| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Translation Rates for Japanese-to English in Ireland Thread poster: BJC2023
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Hey guys,
I'm wondering if there are any Irish translators on here that would be willing to share how much you can realistically expect to earn working in Japanese to English translation in Ireland (or freelancing based in Ireland)?
Little about me, I currently work as an Analytical Chemist in a major pharmaceutical company and am also taking some Continuous Professional Development courses in Chemical Engineering. My second language is Japanese. I lived in Japan for a... See more Hey guys,
I'm wondering if there are any Irish translators on here that would be willing to share how much you can realistically expect to earn working in Japanese to English translation in Ireland (or freelancing based in Ireland)?
Little about me, I currently work as an Analytical Chemist in a major pharmaceutical company and am also taking some Continuous Professional Development courses in Chemical Engineering. My second language is Japanese. I lived in Japan for approximately five years, during around three of which I worked in a lab at a pharmaceutical manufacturer. My job there also involved frequent JTE translations of technical documents which I enjoyed immensely. I passed JPLT N2 with relative ease prior to starting that job and I did not pursue N1 as I was more focused on acquiring technical vocabulary at the time.
It's been about eight years since I've actively used Japanese but over the last few weeks I've started studying again because I want to get back to the level I was at and also try for N1 certification. It's coming back to me better than I expected! Years ago, I considered doing a translation masters in DCU and changing career to Japanese technical translation. I'd love to work freelance and get out of the corporate rat race. However, realistically, I'd need to know what I'm getting myself in for. I currently earn in the mid 60k range with stock options also. In my mid-thirties FYI!! I don't mind dropping down a bit as the more flexible lifestyle would reap far more rewards than being tied to a lab.
Would you also mind sharing how you got into translation, the stability of work and if it is stressful trying to establish yourself? Also if there are many major cons apart from the usual that come up on Google I'd appreciate hearing them!
Thanks so much and sorry about the long post! ▲ Collapse
| | | | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:25
Member (2008)
Italian to English
BJC2023 wrote:
..... I currently earn in the mid 60k range with stock options also. ....
My 10c:
As a newbie with no specific experience in translation, I have to tell you you have no chance of probably ever earning anything like that (andof course you'd have no stock options). You would be resident in Ireland for tax purposes, but with clients all over the world.
You should only translate into your native language, which I presume is English - particularly when dealing with sensitive documents (about pharmaceuticals) where precision and clarity are essential. You don't want to be hurting people!
I wouldn't bother with taking a translation course. Nobody would care about your paper qualifications. All they care about is your proven ability and professionalism.
I suggest you just jump in, get yourself some translation work and see how you go. With your specialism you have an edge, but it will take you a while to establish a reputation.
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Thanks for the info! What would a typical yearly intake be for someone starting out? I guess it's naive to think i'd fill up a 39 hour week starting out?
[Edited at 2023-01-05 23:12 GMT]
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Michael Newton 
United States
Local time: 16:25
Japanese to English
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I wouldn't worry about setting up from scratch as long as you have a scientific background and some good dictionaries (probably the Interpress if it's still in print). If you need dictionaries, you might try ordering from Amazon.uk or Amazon.japan. Forget about dealing with agencies in Ireland or the UK. They don't have the capital. I would try agencies in Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Italy. Italian agencies pay very well ($0.12 to $0.14). If you contact me by my proz page, I would ... See more I wouldn't worry about setting up from scratch as long as you have a scientific background and some good dictionaries (probably the Interpress if it's still in print). If you need dictionaries, you might try ordering from Amazon.uk or Amazon.japan. Forget about dealing with agencies in Ireland or the UK. They don't have the capital. I would try agencies in Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Italy. Italian agencies pay very well ($0.12 to $0.14). If you contact me by my proz page, I would be glad to suggest several agencies in Italy that handle Japanese to English scientific texts.
Cheers!
Michael Newton (Boston USA) ▲ Collapse
| | | | Lieven Malaise
Belgium
Local time: 22:25
Member (2020)
French to Dutch
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| Modest advice | Jan 6, 2023 |
BJC2023 wrote:
Would you also mind sharing how you got into translation, the stability of work and if it is stressful trying to establish yourself? Also if there are many major cons apart from the usual that come up on Google I'd appreciate hearing them!
I worked for 5 years as an inhouse translator before I became a fulltime freelance translator. My previous employer was my first major client who provided me with a livable income during my first year. In hindsight, without that major client, I probably would have struggled at least several months (maybe even longer) before finding enough clients to make a living out of freelance translation. Clients don't suddenly fall out of the sky. So I would suggest to save enough earnings to survive those first months, or otherwise start as a parttime translator to become a fulltime one when you've found enough clients.
Apart from that you should just jump if you feel like it. It's of little use to gather a heap of advice that is mostly based on individual experiences that can differ strongly from one another. You have to (and will if you're motivated) find out things for yourself.
