Take a Break and Do Something You Love

I don’t know about you, but I tend towards workaholic tendencies. Speaking from experience, it can be hard to disconnect from work when you are a freelance professional. I often find myself saying that since I can take an afternoon off whenever I need to, it isn’t a big deal if I stay connected over …

Is ATA Certification One of Your 2018 Resolutions?

At the end of 2016, I set several professional resolutions for myself and my translation business. One of them was to become ATA certified. I had taken the practice test in 2016, attended a French to English certification test review session at ATA57, and had nearly five years of full-time experience under my belt. All …

Tips for the Upcoming #ATA58 Conference

It’s that time of year, dear colleagues: the 58th Annual ATA Conference is but a few days away. This will be my second year attending and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to meet up with old friends, reconnect with contacts from last year, and make new connections with this year’s attendees. I think …

Advanced Credentials for Translators

MA, JD, MS, MFA, MBA, PhD, advanced certificate, certification… when it comes to advanced credentials, there is an overwhelming alphabet soup of options. While some translators break into the field after getting an advanced degree—combining their language skills and academic background—others, such as myself, start with translation and decide to pursue an advanced credential later. …

Personal Branding Basics – The Personal Branding Statement

This past Saturday, I had the honor and privilege of presenting a skills workshop at the June social of the Nevada Interpreters and Translators Association (NITA) here in Reno, Nevada. The topic of the workshop was personal branding and the questions every professional, freelancer or not, should ask himself or herself to spark reflection about …

Glossaries for Translators: Why You Need Them

If you are a translator and you haven’t made your own translation glossaries yet, you need to create one right now. You are not just missing out; you are doing yourself a disservice. The benefits of creating and maintaining your own glossary(ies) cannot be understated, from increased productivity to better translation quality. They are essential tools …

Glossary Basics for Translation Buyers

In a previous post on the importance of good instructions, I talked about the likelihood that your company or industry has specific jargon that may seem strange to outsiders. More often than not, those working at your company have internalized the terminology that is unique to your business. How can you ensure that your translators …

The Savvy Newcomer – Interview with Catherine Christaki

When I attended my first ATA conference in San Francisco this past fall, I participated in the Buddies Welcome Newbies event, which pairs those who have attended the conference before with those who are attending for the first time. During the welcome presentation, I was introduced to The Savvy Newcomer, a blog of tips and resources for …

The Basics of Back Translation

In a previous post, I discussed the various translation services that a company might purchase. In that post, I mentioned back translation, which is the process of translating a target text back into the source language in order to verify that it was translated correctly. In this post, I would like to offer a bit …

Taking the Plunge – Tips to Consider Before Going into Work for Yourself

Deciding to venture out on your own is scary, exhilarating, stressful, and exciting. Being your own boss can be an incredibly humbling yet rewarding experience. Whether you want to be a freelance translator or something else entirely, proper preparation can make the switch a bit less daunting and mean the difference between success and failure. …