often.

Translation is not just an activity. It is quite possible that this will become a lifestyle. It is important to love your future profession in order to receive satisfaction.

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And how much can you earn with a good knowledge of languages?

I have been working as a translator for six years.

Olga Simonova

translator

Perhaps yesterday you used the application that I translated last summer, or you scolded my unsuccessful translation in the instructions for your printer.

I work in a translation agency: I translate from English myself, edit translations of other linguists, evaluate and select freelance translators for projects. I’ll tell you where to start if you recently graduated from the Faculty of Foreign Languages ​​or remembered that you know French quite well and decided to make money on it.

How translators and agencies work

To receive translation orders, you need to get into the databases of translation agency contractors. Such agencies are intermediaries between performers and companies that need translation.

It is inconvenient for large companies to work directly with translators: they will have to select good performers themselves, monitor deadlines, and check quality. Translation agencies take on all this work and carry out turnkey translation orders. If you want to translate texts about medical equipment, write not to manufacturers, but to agencies that specialize in medical translations.

Often the order includes not only translation, but also related work: layout, converting files to another format, working with images. The client simply says: “Here I have a PDF manual for the refrigerator. In two weeks I want to receive it in Spanish, Italian and German.” The manager finds translators, editors, layout designers, and makes sure that everyone meets the deadline and doesn’t mess up. This whole process is called localization, and the agencies themselves are called language service providers.

I advise new translators to take the Google course for beginners in localization. This will help you become familiar with the industry and what you'll be dealing with. The course is free, in English with Russian subtitles.

What does a translator need to know?

The company where I work provides internships for translation students. Here's what a translator needs to start a career.

Know any two languages. One of them must be native - you speak and write it in everyday life, you understand it without a dictionary. This is the language you will be translating into.

The requirements for knowledge of the native language are high: be able to formulate thoughts so that the text does not look translated. It should sound like it was written right away in your native language. Spelling, grammar and punctuation should be fine by default.

The second language is the one from which you will translate. For him, the requirements are not so strict. For simple texts, an average level of vocabulary and knowledge of grammar is sufficient. My first projects were translations of printer manuals. Then my level of English was no higher than Intermediate, that was enough.

If your second language is English, you will have a wide choice of topics and clients. International companies often create their applications, websites and documents in English, and then translate them into the required languages. Ask me any day if we need an efficient translator from English into Russian, I will always answer: “Of course, let’s get him here as soon as possible!” A lot is also translated from other languages, but you will have to spend more time to find suitable orders.

A colleague from another agency told a story about how they were looking for a translator on metallurgical topics. 40 people responded to their advertisements on freelance sites. The test task is to translate the phrase “rolls are rolled in a single-stand rolling mill.” Only two translators refused to translate the phrase because of its nonsense and wrote that rollers are not rolled, but, on the contrary, they are rolled by them. Workpieces, such as sheet metal, are rolled in a mill.

Don’t try to take on a text in which you won’t even be able to spot the error. You will look as stupid as those 38 people who rolled out the roll in the rolling mill. Focus on what you are familiar with. The topics can be anything. Translations are ordered by pharmaceutical companies, fashion magazines and oil companies.

Find information quickly. In addition to the text itself for translation, you will probably be faced with a bunch of instructions, glossaries and style guides. It’s good if you know how to quickly navigate such a flow of information.

Sometimes it is not immediately clear from the text what is being said. Then you have to go to the Internet: read forums, watch video reviews, study the manufacturer’s website, look for application screenshots.

Last year I translated text from a printer application. I began to come across unfamiliar terms, and from the context I couldn’t understand what was what. Based on promotional pages and videos, it turned out that some of the data gets into the application from another cloud service. I registered in this service, found translations of terms there and understood the logic of work in detail. It took me 20 minutes. If we sent the question to the client, we would wait half a day due to the difference in time zones.

If you don’t learn to quickly work with information, you will constantly delay orders or pester the manager with questions. Neither will give you an advantage over your competitors.

Where do agencies look for translators and what do they look for?

Translation companies work in a variety of languages. It is convenient for them to look for contractors on international sites: in one place they can choose translators into several languages ​​at once. Our company is looking for contractors mainly on special platforms “Prozet” and “Translators-cafe”, sometimes we use LinkedIn.

