Working in specific fields Thread poster: Carolina Garrido
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Carolina Garrido 
United States
Local time: 21:18
Member (2015)
English to Spanish
I am established as a translator and, to be honest, I am offered more work than I can handle with two young children at home (I only work part-time). However, I find the fields I enjoy most are sometimes the ones I get less work in (a lot less). For example, I have a Master's degree and half a PhD in education and linguistics, and I have done translation work in educational apps which I loved. However, these were independent apps for people who were doing just that one, so it has not led to gett... See more I am established as a translator and, to be honest, I am offered more work than I can handle with two young children at home (I only work part-time). However, I find the fields I enjoy most are sometimes the ones I get less work in (a lot less). For example, I have a Master's degree and half a PhD in education and linguistics, and I have done translation work in educational apps which I loved. However, these were independent apps for people who were doing just that one, so it has not led to getting more work in that field. I would love to do more work related to this area but I don't know if there is a way to do it.
What is your experience in this respect? Are there ways to move things towards a field of specialization you enjoy working in? I have all the experience and academic specialization I need in the subject, so more courses in that area is not the answer. Is it a case of wishful thinking? I'd love to hear what you think and have experienced. Thank you!!!!! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Angela Malik
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:18
German to English
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| More exposure to potential clients | May 23, 2016 |
Sounds to me like you need more exposure to potential clients, essentially to build up a reputation so that educators looking into developing apps hear about you and seek you out.
Normally I would suggest attending trade fairs and exhibitions aimed at your target clientele, but this could be difficult given your location and the fact that you have children. It's not like you can just hop on a plane and leave the kids to their own devices, and if you're still in south Texas as per y... See more Sounds to me like you need more exposure to potential clients, essentially to build up a reputation so that educators looking into developing apps hear about you and seek you out.
Normally I would suggest attending trade fairs and exhibitions aimed at your target clientele, but this could be difficult given your location and the fact that you have children. It's not like you can just hop on a plane and leave the kids to their own devices, and if you're still in south Texas as per your profile, you're miles away from bigger cities (I don't suppose Houston is a haven for educational exhibitions?)
However, your location could be a plus, given that Texas schools almost certainly require bilingual support. Schools are increasingly involving technology in their curriculum, and compared to my home state of Louisiana, Texas has a big budget for its schools. So perhaps you could investigate if there are any Texas school systems currently investing in apps for their students, and then offer your services as a translator? Just a thought... ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Marketing materials | May 23, 2016 |
I'd pick the one field you most like and make all your marketing materials all about that. People won't remember five or six fields, but if you say 'I specialise in education' often enough you stand a chance of becoming known as The Education Translator, and work may follow from that. Blog about education, tweet about education, shout about education.
| | | | | Education Translation | May 23, 2016 |
If you are interested in translation for education, that is really an excellent field to be looking into! In the US, schools are required to translate all documents when necessary and you are working in a high demand language combination. So consider looking into what the local need for education translation is and/or translation agencies that serve educational institutes. For example, you might consider looking into your local school district.
Good luck!
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| Educational Publishers | May 23, 2016 |
Try contacting educational publishers in the United States (there are tons of them, and they often work with freelancers). Besides textbooks, these publishers often create other educational materials like flashcards, posters, apps, etc. - and there is a substantial need for Spanish-language materials. You might find yourself creating original content instead of just translating, but that is probably something you would enjoy as well. You might also have luck with Spanish-language (or bilingual E... See more Try contacting educational publishers in the United States (there are tons of them, and they often work with freelancers). Besides textbooks, these publishers often create other educational materials like flashcards, posters, apps, etc. - and there is a substantial need for Spanish-language materials. You might find yourself creating original content instead of just translating, but that is probably something you would enjoy as well. You might also have luck with Spanish-language (or bilingual English-Spanish) children's magazines. Magazines often try to make their websites more interactive for young visitors, and apps or games may be part of that.
On your website, I would also suggest posting screenshots or visual images of apps and other educational materials you have translated or worked on. Talk and blog about these interests and projects. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Georgia Morg (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:18
Portuguese to English
| Half a PhD?? | May 24, 2016 |
No such thing, this side of the Atlantic. You´d be laughed at if you put that in a CV.
| | | | Carolina Garrido
United States
Local time: 21:18
Member (2015)
English to Spanish
TOPIC STARTER | No such thing anywhere | May 24, 2016 |
Georgia Morgan wrote:
No such thing, this side of the Atlantic. You´d be laughed at if you put that in a CV.
No such thing any side of the Atlantic, but this is not my CV, I am just trying to explain that I have a lot of experience and knowledge about this subject. I did four years of a PhD and then stopped, and of course I have no degree and would not put that in my CV, but the knowledge I gained is still there, regardless.
| | | | Carolina Garrido
United States
Local time: 21:18
Member (2015)
English to Spanish
TOPIC STARTER
Thank you, everybody, for taking your time to think about it and write a reply. There is very valuable information here and I sincerely appreciate it. Now, time to put it into practice!
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