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How do I get jobs? Thread poster: wonchangh
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Hello, I am a college student living in USA. I was born in South Korea and migrated to USA 14 years ago. I am bilingual, proficient in both Korean and English, and have no problem conversing in those two languages. However, I have no relative working experience as a translator and afraid to post resume on this site. I spent most of the time studying in college, while not exposed to real world working experience. Most of the companies only look for individuals with minimum of 1 year working exper... See more Hello, I am a college student living in USA. I was born in South Korea and migrated to USA 14 years ago. I am bilingual, proficient in both Korean and English, and have no problem conversing in those two languages. However, I have no relative working experience as a translator and afraid to post resume on this site. I spent most of the time studying in college, while not exposed to real world working experience. Most of the companies only look for individuals with minimum of 1 year working experience. If I recant my translation work, I was providing translation for newly coming Korean parents who have problems communicating with school faculty members and don't understand course materials for their children. How should I reflect this on my resume and convince employers that I can do my best to provide error free translation?
Also if I post my resume, would someone help me out? ▲ Collapse
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| Start with volunteer jobs | Jan 3, 2012 |
Hi,
I believe you should finish your college before you can start working professionally. In the meantime, you could do some practice offering your help as a volunteer in various association. I am sure you'll be able to find plenty of these volunteer opportunities in your community. Furthermore you can try working as a telephone interpreter, they normally test you out before hiring you and even if you don't have a real experience, if you test out good they might hire you anyway.
... See more Hi,
I believe you should finish your college before you can start working professionally. In the meantime, you could do some practice offering your help as a volunteer in various association. I am sure you'll be able to find plenty of these volunteer opportunities in your community. Furthermore you can try working as a telephone interpreter, they normally test you out before hiring you and even if you don't have a real experience, if you test out good they might hire you anyway.
Good Luck!
Giusi ▲ Collapse
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| I need to get hired quickly. | Jan 3, 2012 |
Giusi, thank you for reply. However, I am running out of money and volunteering just can't make me survive in this slow economy. I even consider drop out of college and earn some money to feed my family. That is why I am asking every experts how to write resume, so I have a better chance of getting hired.
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neilmac
Spain
Local time: 00:55
Spanish to English
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Guiseppina's advice is all good. I also recommend you finish your studies first, but I wonder if you have ever considered a spell in the military? It could be an option. Here's a link you might fin... See more Guiseppina's advice is all good. I also recommend you finish your studies first, but I wonder if you have ever considered a spell in the military? It could be an option. Here's a link you might find useful:
http://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/browse-career-and-job-categories/intelligence-and-combat-support/interpreter-translator.html
Most of the languages cited are in the Middle East area or sub-continental, but I think that in the next few years languages such as Korean and Chinese will be come more important, and the skills you develop will be transferrable to non-military, perhaps business-oriented scopes.
[Edited at 2012-01-03 08:39 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Woodstock (X) 
Germany
Local time: 00:55
German to English
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| Difficult situation | Jan 3, 2012 |
Even a good resume won't guarantee any translation jobs, I'm sorry to say. This is not a profession to make fast money. It takes time to build your skills and your clientele, which is true of just about any serious or sincere foray into self-employment. Many translators have spent years and lots of money on specialized training (if they studied translation at university, for example), and even those must count on a year or two to make enough to live on. There are exceptions, of course, but I thi... See more Even a good resume won't guarantee any translation jobs, I'm sorry to say. This is not a profession to make fast money. It takes time to build your skills and your clientele, which is true of just about any serious or sincere foray into self-employment. Many translators have spent years and lots of money on specialized training (if they studied translation at university, for example), and even those must count on a year or two to make enough to live on. There are exceptions, of course, but I think they are rare. If you are desperate, you probably will have to look elsewhere for a quick income fix, and if you are serious about translation as a profession, start building it on the side. Neilmac's suggestion is also a good option.
My two cents, and good luck! ▲ Collapse
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Edward Vreeburg
Netherlands
Local time: 00:55
Member (2008)
English to Dutch
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| look for another job | Jan 3, 2012 |
Translation is no way to make money, you will probably be happier in a call center, or in a coffee bar, an office environment or supermarket...
You can start translating in your free time, but you will be competing again other Koreans living in Korea who probably make 1/10 of what you need to make to survive in the US..
For error free translations (there is no such thing) you will probably need to hire a more experienced proofreader to correct your work.
Ed
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Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 23:55
Member (2007)
English
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| Getting hired? | Jan 3, 2012 |
wonchangh wrote:
Giusi, thank you for reply. However, I am running out of money and volunteering just can't make me survive in this slow economy. I even consider drop out of college and earn some money to feed my family. That is why I am asking every experts how to write resume, so I have a better chance of getting hired.
I'm sorry, but you can't start in this business by earning a living wage. You start by doing hours and hours of marketing etc. Many people who ask for advice on this forum have been looking for their first job for weeks or even months - and they sometimes have qualifications and.
If you need quick money, you should look elsewhere. Find a job in McDonald's or some other place with steady income - that's my advice.
If you want help with your CV, upload it into your profile. I'm just off on holiday but perhaps I'll have a moment to look at it or maybe some other kind soul here will give you some feedback. I hope you make it as a translator, but you have to look at it as a career, not as an instant way to cash.
Sheila
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Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 15:55
English to German
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In memoriam | What exactly are you studying at college? | Jan 3, 2012 |
wonchangh wrote:
Hello, I am a college student living in USA. I was born in South Korea and migrated to USA 14 years ago. I am bilingual, proficient in both Korean and English, and have no problem conversing in those two languages.