To fill out profiles on these sites, basic knowledge of English will be useful. It is customary to write information about yourself in English: your profile may be of interest to managers around the world.

Please indicate from which language you are translating. This should not be a list of languages, but a specific indication in which direction you are translating. A simple listing like “English, French, Russian” will require clarification from the manager which language pairs you are working with. Write immediately and clearly: “I translate from English and French into Russian.”

List the topics you work with. Formulate them as specifically as possible. It is not enough to simply write “medicine” and “law” - specify the specialization: “medicine - cardiology” or “law - labor law”. Please indicate the end clients whose texts you translated. If you write not just “washing machines”, but “Bosch washing machines”, this is a sign that you are already familiar with the terminology and customer requirements, which means it will take less time to explain.

Take a test. I recommend taking the tests that the agency offers. First, agree to free ones - this is a chance to show your professionalism. I usually give tests to contractors from real texts for translation. If you perform well in the test, there is a high chance that you will be selected. Fail - no big deal. It’s better to immediately understand that this is not suitable for you, than to let the client down later on a real order and earn a fine.

Respond to agency requests. On Prozet and Translators Cafe, agencies post advertisements seeking contractors. If the employer has not written to you yet, respond to the appropriate request yourself.

Beginning translators face a lot of competition on freelance sites. I recommend contacting the agency directly. See who suits your specialization, check vacancies on websites and send your resume.

How much does translation cost?

The cost of work from freelance translators is determined according to market laws: you set a price, and the agency decides whether it is willing to pay you that much. If there are many linguists working in your language pair and topic, there will be a lot of competition on price. And vice versa - translators ask for more money for rare language pairs and topics, because they have few competitors.

Translators from English to Mongolian cost 2-3 times more than from English to Russian. This is not because Mongolian is a particularly difficult language, but because there are few such translators and they can afford to raise prices.

Please indicate prices in dollars or euros. The manager usually estimates the project budget in foreign currency. If you indicate rates in rubles, yens or tugriks, he may be too lazy to convert all this, take on the risks associated with the exchange rate, and simply choose a contractor with a more traditional payment currency.

The cost of a translator's work is calculated according to words, some types of work - by hours. For contractors who work on my team's projects, the average cost of translation from English into Russian is $0.025 (2 R) per word, editing - $0.015 (1 R) per word, hourly rate - $9 (590 R).

0,025 $

per word - average rate of translators from English into Russian

Set different prices. Divide by type of work: for example, editing costs about half as much as translation. Another option is to divide by complexity: the help manual is easier to translate than the user interface, so the price is 10-15% lower. Increase the cost of work for some particularly problematic types of orders, where you have to study many additional sources. Some translators offer volume discounts: for example, 10% for an order containing more than 10 thousand words.

Specify the minimum and hourly rate. The hourly rate is useful for non-standard types of work that cannot be assessed by words: creating a glossary, assessing quality, arbitrating disputes of other linguists.

The minimum bid is the minimum amount you want to receive for one order. Usually it is equal to half an hour. This form of payment protects against working at a loss. For example, when translating 10 words, your rate per word is $0.02 (1 R). If you count according to words, then you will receive 0.2 $ (13 R) for this order. But spend at least half an hour on it: study the requirements, download files, open additional materials. If there are a lot of such orders, it may turn out that you transferred all day and earned only 3-4 $ (197 -262.667 R).

Don't be afraid to ask for extra payment. Let's imagine: you took an order. It turned out that, through no fault of yours, you will have to spend significantly more time on it than planned. Explain the situation to the manager and ask for additional payment. This often happens with editing: the translator turned out to be bad and the editor practically translates the text from scratch. In such cases, report the problem and provide evidence: it is easier for the manager to pay you extra and fine the translator than to look for new performers to do the translation from scratch.

Remember about fines. The line about fines in a contract with a freelancer is not a formality. Translators are indeed fined. Usually this is 30-50% of the order value, in rare cases the payment may be completely canceled. It all depends on the losses the company will suffer due to your fault. They are fined both for quality and for delays.

A translator's weekly earnings at full capacity are $250

Average transfer speed

250 words per hour

Transfer rate

$0.025 per word

Working hours

8 hours a day, 5 days a week

This is an ideal situation when you have 3-5 regular customers with regular orders.

Translators, like other freelancers, often have an uneven workload. One week you won't have time to cook dinner, and the next you'll watch all your favorite TV shows and won't translate a word.