PS: use the services of an accountant. It's worth the investment (peace of mind, no major mistakes etcetera).
| | | | Monica RW
Local time: 22:25
Member (2015)
English to Polish
+ ...
| Use your contacts | Jan 6, 2023 |
Hi, Since you have contacts with pharmaceutical companies in Japan, Ireland, and maybe in other countries, I would suggest you to start with them: contact the people you know there and offer your translation services. Prepare you CV stressing your knowledge of the two languages and your specialisation. Good luck!
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BJC2023 wrote:
Would you also mind sharing how you got into translation, the stability of work and if it is stressful trying to establish yourself? Also if there are many major cons apart from the usual that come up on Google I'd appreciate hearing them!
Translation found me rather late in life: part-time for a few years followed by 20 years as full-time in-house translator and reviser (retired now). I have been freelancing since 2006, work can be inconsistent and unpredictable. Some months are better than others (that’s the name of the game when freelancing). One has to learn to be philosophical and to take each day as it comes. My experience is that a period of “famine” is always followed by a very busy time. When I started out translating, I had just a single excellent client: a Belgian translation agency who gave me regular work (circa 150 pages every month) very well paid and on time until suddenly for no fault of mine their contract was cancelled and I found myself with no work at all. It was quite a blow and I learned my lesson the hard way: so, I advise you to diversify and not to put all your eggs in one basket!
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BJC2023 wrote:
Thanks for the info! What would a typical yearly intake be for someone starting out? I guess it's naive to think i'd fill up a 39 hour week starting out?
[Edited at 2023-01-05 23:12 GMT]
There’s nothing typical about freelancing. Some weeks I translate no more than 5 hours and then I find myself working 10/12 hours per day, weekends included.
| | | | Dan Lucas
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:25
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
| I think you're in a strong position | Jan 6, 2023 |
BJC2023 wrote:
Little about me, I currently work as an Analytical Chemist in a major pharmaceutical company and am also taking some Continuous Professional Development courses in Chemical Engineering.
I'm a JA-EN translator. I come from a different background, but have been able to use what domain-specific knowledge I had to build a decent second career. I went full-time in 2015, earned the median UK income in my first year, and was getting the kind of money you mention within three years, so yes, it is possible. This may not be typical, granted, but the technical skills and knowledge that you have (which are difficult for others to replicate) would put you in an excellent position, in my opinion.
Having said that, I second Lieven's suggestion of working part-time and building up your skill set, client base, and savings. If all goes well, there will come a point when you start needing to decline offers of translation work due to lack of time. That's when you need to think about going full-time.
Keep in mind, however, that this is a Darwinian market, and very different to day-to-day life in a big company. No more paid holiday, no health insurance, no pension unless you pay for it, no sick leave. Consider also the issue of mortgages and other finance, which are more difficult for the self-employed.
JLPT N1 is very definitely worth acquiring in the absence of a degree in Japanese or some other formal qualification. Exams are held in July and December, so download AnkiDroid, get cracking on the kanji, vocab, and grammar, and apply for the December 2023 N1 exam. What have you got to lose except a measly £100?
I agree with the poster who said you should try to use industry contacts. Get some freelance translator meishi printed, attend conferences, tell people that you're available. Or just ask Japanese colleagues.
Consider joining J-Net. It's cheap, and they are a friendly bunch both on the mailing list and at workshops. Why not attend the one in York in July? There's at least one chemical specialist in J-Net, though he's more of a patent guy.
I would take Michael up on his generous offer re the agencies.
Read lots of threads on ProZ.com: there is nothing new under the sun, truly. Every question that needs to be asked has been asked, and answered.
Finally, your country of residence is not that relevant. This is a global market.
Regards,
Dan
| | | | | Thanks a million! | Jan 6, 2023 |
Thanks very much for all of your replies, guys. I think I'll definitely put myself on track for getting my N1 JPLT certification and then dip my toes into translation part time. If it seems viable to me I'll definitely try to make it work!
| | | | Becca Resnik
United States
Local time: 16:25
Member
German to English
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| Encouragement | Jan 6, 2023 |
I agree with nearly everything stated to this point. I mainly want to add that my story is somewhat similar to yours, and now at almost three years deep into this venture, I can confidently say it's one of the best life changes I've ever made. As others have pointed out, your specialist background will serve you exceptionally well. Even in just my second year, I was making a high percentage of what I made as an engineer in the corporate world. I don't miss what no longer hits my bank account, an... See more I agree with nearly everything stated to this point. I mainly want to add that my story is somewhat similar to yours, and now at almost three years deep into this venture, I can confidently say it's one of the best life changes I've ever made. As others have pointed out, your specialist background will serve you exceptionally well. Even in just my second year, I was making a high percentage of what I made as an engineer in the corporate world. I don't miss what no longer hits my bank account, and I presume from your intro that you are the same way. I recently heard this gap referred to as "the happiness tax," which I think is the perfect term for it.
