If you enjoy languages and have perfect command of your native language as well as another language, the translation profession might be your dream career.
And if you also like traveling, researching, constantly learning new things, and—above all—communicating, there’s no doubt about it.
Below, we explain everything about what a translator does, which skills you need to develop, what you should study, and how to become a translator who never lacks clients.
If all of this sounds interesting, keep reading this post where we share much more.
Unlike interpreters, who translate spoken conversations, professional translators work with written texts, translating them from one language to another—always with respect for the message and with maximum accuracy and faithfulness to the original.
Some translators also work as interpreters and vice versa, as their high competence in two or more languages enables them to perform both tasks efficiently.
However, in this article, we focus on professional translators who work with translating documents, books, academic papers, marketing campaigns, and much more.
The scope of work translators perform spans hundreds of fields and industries. There are translators who specialize in law, marketing, politics, medicine, and finance, among many other areas. These professionals have either specifically studied these subjects or specialized through experience and prior studies.
But being a translator is about much more than just knowing multiple languages perfectly. It also requires a set of skills that make your job easier, both in relation to clients and for yourself, and which make the task significantly smoother.
As we mentioned earlier, the translation profession is not only about language skills—although this is of course a crucial part. It’s far from the only thing you need.
The first requirement is, naturally, that you master two languages to perfection: your native language and one additional language.
Even if you master more than two languages, it’s wise to first focus on these two and become as proficient as possible in them.
Another essential skill is to have a solid and deep cultural understanding of the countries you’ll be working with.
For example, if you have American clients who need translations into Swedish, you must have in-depth knowledge of both cultures, including symbolism, cultural implications, history, and well-known figures from each area.
This gives you the ability to create more accurate translations, and even if it’s sometimes impossible to reproduce the original message exactly, you can still deliver a well-adapted message that reflects the intent.
That said, you may need to dive deeper into specific regions, states, cities, or even neighborhoods and their cultures when translating, as slang and expressions differ significantly between, for example, neighborhoods like The Bronx in New York and Santa Monica in California.
You can build cultural knowledge through studies, books, movies, and TV series—or by meeting people from the place in question. But there’s no doubt that the absolute best way is to actually live there. Studying on-site can even be what separates a good translator from a great one.
Another necessary skill is extreme attention to detail and strong research abilities. You’ll often need to find exactly the right word or phrase, which may require extensive research.
Additionally, it’s fundamental—even if it sounds obvious—to be able to write without spelling or grammatical mistakes. Mastering spelling and grammar rules is essential for a translator.
Finally, the ability to work under pressure, meet deadlines, and possess strong emotional and social intelligence is important. It helps you manage stressed clients and perform better in your role as a professional translator.
If after reading the above you feel even more motivated to become a professional translator, you’re probably interested in knowing the steps you need to take to get there.
You should choose another language that you already command at an advanced level or that you are at least preparing to master to a near-native level.
Your native language combined with the selected language gives you the opportunity to have a career as a translator and work in the field moving forward.
If you also master another language perfectly—such as Swedish, Spanish, and Catalan—that’s even better. But if you only master two languages, or are still choosing which one to study, it’s always recommended to focus on just one first. This lets you direct all your attention to it and reach higher proficiency.
Keep in mind that many languages, like Spanish, have several variants depending on the country and even the region. You should specialize in one specific variant if you want to be able to charge higher rates in the future.
In many countries, a university degree is required to work as a translator, but it’s also true that in many cases, courses or the ability to demonstrate your competence in the relevant languages are sufficient.
Having a degree as a professional translator opens many doors, not just in the private sector but especially in the public sector, where formal education is typically required for most jobs in the field.
In addition to university programs, there are also courses that prepare you for a career in translation and that are very useful as a starting point for entering the industry.
If you already have advanced skills in another language besides your native one and don’t know where to start, a university degree in translation can be an excellent foundation.
Once you have your degree, you can specialize in the area that interests you most.
Many times, prior work experience or personal experiences will give you the extra knowledge needed to choose a specialization.
If you’ve worked in marketing or perhaps at a law firm, it makes sense to specialize in one of those fields. It will not only make your translations better, more accurate, and easier to perform, but you’ll also be able to charge higher rates for your services.
There are courses, master’s programs, and PhDs of all kinds around the world for specialization—many available remotely, so you don’t need to leave your home.
Today, specialization is crucial for professional translators, as it gives a significant competitive edge over those who lack it.
At this stage, you can also choose to become an interpreter and thereby increase your opportunities even more.
Sooner or later, you’ll need to start gaining experience as a translator.
To do this, it’s important to apply for jobs. And to apply, you’ll need an attractive resume that clearly presents your skills and previous experience.
You should create a well-crafted resume that’s both professional and appealing and that can generate interviews which, in turn, lead to real job offers.
It’s crucial that you clearly state which languages you speak—and especially if you specialize in a specific variant of a language.
This saves time for both the recruiter and yourself.
Don’t forget to include your language proficiency—whether it’s native or advanced—and whether you have other cultural ties to the location, such as if you studied abroad in that country or city, or if you lived there for a while.
Finally, also include your social skills and prior work experience, even from other fields—especially if you think they might help you land the job.
It’s not always easy to get your first job, no matter the industry.
In the beginning, it might be worthwhile to look for internships or volunteer jobs, even if the pay is low or non-existent.
It might not be ideal, but many translators started by working for a few bucks and now invoice large sums annually.
It helps you gain experience and opens up opportunities to apply for other jobs that require some prior experience.
But watch out! Don’t stay in unpaid internships for years, as that won’t benefit you. A few months, however, can give you valuable experience and be a strong point on your resume.
In every profession, practice makes perfect, and working on different types of translations will allow you to develop while gaining experience and gradually increasing your rates.
Working is the only thing that truly helps you improve—even better if you can complement it with formal education.
Never stop working and evolving!
In this article, we’ve explained what the translation profession entails, the skills required, and some advice on how to become a translator.
It’s a fantastic profession, filled with challenges and incredibly rewarding moments, and while it’s well-paid, it can be hard to get started.
Perfect command of two languages is crucial, but it’s also important to have a deep understanding of the culture and history of the countries and languages you work with.
Best of luck in your career, and remember—hard work pays off!