We once had a request for half a million words. We fully loaded a dozen linguists for several months in advance, although before that the projects took them a couple of hours a day. Be prepared for such irregular employment.

Special software and word counting

Translators use special translation programs - CAT tools. It's like a graphic editor for a designer - the main program in which you will do your work. They are paid and free. Which one you need will depend on the requirements of your clients.

My team works with SDL Trados Studio and prohibits translators from converting files to other CAT tools. In other cases, you don’t have to buy or install anything at all: you will simply be given a login and password and you will work in the cloud directly in your browser.

All CAT tools are built according to approximately the same logic. If you understand one thing, there will be no problems with others either. Beginners are sent to the same course from Google, where they will explain how it works and learn how to translate in a CAT tool.

CAT tools play an important role in calculating the cost of an order. A database of translations from previous similar projects is connected to the file that needs to be translated. The sentences you translate now may be similar to those you translated before. This is called a translation database match.

Here's what you need to make money with translations

1. Knowing two languages ​​and understanding the topic is enough to start a career as a translator.
2. Before taking orders, understand how everything works in the industry and take preparatory courses.
3. Create informative profiles on special platforms where agencies look for translators and post their offers.
4. Decide on your bets. Don't forget hourly and minimum.
5. Understand special programs and learn to count weighted words.

We worked on the material

Author - Olga Simonova, editor - Victoria Plotanenko, production editor - Marina Safonova, photo editor - Maxim Koposov, information designer - Zhenya Sofronov, responsible - Anna Lesnykh, proofreader - Daria Semenova, illustrator - Ksyusha Itwascool, layout designer - Evgenia Izotova

Despite the fact that translator is one of the oldest professions, this position remains popular today. This is a great option for anyone interested in learning foreign languages ​​and communicating with people.

Characteristics of the profession

The origin of the position goes back to ancient times. The profession of translator has existed since the times when people began to actively communicate with each other. As a rule, then translators were engaged in translating both written messages and direct speech. This profession appears frequently in history. Such people were needed during military and political negotiations. On the territory of Rus', translators were called interpreters. They were treated rather negatively, since they were engaged in collecting tribute during the reign of the Horde. Many were simply afraid of their appearance.

Now a translator is a person who does not depend on anyone. This is a specialist who deals with written and oral translation from one language to another. He should know all the rules and features of a foreign language, after all, errors in translation often lead to complete misunderstanding between people. Sometimes this leads to a conflict situation between certain groups and even countries.

Types of specialties

There are several main specialties of translators. The main feature here is that they are divided into oral and written. Everything is clear here: the former are engaged in spontaneous translation, while the latter work with written text.

Interpreters, in turn, can be simultaneous or consecutive. Let's see what the description of these varieties says.

• Consistent. Such translators, as a rule, are present at all kinds of business meetings and negotiations where there are people speaking different languages. The job of a consecutive interpreter is to translate the speaker's phrases during a short pause. This gives him the opportunity to formulate a phrase before speaking it to native speakers.
• Synchronous. It is much more difficult for simultaneous interpreters to work. The problem is that the person who is engaged in this business must speak the language at a very high level. He has to translate the speaker's speech without pausing. That is, the translator listens to what is said to him and immediately produces the translated text.

A professional should not pause in his speech; it is important to speak clearly, quickly and to the point.

Working as a translator will seem easier to many. You can choose different areas of activity.

• Technical translators. As the name suggests, they work with technical texts. They usually contain some precise information that needs to be conveyed correctly, as well as a lot of terms. To become a professional, you need to present information unemotionally and accurately. It is also very important not to neglect established grammatical structures. It should be noted that such translators have to work with various diagrams and tables. Therefore, it is necessary to know a variety of popular abbreviations and abbreviations.
• Legal. Translating legal articles or documents is also a very complex process. The task of a legal translator is that he needs to translate specific texts. They must be accurate and correct. Legal translators, as a rule, work with contracts, legal opinions, powers of attorney, and notarial certificates.
• Artistic. Literary translator is one of the most difficult professions. A person has to work with ready-made literary texts. It is advisable to translate them in the author's style. To do this, you need to know not only the language, but also the features of working with this format. A linguist-translator must be well-read and be able to convey someone else's style. To learn this, you need to work a lot with texts. Only in this case does good literary taste and skills in working with words appear.
• Medical translators work with relevant texts. These are various kinds of scientific articles. There, too, knowledge of special terms is required. The text should be impersonal and neutral.

