A secure profession
When US authorities tightened online gambling laws several years ago, this spelt bad news for many groups, not least the millions of casino-loving citizens who were unfortunate enough to be living nowhere near the bright lights of Las Vegas.

Not only did the online gambling fraternity go into meltdown, but credit card companies lost major business revenue and, ultimately, online casinos had to start looking elsewhere to generate income, given that almost half their revenue was tied-up in the US market.

But where there are losers, there are almost always winners too. And in this case, the global translation industry did exceptionally well as online casinos began looking for non-English speaking cash to make up the shortfall the US ruling had created.

And a similar situation looks set to arise with the credit crunch too. With a number of Anglo-Saxon economies entering into recession, many companies are forced to look for opportunities in the non-English speaking world.

How to become a translator
So how does one become a professional translator? Well, assuming you’ve studied a language and are ‘fluent’ in a foreign tongue, you are in a fairly strong starting position.

But contrary to what many people think this - in itself - isn’t enough.  To provide convincing translations, you need first-hand knowledge of the culture of that language which is why most translators will only ever translate INTO their native language from a language in which they are fluent.
  
Language fluency is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for successful employment as a translator.  There are a number of courses available for those who wish to become qualified translators, such as the Diploma in Translation (DipTrans) which is run by the Chartered Institute of Linguists in the UK, though most countries will have their own professional bodies offering a similar level of certification.

On top of this, specialisation in some other subject will be an advantage. Many professional translators are also graduates in another subject, such as law or engineering. Their subject-specific experience will put them in a strong position with translation companies that carry out a lot of work for those particular industries.

The life of a translator
Having done all the hard work, and passed your exams, you need to know what to expect from a career as a professional translator.

Given the fluctuating demands for language combinations, many translation companies only have a handful of in-house translators, covering the more common languages such as French, Italian, German and Spanish (FIGS). This means that the vast majority of translators work on a freelance basis.

From a lifestyle point of view, this is great as you have the freedom to work where you want, when you want and for whom you want. All you really need is a networked computer, email address and you’re good to go.

© Lingo24

About Lingo24
Lingo24 is a global translation company with operations in four continents covering every industry sector. They have an international network of over 4,000 freelance translators.