| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Career change advice needed and appreciated Thread poster: Vlad Mandic
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Vlad Mandic 
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:09
English to Croatian
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Hi, I'm new here and this is a long-ish post, apologies.
I am here to hopefully get some honest advice and/or opinion on what you think my chances are of switching careers (again! - details below) and gaining a foothold in the translation/interpretation industry. I’m currently not working and money is tight. I am a 50-year-old male.
A little intro about who I am first.
I was born in Bosnia, former Yugoslavia, and my mother tongue back then was known as Se... See more Hi, I'm new here and this is a long-ish post, apologies.
I am here to hopefully get some honest advice and/or opinion on what you think my chances are of switching careers (again! - details below) and gaining a foothold in the translation/interpretation industry. I’m currently not working and money is tight. I am a 50-year-old male.
A little intro about who I am first.
I was born in Bosnia, former Yugoslavia, and my mother tongue back then was known as Serbo-Croat. Nowadays, Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia are all separate countries with their own languages (Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian) that are all variants of Serbo-Croat and are broadly similar and interchangeable.
I spent 26 years living and working in the UK. I moved to Croatia with my partner a few months ago.
I have had a real and genuine passion for the English language from an early age. It was my favourite subject at school and I excelled at it. I studied Philosophy and English language at the University of Philosophy in Sarajevo but was sadly unable to complete my degree due to the outbreak of war at the time (in the early 90s). I’ve also studied at the London Metropolitan University and hold a Higher Education diploma in Computer Science. I read a lot and have fun playing word games and never tire of learning new words, meanings, nuances, and phrases in English as I believe we can and should learn and improve until the day we die.
Purely to satisfy my own curiosity, I’ve completed an online English language proficiency official Oxford Placement Test and scored C2.
I am fully bilingual in English and Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian and my spelling is impeccable.
My professional background is in IT and I worked in this field for 16 years in the UK. About 10 years ago, having become a little worn out and disillusioned with the industry, I decided to completely change my career path. I spent the next 3 years studying "The Knowledge" and became a black cab driver in London. I worked in this job until the first Covid-19 lockdown in 2020.
My main obstacle, in my view, is the lack of formal qualifications or professional experience in translation/interpretation and this is what worries me the most. Also, the fact these are lacking on my CV/resume and LinkedIn profile.
My strengths are my exceptional command (IMHO) of written and spoken English (and my mother tongues, obviously), the true passion, interest and sheer curiosity I have for the language and linguistics in general, my long-held desire to become a professional translator or interpreter (or some combination of various roles in this industry) and my willingness and eagerness to engage with a new job in this field, to learn and to excel, and to offer all I can.
Ideally, I would want to find work that allows me to work from home/remotely. It can be pretty much anything translation-related, full-time, part-time, one-off, on an ad-hoc basis, etc. I am open to volunteering too.
I'm sorry if this post is too long, and a sincere thank you to anyone who has read it in its entirety and who may be able to offer their opinion.
[Edited at 2023-01-12 17:36 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Some thoughts | Jan 13, 2023 |
Hello and welcome to Proz!
My advice to you would be to create a good CV and start applying to agencies. Lots of agencies. As many as you can. The sooner the better.
While your lack of a translation qualification may be offputting to some, your industry knowledge (IT) should stand you in good stead.
Be warned, however, that it can take a long time before you start getting work. Translation is not really a "quick fix" financially, and it might take a year o... See more Hello and welcome to Proz!
My advice to you would be to create a good CV and start applying to agencies. Lots of agencies. As many as you can. The sooner the better.
While your lack of a translation qualification may be offputting to some, your industry knowledge (IT) should stand you in good stead.
Be warned, however, that it can take a long time before you start getting work. Translation is not really a "quick fix" financially, and it might take a year or so to get up and running.
You should also be aware that there have been significant changes in the industry of late. Many agencies are beginning to work extensively with MTPE or PEMT, which is machine translation post-editing - "cleaning up" texts translated by a computer.
Working remotely won't be a problem - it's what most of us do.
Best of luck! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Vlad Mandic
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:09
English to Croatian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Fiona, thanks so much for taking the time to read my post and reply!
Fiona Grace Peterson wrote:
Hello and welcome to Proz!
My advice to you would be to create a good CV and start applying to agencies. Lots of agencies. As many as you can. The sooner the better.
While your lack of a translation qualification may be offputting to some, your industry knowledge (IT) should stand you in good stead.
What to do with my CV is one of the conundrums I have, as it's not translation related at all. I'm almost thinking anyone I send it to might think I made a mistake, and that perhaps I meant to send it to an IT company to apply for an IT job, and just dismiss it immediately. How can I modify it to prevent that from happening, and stand even a chance of being considered, and yet, remain truthful??
