Can you speak and write more than one language, i.e English and any other foreign language, fluently? You can convert this skill to cash through online translation jobs for students and earn up to $45,000 a year.
The language services market has increased within the last decade to $49.6 billion in 2019, making it a very lucrative career for both graduates and students. However, translation jobs can be time demanding, that is why you must be well informed to make more money from the time you invest in the job.
Therefore, this post discusses how to build a translation career as a student and what you can do to stay relevant in the market in the long run. Also, I have included the best sites for young people to get online translation jobs for students.
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What you must know before taking online translation jobs for students
Numerous factors determine whether or not you’ll be successful in your translation career as a student. This includes your language combination, the professional setting you choose, and how you sell your skills to clients.
Depending on your language choice, you could find it easier to get in-house project management jobs, in-house translation jobs, or freelance translator jobs. Still, the professional setting you get into as a translator can decide your working hours and the type of translation you do.
For instance, if you work with a government institution or related international community, you will have different codes of ethics compared to when doing freelance translation jobs.
Nevertheless, if you are looking for something more flexible that gives you control over your time, online translation jobs for students are what you should do.
It is a great career path because it allows you to make money without necessarily interfering with your studies. But this does not take away the commitment and efforts you need to put in to succeed as a translator.
How to be a high-rated translator
Instead of just trying everything hoping to strike gold, follow these tips to have a fast translation career growth.
- Don’t go too far from your field
The report from the ELIS survey says that 40% of translators already have a career in another field; meanwhile, 44% of translators have a degree in translation and interpreting studies before starting their careers.
Also, translators specializing in a particular field tend to earn more than general translators. So, instead of trying to understand the terms used in other areas, look around your course of study to see if you can get something tangible. Asides bringing you more money, it will widen your scope and help you have better grades.
However, having a background in your area of specialization is not a must, so even when your course of study is not among the highest paying fields to translate, you can still translate documents in another field for money.
So, when choosing what to translate, always follow the ISO standards adopted by the translation industry and take the recommended training to deliver high-quality services to your clients.
Above all, dedication and time investment is paramount for success in translation jobs. Also, you must learn your target language and understand their culture.
- Join a community of professionals
The surest way of finding online translation jobs for students is by joining a network of professional translators. There, you learn the latest development in the industry and have quick openings. Also, you will learn the codes of conduct of professionals, exchange ideas, opportunities and advise other translators. Nevertheless, you must be an active community member to get the maximum benefits.
Some translation sites like proz.com have communities on social media for you to join and create a unique profile to have jobs.
- Have a daily routine to check your emails and pitch on translation jobs
Good online translation jobs for students do not appear daily; that’s why you must be persistent in your search and try to be the first freelancer to bid with the best proposal.
If you use Upwork or Freelancer.com to get new projects, spare 5 to 20 minutes daily to spend on the platform seeking new and better opportunities.
- Have a template for your project proposals and send them to employers daily
Since you will likely be bidding for new opportunities daily, it’s crucial to create one or more project proposal templates for jobs so that you do not spend your entire day writing proposals. You can also create templates for your responses and FAQ on your profile so that you won’t have to write from scratch or answer the same question from every potential client.
Also, for every excellent job you do, ask for reviews. The greatest challenge student translators face is getting the first five reviews on their profiles. Keep asking until you get them. When you do, it will be easier to get clients from then on.
Where to find online translation jobs for students
FlexJobs offers filtered online translation jobs for students and sends them as email notifications to their subscribers. Though you can receive job notifications with your free account, you have to pay a subscription fee to apply for jobs on the site.
Since FlexJobs is not like other freelancer job sites (because the site runs paid subscriptions and scans the internet to ensure all their job listings are legit), you can quickly find high-paying job opportunities where you have a high chance of being hired.
Appen is a crowdsourcing company that offers translation jobs in numerous languages. However, they require prior job experience before hiring, but this company provides translators an excellent opportunity to advance their careers.
Unbabel is an online translation agency specializing in machine post-editing flow, thereby offering cheaper but high-quality services to their customers.
One reason translators love working with this website is that their contents are easy to translate, and they pay hourly.
TextMaster is a long-standing translation website known for content creation, proofreading, and translation. This company’s most unique feature is explaining complex things with simple words.
