Advice on finding translation work in area of social science research Thread poster: Carys Hughes
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Carys Hughes United Kingdom Local time: 00:31 Spanish to English
Hi all, Can anyone advise on how to find translation work in the area of social science research? My language pair is Spanish to English. And I would define my specialisation(s), broadly, as: social research/ qualitative research/ politics/ NGOs/ international development. (I have a PhD in Politics and a background conducting research for NGOs and other civil society organisations, as well as within academia.) Does anyone know of good routes to finding work in this area? Are ... See more Hi all, Can anyone advise on how to find translation work in the area of social science research? My language pair is Spanish to English. And I would define my specialisation(s), broadly, as: social research/ qualitative research/ politics/ NGOs/ international development. (I have a PhD in Politics and a background conducting research for NGOs and other civil society organisations, as well as within academia.) Does anyone know of good routes to finding work in this area? Are there translation agencies with this kind of focus? For example, agencies that work with research centres or institutes, or academics? Or other techniques or routes to finding direct clients? I’m signed up with a couple of agencies that do specifically academic translation but am ideally hoping to generate a regular flow of work. Thanks in advance! Carys ▲ Collapse | | |
Susan Welsh United States Local time: 19:31 Russian to English + ... A regular flow of work... | Jan 25, 2019 |
... takes time, effort, and patience. Eventually, word of mouth will be your best friend, but not at the beginning, obviously. Network among your academic colleagues or former associates. You'll never get any jobs from Proz if you don't have a paid membership with a good, fleshed-out profile, and make your expertise known via Kudoz and other vehicles that the site offers. You can basically ignore mass offers for bids, since these outsourcers are 99% going to go with the lowest bidde... See more ... takes time, effort, and patience. Eventually, word of mouth will be your best friend, but not at the beginning, obviously. Network among your academic colleagues or former associates. You'll never get any jobs from Proz if you don't have a paid membership with a good, fleshed-out profile, and make your expertise known via Kudoz and other vehicles that the site offers. You can basically ignore mass offers for bids, since these outsourcers are 99% going to go with the lowest bidder. But after a while you will start getting emails directly to you, from people who are (hopefully) looking for your actual skill-set. You could also read Chris Durban's book The Prosperous Translator. She's big on getting direct clients and charging big bucks. Good luck! ▲ Collapse | | |
Carys Hughes United Kingdom Local time: 00:31 Spanish to English TOPIC STARTER Thanks! And proz without paid membership? | Jan 25, 2019 |
Hi Susan, Thanks a lot for this! This sounds like good advice. Regarding your point about Proz - I wondered if, in your experience, it was worth investing much time in the profile, and the other routes to make yourself known on the site, without ALSO opting for the paid membership? Are you likely to receive the direct emails from clients seeking your specific skill set as an unpaid member? (I'm currently debating the pros and cons of paid membership.) Grea... See more Hi Susan, Thanks a lot for this! This sounds like good advice. Regarding your point about Proz - I wondered if, in your experience, it was worth investing much time in the profile, and the other routes to make yourself known on the site, without ALSO opting for the paid membership? Are you likely to receive the direct emails from clients seeking your specific skill set as an unpaid member? (I'm currently debating the pros and cons of paid membership.) Great book tip also, thank you!! Cheers, Carys ▲ Collapse | | |
Susan Welsh United States Local time: 19:31 Russian to English + ...
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Carys Hughes United Kingdom Local time: 00:31 Spanish to English TOPIC STARTER Thanks for the help! | Jan 27, 2019 |
Hi again Susan, Thanks so much for this - this is really helpful! I'm just getting to know this site so this was a really useful pointer! All the best, Carys | | |
Susan: great information | Jan 27, 2019 |
Susan: Thanks for this information. Very useful, as I also do Spanish-English translations. You write: "It's a better investment than the $400 I spent in 2014 to buy a license for Trados that I never use." I know this is slightly off topic, but do you mind telling me what --if any -- CAT tool you use? Maybe you don't use one? It seems that there are translators here who don't use a CAT tool, but the agencies really seem to demand it, from what I've seen. | | |