If you’re a translator, YOU MUST have a social page, a website, or at least some kind of online presence: this will make your career much simpler! Here are a few tips from someone who was once in your same position and now selects the translators used by the LingoSpell translation agency.
Before becoming a Project Manager, I worked as a content writer and a freelance translator. And if today I have this job that I adore, it is all thanks to my social networks. I’m not going to tell you the story of my life, just that LinkedIn was a gamechanger for my career development. The experiences I gained working as a freelancer and those I am acquiring now as a Project Manager stand me in good stead to give you a few tips for getting the most out of a powerful, free tool such as LinkedIn.
LinkedIn, your profile is everything
The most important thing is your personal profile. Unless it is carefully polished, you’ll find it difficult to obtain valid results.
In the “summary” section specifying your language combinations is a must. You can abbreviate these to initials to optimise the space. It would then be perfect if you could also add a few key words that immediately give recruiters an idea of your specific sector of expertise. This might seem obvious but let me assure you that many professionals simply label themselves as “translator”, without adding anything else.
Keep your contact info updated! Always add an email address, so that recruiters can easily write to you. For many LinkedIn users, the only way of contacting you directly may be to add you to their network, and this system doesn’t always work.
Add the “About” section and detail your specialisations. Generally, recruiters very seldom need to know where you got your degree. Instead, add the fields you work in or in which you are skilled. Relevant past experiences can also be useful (but without writing your whole life story). This is your business card. Use it as effectively as possible.
Take some time over the “Experience” section too. Don’t limit yourself to writing that you’ve worked for Agency XYZ. Instead, provide details of the projects you translated (in compliance with any NDAs you have signed). You’ll definitely be able to indicate the field and therefore the sector, and recruiters will immediately see whether you are qualified to take on their agency’s project.
No specialisation? Think again!
As a recruiter, sometimes I receive the profiles of “general translators”. For an agency like ours, which aims for excellence, competence in a specific sector is essential. Clearly, this can only be acquired through study or experience.
So, if you’re starting out and trying to decide with way to go with your career, select a few sectors, then study, learn and translate as much as possible! On the other hand, if you’ve been in the translation business for a while but have never thought of specialising, think again: with greater skills you’ll be able to get better jobs and stand out from the crowd. We are always on the lookout for good translators specialised in our sectors:
Interested? You can contact us at hr@lingospell.com. Hope to hear from you soon!