The agency claims they focus on quality translation, saying that they only admit 25% of their freelance applicants. However, the job flow on this site is not regular.
Now called Blend Express, One Hour Translations is an oldie in translation work. They are known for working closely with their freelancers, making it fun to grow despite the financial rewards.
The initial payments on this site are not high, but their translators earn higher as they grow in their careers.
Language line hires translators and interpreters from many countries to do their translation jobs. They also offer face-to-face interpretation jobs in some countries and constantly update their job listings. It is an excellent place to check for translation job vacancies.
Verbalize It trains its translators to do translation jobs. So if you want a company that will help you broaden your scope of translation while offering high-paying jobs, then Verbalize It is your chance.
They offer flexible jobs that are okay for students’ schedules and send job notifications. You will get payment through Paypal.
Pactera is another crowdsourcing company that has many openings for translation and transcription. To be accepted to work on this site, you must pass their test and undergo project-related training after being hired.
- Ubiqus on Demand (formerly Verbal Ink)
This company offers translation, transcription, and audiovisual services. To translate for Ubiqus on Demand, you’ll need to register with the company and pass their test. To do this, send your resume alongside your language combination to the company, and they’ll carry out a background check on you.
Transparent Language offers translation and interpretation services to brands, customers, etc. So they’re always in need of translators. However, you must have at least one to two years of experience in translation and know how to use translation software.
Language Service Associates hire global translators for translation work. They are a famous linguistic company with a frequent inflow of translation and interpretation jobs. However, to be hired by the company, you must go through their six-step rigorous screening process.
When accepted and hired for a job, you can now negotiate your pay and flexibility directly with your clients.
If you are a recent graduate with at least two years of experience in translation, you can apply to be a translator with World Lingo. They have their list of requirements, including a university degree, and you’ll likely be working as a freelancer.
Stepes Translation is a platform for freelance and professional translators and interpreters. They do translation for every industry and language. They also offer domain field services for over 100 languages. Their job board has an unending list of translation and interpretation jobs for interpreters. Sign up to become their translator.
This company offers language services to numerous companies, including insurance, government parastatals, health care, banking, education, etc. In this company, you can decide to work as an interpreter or a translator.
They have over 2000 employees and translate more than 200 languages, with there being in-house workers hired from 38 languages.
Gengo is just like Verbalize It, which signs up its translators and proves their skills through a two-part test. The essence of this test is also to get you used to the company’s translation style. It is a famous translation platform that offers regular translation jobs.
How translators can stay competitive in the long run
Have you ever met someone so good in her skill that numerous companies sent her work? But, after several years, she is now pitching to several clients with no good response? That happens when you stop being relevant or competitive in your career.
It happens also with translation, and for you to remain your project manager’s choice, you must do the following:
- Get your first translation job
Does that sound too basic? Well, how can you stay competitive if you haven’t even dipped your feet in the water? If you have not done your first job, do it now. After that, complete a translation program.
If you continually want to succeed and stay competitive in translation jobs, you need to challenge the status quo and your level of knowledge constantly. That is just how it works.
- Keep learning about your area of specialization
One way to stay valuable in your area of specialization is by staying abreast with the latest industry developments. You can do this by attending industry-specific conferences, local special interest group meetings, or reading your field-related textbooks and publications.
- Follow up leaders in the industry
Even when you can’t reach the top leaders in the industry, follow them on social media or subscribe to their newsletters and drink from their ocean of wisdom. You never can tell when you could stumble on a life-changing idea or principle.
- Build Your brand
Social media shows the world how we interact with people. This is why freelancers should leverage social media and invest time in building their brands. Learn how to use your social media platform to share samples of your work and provide news and updates to your online community. This helps you build credibility and opens doors to new opportunities.
- Always do your homework
Though many translators are obsessed with “the next big thing” in translation, always do personal research on every news you hear before applying it to your clients. Also, know your clients individually and identify what works for them.
- Know your client’s needs
It is challenging to provide high-quality translation services to your clients when you do not understand their needs. This also determines how long you will last in the system.
To understand your client’s needs, you must ask intuitive questions and tell them if you notice something unusual or erroneous in their manuscript.
Conclusion
Students and recent graduates can get decent earnings from online translation jobs for students. The guide above can help set you on the right track in your translation career. Only remember to manage your time to suit your studies and business.
