The Savvy Newcomer aims to serve newcomers to the translation and interpreting professions by publishing high-quality, peer-reviewed content on a weekly basis. We strive to provide you with the answers to the many questions you face as a new or aspiring translator or interpreter.
This post was originally published on ORH Translations. It is reposted with permission. Upon completion of my undergraduate degree, I was faced with the difficult decision of what to do next. I was frightened, anxious and overwhelmed with the thought of stepping into the big, scary working world. I would say that I was quite naive when I finished my undergraduate studies. I honestly believed that I would be able to get my dream job almost instantly; however, I soon discovered that this wasn’t the case! I reached out to numerous translation agencies and soon realised that my undergraduate degree…
Read MoreATA’s First Virtual Conference Has Arrived
Did you miss out on ATA’s 58th Annual Conference in Washington, D.C.? Or maybe you attended but weren’t able to make it to as many sessions you would have liked. Don’t fear! The ATA Virtual Conference is here. What is the Virtual Conference? The Virtual Conference is a collection of 49 sessions given at ATA58 in Washington, D.C. There are…
Read MoreLinguist in the Spotlight: An Interview with Frieda Ruppaner-Lind
English-to-German and German-to-English translator Frieda Ruppaner-Lind is among those intrepid linguists who count their experience not in years, but decades: in her case, three of them. Indeed, translation has existed for at least as long as the Rosetta Stone, but few would disagree that the act of translating itself has never changed more than it has over the past few…
Read MoreThe Greatest Challenge Facing Translators
Reblogged from Academic Language Experts blog, with permission from the author A friend, wishing to polish his translation skills, recently asked me the following question: “if you had to give one tip to a new translator, what would it be?” Without hesitation I answered “avoid literalisms.” As editor of Academic Language Experts this is the most frequent issue I encounter…
Read MoreEmail Best Practices: How Not to End Up in the Recycle Bin
It’s bound to happen sooner or later in our careers. That moment when someone thinks you have enough seniority and may be interested in subcontracting. Or your email address somehow ends up on a mass-distribution list. Or you just become the target of scammers. Whatever the case may be, a message like the one below pops up in your inbox: Complete…
Read MoreNew Directory of Translation/Interpreting Studies
Reposting with permission from ATA HQ The future of our profession lies in the education we provide today. ATA has partnered with The Globalization and Localization Association (GALA) to develop an online international database of education and training programs. The Directory will be an invaluable resource to students searching for programs in translation, CAT tools, interpreting, localization, project management, computational…
Read MoreTablets for Interpreters: The Device You Didn’t Know You Wanted
Reblogged from The ATA Chronicle with permission by the authors (incl. the images) Just as increases in laptop storage and processing capacity led to the replacement of desktop computers, advances in tablet technology make it possible for users to streamline even more. The latest tablets offer a host of streamlined tools for interpreters, even in high-stakes settings like court and conference interpreting.…
Read MoreLet’s Spring into Action in Miami this March!
From March 16-18, 2018, Miami is hosting what will surely be the must-attend event of the season for professionals of the T&I industry. Co-organized by the Association of Translators and Interpreters of Florida (ATIF), the Spanish Language Division of the American Translators Association (ATA), and Florida International University (FIU),* Spring into Action will be a three-day event featuring the internationally…
Read MorePursuing the Translation Dream: What to Know After the Phone Rings
As a new translator, you have prepared yourself long and hard to take on clients, and now the phone is ringing—metaphorically speaking. So, how do you answer? This post is part two of a five-part series on how to assess your readiness to become a successful translator, inspired by the ATA’s Self-Evaluation Questionnaire for Translators. If you have not already,…
Read MoreAre You Using LinkedIn to Get High-Paying Clients?
If you are spending all or most of your social media time on Facebook, you are missing out on the chance to meet and impress high-paying clients. While it may be fun and comfortable to network with colleagues on Facebook, the clients you want to attract are spending their time on LinkedIn—the #1 business social network. LinkedIn Helps Freelancers Get…
Read MoreThe Savvy Newcomer Year in Review – 2017
The year 2017 has been another great one for The Savvy Newcomer, and we are glad you have been a part of it. We thought it would be nice to wrap up this year with a recap of what we have been up to with the blog in 2017 and what we are looking forward to in 2018. We hope…
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