From Freelance Translator to Starting a Translation Company

Home

Join as a Member!

Post Your Job - Free!

All Translation Agencies

Advertisements

From Freelance Translator to Starting a Translation Company

By Sonia Sanchez Moreno

Sylaba Translations

Become a member of TranslationDirectory.com at just $12 per month (paid per year)

Being a translator is a demanding but rewarding profession. It is a profession that I have worked in for many years before deciding to start my own translation company, Sylaba Translations, here in Australia.

I started as a freelance translator, working with clients from all over the world on a wide range of projects. These have included translating healthcare brochures, website content, legal documents, and even videos. No two projects are the same, which is one of the things I love about my job.

How I Got Started in the Translation Industry

When I was 15 years old, I met a couple of translators who were family friends. I was fascinated by what they did for a living and asked them about it. They told me that they worked as freelance translators and that they loved their jobs because they got to use their language skills every day and learn about new cultures.

Little did they know, they fueled a dream in me that would eventually lead to my starting my own translation company, Sylaba Translations, in 2017. The beginning of my journey was a 4-year undergraduate degree in translation and interpreting and then a master's degree in the translation of multimedia products. During my master's, I completed a project management internship at a translation company and that experience is what led me to starting my own company.

I was actually born in Spain, then I moved to London in 2012. It was there where I met my husband and I relocated to Australia with him a year later. The initial plan was to stay in Australia for only 6 months, but I loved the place and decided to stay here long term. As a multicultural society, Australia has a huge translation industry and was a great choice for a professional with my background.

There are over 250 languages spoken here and over 50 of those are actively spoken Australian indigenous languages. The 2016 census shows that 49% of Australians had either been born overseas or had one or both parents born overseas. Additionally, 21% of Australians speak a language other than English at home. This multiculturalism creates a great need for translation services.

Another reason why Australia is a great place to work as a translator is that people are generally aware of the importance of translation. In my experience, clients here understand that when they need something translated, it is important to use a NAATI-certified translator. NAATI is the Australian national body for the accreditation of translators and interpreters. The difference between working with a NAATI-certified translator and one who is not certified can be the difference between a successful outcome and a costly mistake.

What Do You Need to be a Good Translator?

In my opinion, the 3 main qualities that are essential for a successful career as a translator are:

1) Research Skills

It's a given that to be a good translator, you need to have excellent language skills. But research skills are also important, as translators often need to do a lot of research into the subject matter of the text you are translating. You have to make sure that the terminology you are using is accurate and up-to-date.

You also need to research who your target audience is and learn about their culture in order to properly convey the intent of the original document without the risk of offending them. This means that it is important to be aware of the cultural differences between the source and target cultures. Additionally, you will likely be working with clients from other cultures. It is crucial for you to understand their culture and how they think so that you can effectively communicate with them.

2) Attention to Detail

One mistake can mean that the whole translation is inaccurate. One typo can give the wrong impression of the organisation or the company you are translating for. It will make their audience lose trust in them and for your clients to lose trust in you.

Speaking of clients, remember that the more you grow as a translator, the more projects you will get. Oftentimes, you will be working on more than one project at a time. You need to be able to keep track of all the different tasks you are working on and meet deadlines.

3) Perfectionism

Translators need to be able to think critically about the text they are translating and ask themselves questions such as:

Is this an accurate translation?
Is this the most suitable word choice for this context?
Is there a better way to say this so that it is more understandable for the target audience?

In my experience, I have found that being a perfectionist is a valuable asset for a translator. It can be frustrating at times, but it leads to high-quality translations that meet the client's expectations.

So, these are some of the qualities that I think are essential for a successful career as a translator. Of course, there are other things you will need to learn along the way, such as software applications specific to the translation industry, but if you have the basic qualities, you are on your way to becoming a translator.

Why I Started My Own Translation Company

In 2017, I decided to take the plunge and start my own translation company. It was a daunting task, but with the experience I had gained over the years and the people who believed in me, I was confident that I could do it. Whereas there is a lot of competition in the translation industry in Australia, I noticed there was a gap in the provision of language services with a focus on plain language, accessibility, and cultural awareness. And so, Sylaba Translations was born.

Since starting the company, we have been working hard to build a reputation for providing high-quality and culturally appropriate translations that are accessible. Our team of linguists are all NAATI-certified and experienced translators who are passionate about their work. We continuously strive to improve our services and provide our clients with the best possible experience.

If you are thinking about starting your own translation company, I would encourage you to do your research and make sure that you have the passion and drive to succeed. It is definitely not an easy road. The most challenging thing was working with different people, and this is true for starting any kind of company. Clients, employees, translators... keeping everybody happy in a business that involves so many people in each transaction.

It's a huge balancing act sometimes, but my project management experience has come in handy as I have had to strategise with multiple clients, juggle different projects, and assign specific tasks to the right people. I also had to make sure the documents were finished on time and to the client's satisfaction. But it is definitely worth it in the end when you see your company thriving and making a difference in society.

Conclusion

So, if you are interested in becoming a translator, I would encourage you to go for it! I did, and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. There are many ways to become a successful translator, but the most important thing is to have the passion and drive to succeed. Do your research, hone your skills, and build up your experience. And above all, always keep your clients happy!

Published in April 2022.

Submit your article!