General advice: Peruse every bit of ProZ, which will give you plenty of information to soak in and threads to follow in terms of what to research as you make your transition (scams to watch out for, literature to read about getting started, tips for running a translation business, etc.).
As to your specific question regarding the stress of getting established: Getting established is somewhat stressful because it's a matter of spending time in a zone of uncertainty. For about the first six months to a year, you just don't know how it's going to pan out. Whether the agency you just submitted a test to will like it. Whether a client who liked a text you translated for them will keep coming back with regular work. Whether a dip in incoming orders has anything to do with you or is simply a temporary lull due to economic causes. I think these are always concerns for a freelance translator to some degree, but while you're in the initial stages, these issues leave you wondering if it will work out in the first place. Once I had a history behind me of steady work and incoming clients, I stopped stressing out as much about translation tests or incompetent reviewers, as I had proven to myself that I have what it takes and that this business venture will work out.
Don't feel discouraged by the doom-and-gloom posts you've likely already seen here on ProZ. They're certainly valuable, as it's important to hear from all sides on any issue. However, it's easy to get swept up in them and think you can't be successful in this field – you can! ▲ Collapse
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Baran Keki
Türkiye
Local time: 23:25
Member
English to Turkish
I don't know much about JP-EN pair (and I'm kind of curious if Japanese translation agencies pay as well as their European counterparts) or Irish translators (except for one former in-house translator based in Germany who has nothing positive to say about the profession). But I can give you this advice: do your research well and find out the highest going rate in your language pair. I did the mistake of setting very low rates when I first started out (due to ignorance, not for the purpose of und... See more I don't know much about JP-EN pair (and I'm kind of curious if Japanese translation agencies pay as well as their European counterparts) or Irish translators (except for one former in-house translator based in Germany who has nothing positive to say about the profession). But I can give you this advice: do your research well and find out the highest going rate in your language pair. I did the mistake of setting very low rates when I first started out (due to ignorance, not for the purpose of undercutting others), and found that it was almost impossible to raise them afterwards. I had to ditch all those clients and had to look for new ones, and finding new clients is getting increasingly difficult as most of the 'favourite translator spots' have already been taken by others who started the game earlier than you did. But given the uniqueness of your language pair you shouldn't have that many difficulties compared to those struggling in more saturated language pairs like mine.
One other piece of advice: be wary of translation agencies that purposefully flaunt themselves as being located in 'London', especially if they're being run by people who don't bear Anglo-Saxon names and surnames.
You'd do well to add at least 2 or 3 cents more to your usual per word (or character) rate when negotiating with a person with an Eastern European or Middle Eastern sounding surname, they'll eventually haggle it down to the rate you want.
If an agency asks for a test translation, ask them if they can have it assessed by an independent third party who has no financial relationship with that agency (meaning, not by a freelance translator of that agency). A regular freelance translator of an agency (say, a British translator working with an Italian agency) will not be as impartial/unbiased as a reviewer from outside.
Sorry to be 'stereotypical' about some people, but I've gained this knowledge through experience. You may say that I've had bad experience, but I've had good experience too. And lots of luck. Luck is very important in this business despite what others say. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Michael Newton
United States
Local time: 16:25
Japanese to English
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| Translation rates | Jan 9, 2023 |
There are a number of Japan-based translation agencies that are not owned by Japanese. You can tell by their website and their presence on the Blueboard. They come from "developing countries" and pay "developing country rates" (last week, $0.02 per English word). After admonishing them: "Japan is a rich country, why can't you pay professional rates?", I never hear from them. Also, some "Japanese" translation companies operate from Hong Kong.
| | | | Michael Newton
United States
Local time: 16:25
Japanese to English
+ ...
| Translation rates | Jan 9, 2023 |
Our Turkish colleague has a point about vetting the vetter. I recently did a translation sample for a huge legal contract for an Italian agency. I was told, "the sample was good but not great". I pressed them to see the sample which had been reviewed by their reviewer. The corrections were ridiculous. "Financial institution" was crossed out and corrected as "bank" and so on. It was obvious the reviewer had no background in the special language of Japanese contracts. I protested and got: "But our... See more Our Turkish colleague has a point about vetting the vetter. I recently did a translation sample for a huge legal contract for an Italian agency. I was told, "the sample was good but not great". I pressed them to see the sample which had been reviewed by their reviewer. The corrections were ridiculous. "Financial institution" was crossed out and corrected as "bank" and so on. It was obvious the reviewer had no background in the special language of Japanese contracts. I protested and got: "But our reviewer has been working for us for 20 years and of course does not understand Japanese. Even though you have been translating Japanese for 20 years, it's not unusual that you would get rejected once in a while, is it. I had spent a number of hours going through the entire 500 page original and doing a word count and a quote ($8,500). Eventually they paid me $100.00 for my effort. The agency sucks. People may contact me through my proz. page for the name of this "agency". Really, I think they used the sample, got the contract and used other translators whom they paid less. For the record, I quoted $0.08 for this huge job, a huge concession for a large job. ▲ Collapse
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