Thanks very much again, and all the best to you.
| | | | | Worth giving a try | Jan 14, 2023 |
If you really want to enter this industry (see Fiona’s post), with your IT background and language qualifications you should give it a try.
These are my personal views. I am happy to be corrected by more knowledgeable colleagues.
- Prepare a proper CV that highlights your IT and language strengths.
- You may want to introduce yourself as a “newcomer to the industry” as opposed to “having no experience.” It amounts to the same, but sometimes sound matters... See more If you really want to enter this industry (see Fiona’s post), with your IT background and language qualifications you should give it a try.
These are my personal views. I am happy to be corrected by more knowledgeable colleagues.
- Prepare a proper CV that highlights your IT and language strengths.
- You may want to introduce yourself as a “newcomer to the industry” as opposed to “having no experience.” It amounts to the same, but sometimes sound matters.
- Contact as many agencies as possible instead of waiting to be contacted on prozcom. Put your key message in the subject line, e.g., “IT translator, English to Croatian / Croatian to English.” to make sure that your message gets noticed.
- Mention in your CV that you are happy to do MTPE or PEMT work. Drop some other terms that suggest some industry knowledge. There is plenty of information on the web.
- It will take some time until work starts coming in. When it does start, take it slow. Beware of scammers. Avoid jobs from agencies whose credentials you haven’t checked.
Best of luck. ▲ Collapse
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Baran Keki
Türkiye
Local time: 19:09
Member
English to Turkish
If you're a complete beginner, I'd suggest you find an in-house translation job and spend some time at an agency, learn from other more experienced translators, gain some experience and knowledge about CAT tools, DTP and translation in general while applying for agencies as a freelance translator (you'll likely not land any jobs/clients for the first 6 months or so). I see that you want to work from home, but some in-house experience at a translation agency would be invaluable 'going forward', a... See more If you're a complete beginner, I'd suggest you find an in-house translation job and spend some time at an agency, learn from other more experienced translators, gain some experience and knowledge about CAT tools, DTP and translation in general while applying for agencies as a freelance translator (you'll likely not land any jobs/clients for the first 6 months or so). I see that you want to work from home, but some in-house experience at a translation agency would be invaluable 'going forward', and you'd able to earn some money, which you likely won't sitting at home and waiting for replies from agencies. Note that some agencies (I'd say most of them) won't send any work your way for 2 or 3 years after registering with them. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Maybe I was lucky | Jan 14, 2023 |
but it took me five minutes to find my first client! It was April 2008 (I was 49) and one morning I was browsing the internet, and for an unknown reason I typed 'Spanish English translations Spain' into the search bar. I clicked on one of the websites that appeared, read the agency's homepage then clicked on their 'Do you want to work with us' tab. A form appeared, so I filled in the details, and about a week later I received a phone call from the agency.
A person asked me a few que... See more but it took me five minutes to find my first client! It was April 2008 (I was 49) and one morning I was browsing the internet, and for an unknown reason I typed 'Spanish English translations Spain' into the search bar. I clicked on one of the websites that appeared, read the agency's homepage then clicked on their 'Do you want to work with us' tab. A form appeared, so I filled in the details, and about a week later I received a phone call from the agency.
A person asked me a few questions and later that day they sent me my first translation. At the time I was teaching English, so I spent the next couple of years teaching and translating, which meant having no free time at all, but I didn't mind.
I know nothing about being self-employed in Croatia but in Spain, where I live, anyone who wants to open a business (even if you work alone) needs to fulfill a series of legal requirements: declare the activity to the Spanish tax agency, start paying Social Security contributions, pay income tax and VAT every three months, etc.
When I started translating, I'd already had two businesses (a ballet school and a school of English) so I knew what to expect, although I knew nothing about the translation world. I've always found ProZ really helpful, so I advise you to get as much information as you can and although some people won't agree with me, I've found that answering KudoZ questions and getting a few points is better than marketing yourself on social networks. In my opinion, it's not what you say that's important, it's what you do, and getting clients through word of mouth has always worked very well for me.
By the way, I've always loved reading and I used to pretend I could speak a foreign language. When my sister and I were small, we used to pretend that we were from another planet and we used to talk to each other in gobbledygook. When I was about 12, I decided that I wanted to live in a country with a warmer climate where they spoke a foreign language, so I suppose you could say that I've finally found the perfect job for me!
