#Translation 1 #Financial Success Summit for Translators
Created and organized by Ms. Moira Monney, The Financial Success Summit for Translators is meant to help translators to organize better their finances. It is a free online event taking place from January 20th to January 23rd, 2020.
She mentioned that she would like « to change the conversations we have around our finances. And clear up some confusion ».
Day 1 was fantastic and, I invite you, fellow translators, linguists to attend those webinars.
Some peers tend to underestimate their skills. Why is that while they are capable of doing their job as well as an attorney or a physician would do theirs.
For a long time, the job of a translator did not require a so-said diploma. Nowadays, we can find multiple offers such as MAs in translation that you can complete in one, two, or three years. In this last case, it appears to be proposed mostly in distance learning programs such as the one from Portsmouth University (UK). The possibilities vary depending on the countries. Where I am, in the Netherlands, the offer is quite poor. Most universities propose translation studies towards the Dutch language mostly.
Studying to obtain that Saint Graal is a requirement if you wish to be competitive today. The other options are either showing records of studies in the linguistic area or five years of full-time work as a translator. In addition to the qualification, you have to show records of your experience to be considered as a professional. Good luck with tracking down everything you have done for five long years! 🙂 (1)
The increasing regulation is a positive trend, for instance, with the ISO 17100 certified (ISO 17100 TRANSLATION SERVICES MANAGEMENT SYSTEM).
What about professionals from the legal field, the medical, finance areas, or others and who become translators without a diploma?
Regulating is great; however, there is a risk to transform education in that field in a money-maker.
It may be too theoretical while students need more practice; some of them point out the delay of their exposure to the professional aspects of the job. Waiting till the post-studies period is not bad, but can we do better? One professional point is the financial management by the translator addressed in the summit abovementioned.
Thanks to Ms. Moira Monney, we can collect valuable information. Besides, the summit gives us the chance to listen to numerous professionals who provide us with some of their experience. They provide us with advice, so we do not overvalue ourselves. But also (above all) so that we don’t undervalue our work by distributing discounts to whoever knocks on our door, reshaping our mindset to understand why we want/need money, identify the type of person we are to act accordingly, and reach our goals.
Another aspect shown by the speakers is how to organize better. For instance, in preparation for having a child, so that your income does not decrease, it is crucial to make a plan. How many beginners or confirmed professionals fell in the trap of becoming a mother while still being an active translator? Challenging but not impossible.
Enjoy the summit!
Ngo Minyem
(1)exerpt from the ISO 17100
Audio version of this article
20-01-2020