We have talked quite often about becoming a translator, but not being a translator. Like many jobs, there are an abundance of upsides of being a translator. Just what are they exactly?
1. Fulfillment
Most people hate their jobs, that’s been shown hundreds of thousands of times, with countless studies. The most common reason for people hating their job is the lack of fulfillment.
However, translators have one of the lowest rates of job dissatisfaction. This is normally due to the wide array of tasks a translator has to do.
One day a translator may be translating a vital document for one of the world’s largest corporations. But the next, he is translating a document for an SME that helps them to grow.
2. Always in demand
Most jobs in today’s world are declining in terms of demand, but not translators. Most corporations are trying to expand globally, so they need translators.
There are also no signs of this slowing down in the near future. This means that those with language skills are in constant demand, and those with the connections can earn lots of money.
3. Earn lots of money by being a translator
Thanks to the increased demand of translation, translators have begun to earn more money.
Depending on the language and your speciality, you can bring in over £70,000! Take for instance our legal Spanish translator, Julio, he made £124,500 last year!
It’s all about learning what languages are most in demand, and what specialisms are most needed. The rest is merely combining them, getting certified and starting to get references!
4. Promotion happens quickly
In most jobs, you have to spend decades in one position in order to be promoted. This is not true for translators, most translators can earn their first promotion in only a couple of years.
Some translation agencies have CEO’s who have been there, their whole careers. Starting out as a translator, and working their way up into senior management and then as an executive.
I know of one translation agency who has a CEO who is 29! In almost every other industry I know of, that would never happen!
5. Work at your own pace
Most translation work isn’t calculated by hours worked, but words translated. This means that someone can work for 10 hours and translate 10,000 words or work for 5 hours and translate 10,000 words, and still make the same amount.
This allows most translation agencies to maintain the best quality of work in the industry. After all, one mishap, or mistranslated word, can cost the translation agency everything.
Julio, he worked for 8 hours last Monday, he translated 10,000 words. Last Tuesday, he worked for 6 hours and translated 10,000 words. He said regarding this “Time is merely a concept, it’s the concentration that counts!”
6. Control your income
Most translators are paid minimum wage and are rewarded bonuses based on the amount of words translated. This means that you can control your income- if you want more money for your holiday next year- work harder! If you aren’t feeling too well, you can slack today, but you’ll have to make it up the rest of the week .
7. Work from wherever
Thanks to the internet, most translation agencies don’t require large office spaces with hundreds of employees. Just the required employees working from the comfort of their own house.
Most translation agencies can send out assignments and deadlines from a small office and wait for the work to be completed. This also allows for translators to be able to look after their kids whilst they work. The kids can sit in front of the TV, and the translator can work on being a translator.
This has also allowed some entrepreneurial translators to live in business-friendly countries that are also cheap. This is why countries like Czechia and Slovakia have the highest populations of translators!
8. No need to worry about age
With most professions, the older you get, the slower you get. Translators don’t get this issue, if anything, it’s the opposite. Over time, most translators get better at their chosen language and specialism, not to mention quicker.
This means that when most other professions would be looking to get rid of you, translation agencies will be inviting you in. Most translators will know the saying “With age comes wisdom” in reference to this phenomenon.
In fact, the most skilled translators are often not the youngest or the ones at their physical peak. But the translators with the most senior expertise and the longest tenure at the agency.
9. Serve globally
Up until recently, translators served their local community and their country at ten most. But now, this has changed, clients from all over the world are able to come to us for our expertise.
Julio is in his mid-sixties, when he started out, he only served Madrid, and the surrounding area. Now, he is able to serve our clients in Hong Kong, Brazil and South Africa to name a few. That’s quite a bit further away than Madrid, where he started!
10. Exchange cultures and communicate world wide
Culture changes, the way we communicate also changes, this gives translators the best opportunity to exchange ideas. Most translators have to go away and refine their skills in their language.
Most choose this to mean a holiday every year to a country that speaks their language. Julio for instance, he always goes to the same part of Cuba every year, combined with a trip to Madrid to see his family at Christmas.
This also allows the children of translators to see the world of translation. They grow up watching their parent use their job in everyday situations. That’s why most translators have a parent who speaks another language!
I hope that this article on the benefits of being a translator has been helpful. The world is in need of people being a translator. The world is in need of that someone to be you.
Do you think this article on the be if it’s of being a translator was helpful? Why or why not? I’d love to get back to you in the comments!