Good luck with your new adventure! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Michele Fauble
United States
Local time: 09:09
Member (2006)
Norwegian to English
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| CV/resume advice | Jan 14, 2023 |
crobrit wrote:
What to do with my CV is one of the conundrums I have, as it's not translation related at all.
A traditional CV is not optimal for a freelance translator.
Sheila Wilson has written an excellent article with advice about creating an effective CV.
“Now, a freelance translator is not in the position of “applying for a job” so, strictly speaking, does not require a resume. However, a freelancer does require a document of some form to act as a sales and marketing tool in support of their claim to specific areas of competence and experience. Some freelancers prefer to call it their brochure or profile, but most agencies insist on using the term CV/resume.”
https://wiki.proz.com/wiki/index.php/Creating_an_effective_CV_/_resume
[Edited at 2023-01-14 19:44 GMT]
| | | | | It's not easy! But it's doable | Jan 16, 2023 |
crobrit wrote:
What to do with my CV is one of the conundrums I have, as it's not translation related at all.
I won't lie to you. Creating a good CV is not easy! But it can be done and having a good one will get you noticed by clients.
Have a look at the profiles of some translators here on Proz working in your fields, and look at their CVs if they've uploaded them. There are also lots of resources on the web. Think about your experience and how it relates to translation. You could also consider looking for a mentor who could give you support tailored to your specific needs.
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Jo Macdonald
Spain
Local time: 18:09
Italian to English
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| You have fewer problems than you think, go for it. | Jan 18, 2023 |
- Lack of qualifications or professional experience is not a problem.
Some clients prefer eager beaver newbies to jaded golden oldies.
- Volunteer work is a great way to gain experience and another thing to add to your CV. There are some big agencies that sell a LOT of volunteer work though so check them out first.
- You have more things to add to your CV/LinkedIn/Proz profile than you think. You've listed many in this post but make them less "I, I" and more "He... See more - Lack of qualifications or professional experience is not a problem.
Some clients prefer eager beaver newbies to jaded golden oldies.
- Volunteer work is a great way to gain experience and another thing to add to your CV. There are some big agencies that sell a LOT of volunteer work though so check them out first.
- You have more things to add to your CV/LinkedIn/Proz profile than you think. You've listed many in this post but make them less "I, I" and more "Here's what I can do for you!".
- First impressions are everything (at first) because a potential client will browse your profile, email, website, whatever briefly, maybe take less than 10 seconds to read what you write, also in a forum, on LinkedIn, etc. to see if you are the person they're looking for before looking for someone else.
- Good advice above, but I wouldn't send a LOT of mails to agencies. Choose who you want to work with and contact them personally telling them why.
- Consider using your professional name because that is the first thing people see. Everyone else on this thread is called...? This also means I could say "Welcome to Proz...I dunno."
[Edited at 2023-01-18 09:35 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Vlad Mandic
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:09
English to Croatian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Thank you! Some further questions/points | Jan 18, 2023 |
Hi,
First of all, a BIG thank you to everyone who took the time to reply, it really means a lot.
I'm a little (scrap that, a lot) lost in terms of where to look/start... Which agencies or websites should I concentrate on, to begin with, given my particular circumstances? What about voluntary work (although I desperately nee... See more Hi,
First of all, a BIG thank you to everyone who took the time to reply, it really means a lot.
I'm a little (scrap that, a lot) lost in terms of where to look/start... Which agencies or websites should I concentrate on, to begin with, given my particular circumstances? What about voluntary work (although I desperately need to earn money)? I do take on board what several of you have said, that translation sadly isn't likely to quickly become a main earner for me, which sucks, but I accept it. In the mean time, I'm also scratching my head trying to figure out how (and if at all) I can restart my IT career, given my age and length of absence from the industry. And that's only because I feel I have to (as opposed to "want to"), as that's more likely to give me a stable income, and sooner, while I work on trying to establish myself in translation.
That CV is such a bas*ard thing, as I don't know how to structure or modify it so that it at least resembles a translator's CV and not look like a purely IT-related CV.
I also wanted to ask, how do I avoid scams? Since registering on Proz, I've actually had two separate entities contact me via Proz mail, offering work, and I'm wary of both, especially the first one, that begins with "Dear", "blessings", etc. They both have a Proz account, and they both kind of look real, but I have no way of knowing. Should I respond??
Could you advise me on what rate I should set, or even just a ballpark figure? Another point I'm clueless on. Being a total newbie, etc., not ask for too much, but not undersell myself either, because I do believe I'd be good at this, just given a chance.
Another thought... I wonder how much work there is out there for my language combinations at all?
Jo Macdonald said:
Some clients prefer eager beaver newbies to jaded golden oldies.
