Give Me Experience!
Most people entering the business world come up against the need for experience and yet no one is willing to give them their big break; the chance to actually get some of that experience.
I remember my early days, fresh out of university trying to find a job, sobbing on the phone to my mother that no one is willing to give me a chance and with money running short I desperately wanted to get a job in my industry and not give into the need for money, by working a checkout.
In the translation and interpretation industry the problems faced are equally as frustrating.
When you become a doctor, you have already spent five years working in a hospital, but when you become a translator, you come out with a piece of paper and no proof of your ability.
For most 20 something's the though of having to go out and make a name for themselves can seem overwhelming, but the reality is that if you don't back yourself, no one will.
Making a name for yourself can happen in so many ways and it is important to always be working, in your local story, on the street, at a restaurant, you never know who is watching you and who they may have influence on.
This type of self promotion is the lowest form of networking.
To step it up a level you need to start attending industry events relevant to all the languages you speak and talk to anyone and everyone, again, you never know who is watching.
Perhaps the most beneficial way of getting your name in the spotlight is through dispute resolution.
By putting yourself in the centre of a multilingual dispute, you will become known to both parties and follow it up with shameless self promotion.
Write a blog or article and make sure the big companies like Translators-USA (TUSA) read it, and you will be on your way to a career in translation and interpretation.
I remember my early days, fresh out of university trying to find a job, sobbing on the phone to my mother that no one is willing to give me a chance and with money running short I desperately wanted to get a job in my industry and not give into the need for money, by working a checkout.
In the translation and interpretation industry the problems faced are equally as frustrating.
When you become a doctor, you have already spent five years working in a hospital, but when you become a translator, you come out with a piece of paper and no proof of your ability.
For most 20 something's the though of having to go out and make a name for themselves can seem overwhelming, but the reality is that if you don't back yourself, no one will.
Making a name for yourself can happen in so many ways and it is important to always be working, in your local story, on the street, at a restaurant, you never know who is watching you and who they may have influence on.
This type of self promotion is the lowest form of networking.
To step it up a level you need to start attending industry events relevant to all the languages you speak and talk to anyone and everyone, again, you never know who is watching.
Perhaps the most beneficial way of getting your name in the spotlight is through dispute resolution.
By putting yourself in the centre of a multilingual dispute, you will become known to both parties and follow it up with shameless self promotion.
Write a blog or article and make sure the big companies like Translators-USA (TUSA) read it, and you will be on your way to a career in translation and interpretation.