No less popular is the profession of guide-translator. The main difficulty here is that you have to constantly actively collaborate with different people. At the same time, it is very important to know not only the language, but also the culture of the area in which the excursions are held, its history. In addition, you should always be prepared to impromptu and answer unexpected questions.

Any of these work options requires a huge investment of effort. A person must diligently develop in his chosen direction. That is why few people manage to combine such different branches and study everything at once.

Advantages and disadvantages

Like any other job, there are advantages and disadvantages. It’s worth starting with the strengths of the profession.

In fact, this work is always relevant. After all, no matter how hard people try to create something like a single language, they fail. Therefore, we have to learn new languages, and to fully understand each other we need to use translators. Even well-developed programs created specifically for translation will not be able to cope with such a task.

However, even such good work has its downsides. It is also worth paying attention to possible difficulties in work. Both major disadvantages have to do with money. First of all, it is worth noting the fact that work as a translator is often unstable. The fact is that at one time he may have a lot of orders, and at another - not at all.

You have to work a lot and be aware that sometimes you will have to complete tasks from different customers in an extremely short time. In addition, the translator’s salary is also not always immediately given to him. It happens that a company delays payments, this is due to the responsibility of the customer.

Considering all these difficulties and minor problems, you need to approach the choice of such a job with the utmost seriousness. If a person is responsible and diligent, then he will have success, social significance, and good money.

Required skills and requirements

To become a translator, you need to master several skills at once. And it’s only at first glance that everything seems so simple. Let's consider what a professional will need.

• Knowledge of one or more foreign languages. It is advisable that the level of proficiency in each language be confirmed by relevant documents. These are usually diplomas or various certificates.
• Knowledge of the native language is at a very high level. This is also very important, because you will have to correctly convey the context of the conversation and its small details.
• The desire for self-development. Since the language is constantly updated, as are the rules associated with translation and editing, a good specialist must be able to adapt to new trends. It is equally important to know the culture of your own and other countries.
• If a person is engaged in interpreting, then he also needs good knowledge in psychology. This allows you to find a common language both with customers and with those with whom you have to communicate at work.
• Translators must be prepared to master literary editing skills. This allows you to make the finished text truly readable and pleasant to perceive.

In addition, it is worth paying attention to certain personal qualities. A translator must analyze his tasks well. He must also have an excellent memory. This is especially important for a translator who knows several languages ​​at once. It is important to be a very educated person, as well as patient and attentive. A translator must carefully proofread his texts so that there are no logical errors or typos.

For a similar position communication skills are important. You also need to be able to quickly navigate and respond to changing situations. To earn enough It is also important to be very efficient. After all, sometimes you have to work the night shift or simply work long hours.

Education

To become a translator, you must get an education. The classical education of a translator is 4 years of study. It will take 5 years to obtain a master's degree. To become a translator, you need to pass subjects such as native and foreign languages, as well as literature. It is important to know them at a decent level, then it will be much easier to study.

An easier option is to take the appropriate courses. After this, the person can receive the required diploma. The cost of such courses is quite low. It is profitable and convenient, but there is also a certain problem.

Not all employers are ready to entrust their work to a professional of this type. Therefore, many actually have to refuse promising jobs due to lack of the required diploma.

Salary

For many translators, one of the most important factors when choosing a job is salary. It is worth noting here that Salaries in the provinces and in the capital are very different. In addition, there is a difference in the salary of a person who works with local and foreign customers. In the second case, the profitability is, of course, much greater.

The average salary of an English translator is 50 thousand rubles, but these figures can increase with career growth, and also if the texts are technically complex. The salaries of interpreters, especially simultaneous ones, are even higher. Specialists who translate from other languages, for example, Portuguese, Chinese, also receive decent remuneration for their work. Italian and Japanese translators are especially highly valued - their salaries can reach 100 thousand rubles. The minimum salary is 16 thousand, which is received by beginning specialists.

Career growth also depends on the place of work. The simpler the company a person works for, the more difficult it will be for him to develop in the future. In order for your salary to increase over time, it is very important to constantly engage in self-development. You need to learn either new languages ​​or some features of your language in order to be a level above others.