Jo, where can I find these???
Again, thanks so much for all the tips and thoughtful comments. It's all very helpful and I really appreciate it.
Vlad. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Vlad Mandic
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:09
English to Croatian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Further few comments | Jan 18, 2023 |
Helena Chavarria wrote:
but it took me five minutes to find my first client!
Helena, what an inspiring post, thank you! How awesome you were able to find your first translation job so easily!
I'll now go and research KudoZ, as I don't understand what it is (come to think of it, I don't think I fully understand what Proz is either - it's a comprehensive translation-industry-related resource and also a job board?)
Did anyone here make a transition to translation after a long career in a totally unrelated field? If so, how did you tackle the CV issue? I'd hugely appreciate some concrete advice or help with this.
In terms of software, should this be a difficulty for me? What I mean is I have never used any application or a programme specifically designed for this purpose, but I'm guessing/hoping learning to use them shouldn't be too much of an issue? Is this all paid software, and is it standalone (installed locally) or cloud based and accessed through a browser? I'm thinking it would be good to get familiar with some most commonly used ones, do a dummy translation job, or something like that, if that's possible?
Thank you in advance!
Vlad.
[Edited at 2023-01-18 14:48 GMT]
| | | | John Fossey
Canada
Local time: 12:09
Member (2008)
French to English
+ ...
| Finding translation work | Jan 18, 2023 |
Vlad Mandic wrote:
Another thought... I wonder how much work there is out there for my language combinations at all?
To get an idea, go to the Proz.com Blue Board - https://www.proz.com/blueboard - and type in Croatia. You will get a list of translation agencies in Croatia, there's quite a few. They are rated by other translators who have worked for them. Without a paid Proz.com account you will need to google their names to get their websites. You will find most of their websites have a specific on-boarding procedure for translators.
It might be advisable to get your CV together before contacting agencies. Some tips are available in the Articles section under Education > Knowledge base.
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| Community Rates feature | Jan 20, 2023 |
Vlad Mandic wrote:
Could you advise me on what rate I should set, or even just a ballpark figure? Another point I'm clueless on. Being a total newbie, etc., not ask for too much, but not undersell myself either, because I do believe I'd be good at this, just given a chance.
Proz has a Community Rates feature, which you can find here: https://search.proz.com/?sp=pfe/rates (or go to the toolbar at the top of the page, go to Tools, then Proz.com tools, and you'll find it there.
| | | | Martin Riordan
Brazil
Local time: 13:09
Member (2010)
Portuguese to English
+ ...
| Switching careers | Jan 20, 2023 |
I switched careers 12 years ago at the age of 60. I had been a pig farmer in Brazil for 35 years until that activity hit a brick wall. So I had to find a new profession and translation fitted the bill perfectly.
I started off doing some translations for an agency in São Paulo. However, as I researched on the internet, I found there was a vast international translation industry that apparently paid much higher rates than Brazilian agencies. But how to break into it?
I h... See more I switched careers 12 years ago at the age of 60. I had been a pig farmer in Brazil for 35 years until that activity hit a brick wall. So I had to find a new profession and translation fitted the bill perfectly.
I started off doing some translations for an agency in São Paulo. However, as I researched on the internet, I found there was a vast international translation industry that apparently paid much higher rates than Brazilian agencies. But how to break into it?
I had found Proz and joined it. I discovered that Kudoz points were the key to standing out in searches for translators and for a year or so dedicated myself to answering questions in my language pair (PT-BREN). It was good fun and I made several virtual friends. I can remember my excitement when I reached 100 points! (Now I have over 7,000...)
Gradually I received some job proposals and offered a fairly low rate in order to secure them. But as my Kudos points and my client portfolio grew, I slowly increased my rate, always offering good service and high-quality translations. Soon I reached what I considered a satisfactory market rate and was being offered more work than I could handle.
Twelve years later, I get enough work from existing clients and also new ones who find my Proz profile so I no longer try to promote myself. And I have now finished building my new house, totally on earnings from translation, so my outgoings have fallen considerably.
So, based on my experience, I would recommend earning Kudoz points among other promotional activities. It means you will appear at or near the top of the list in searches for translators in your language pairs. My career was built on the Proz site - it offered everything I needed.
Good luck! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Dan Lucas
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:09
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
| Agency made manifest | Jan 20, 2023 |
Martin Riordan wrote:
Stuff
Well done - inspiring.
Dan
| | | | | Pages in topic: [1 2] > | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Career change advice needed and appreciated | Protemos translation business management system | Create your account in minutes, and start working! 3-month trial for agencies, and free for freelancers!
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