Translation? Or some scientific or other field?
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Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 15:55
English to German
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In memoriam | The reason why I am asking | Jan 3, 2012 |
You rather sound like someone who considers translating a "job" that can be done on the side by anyone who can "converse" in two languages. Please note: "Translator" is not a job, it's a profession. Usually held and performed by experts with an average of two university degrees.
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| Strategies to get jobs at ProZ.com | Jan 3, 2012 |
Hello wonchangh,
First of all, welcome to ProZ.com!
You should know that, at ProZ.com, the main channel to get jobs are direct searches outsourcers conduct in the directory.
With this in mind, there are a few easy things you can do to make sure potential clients searching the directory for language professionals see you, and that once they see you, that they remain interested, even when ... See more Hello wonchangh,
First of all, welcome to ProZ.com!
You should know that, at ProZ.com, the main channel to get jobs are direct searches outsourcers conduct in the directory.
With this in mind, there are a few easy things you can do to make sure potential clients searching the directory for language professionals see you, and that once they see you, that they remain interested, even when you are just getting started. These few things are what, at ProZ.com, are called winning strategies. ProZ.com winning strategies include:
1. A good profile, as your profile serves as your business card and directory listing, and it is the first impression of you that colleagues and potential clients will have when they find you at ProZ.com and when running web searches.
2. Membership, as members are ranked ahead of non-members in the directory of freelancers and interpreters, http://www.proz.com/translator-directory/ , and are then more visible in searches. Visit this page to check your current directory ranking.
3. KudoZ PRO points in your language pairs and fields of expertise, as this is how directory search results are ranked among the first group (members) and the second group (non-members). A few minutes of effort, a few times a month, may be all that is needed to boost your position in the freelancer directory.
4. Specialization. Let potential clients know what your fields of expertise are by listing fields in your profile in order --your specialty fields must be ordered accordingly, earning KudoZ points in those fields and in your top language pair, providing details in your "About me", etc. More tips on how to show your specialization are available here.
5. PRO status, as becoming a certified PRO will allow you to network and collaborate in an environment consisting entirely of screened professionals, including companies seeking the services of certified PROs only. (it is extremely important though that all previous strategies are put into use, and that all required information is gathered, before applying for inclusion into the Certified PRO Network).
Perhaps you would like to sign up for one of the free webinars on "Meeting clients at ProZ.com" offered on a weekly basis:
http://www.proz.com/guidance-center/additional-resources/#webinars
Also, for more information on ProZ.com winning strategies, just visit http://wiki.proz.com/wiki/index.php/ProZ.com_winning_strategies
Or else, watch this short video:
http://www.proz.com/videos/tutorials%20on%20proz.com/607
There is also a webinar on "Getting started in translation" later today:
http://www.proz.com/translator-training/course/5954
Hope this helps!
Kind regards,
Lucía ▲ Collapse
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Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 15:55
English to German
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In memoriam | I disagree, Edward | Jan 3, 2012 |
Edward Vreeburg wrote:
Translation is no way to make money, you will probably be happier in a call center, or in a coffee bar, an office environment or supermarket...
When I started out as a translator, my very first monthly income was US $ 7,500 (my first reply to a Proz.com job offer, we were the perfect match), later on I made no less than US $ 6,500 to 8,500 per month for the next four years. This income came from one single Asian translation agency who appreciated my 25 years of highly specialized marketing know-how and copy-writing. At times my monthly invoices exceeded 5 digits for this Asian company.
I do hate the generalized assumption that translators work for pennies only and that we are nothing but dirt.
However, I also do hate the assumption that EVERYONE who speaks two languages automatically qualifies as a translator. The most successful and pricey colleagues in our league sell their translation skills based on many years of professional expertise as a lawyer, a medical doctor, a marketing specialist, a scientist and what not.
Edited by Nicole
[Edited at 2012-01-03 12:52 GMT]
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wonchangh wrote:
Giusi, thank you for reply. However, I am running out of money and volunteering just can't make me survive in this slow economy. I even consider drop out of college and earn some money to feed my family. That is why I am asking every experts how to write resume, so I have a better chance of getting hired.
...since you said need money and you are used to interpreting somehow for your family etc., I still suggest you contact some telephone interpreting agencies. As I said, not all of them request a long experience and if your language combination is very needed and you pass their test interview, they might hire you anyway.
Good Luck!
Giusi
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Ty Kendall
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:55
Hebrew to English
| Payment terms. | Jan 3, 2012 |
In a nutshell:
You really can't make a fast buck from translation if your needs are that dire.
Standard translation payment terms mean that even if you were commissioned now to do a translation, you wouldn't get paid till end of the month, end of the next month...depending on the exact terms....
Possible terms:
1. End of Month (EOM)
2. 30 days after invoice.
3. End of Month + 30 days.
4. 60 days.
......
Whic... See more In a nutshell:
You really can't make a fast buck from translation if your needs are that dire.
Standard translation payment terms mean that even if you were commissioned now to do a translation, you wouldn't get paid till end of the month, end of the next month...depending on the exact terms....
Possible terms:
1. End of Month (EOM)
2. 30 days after invoice.
3. End of Month + 30 days.
4. 60 days.
......
Whichever way, you wouldn't get your payment in what many people would consider "timely", and especially when you seem rather desperate....
....all of this presupposes that there aren't quality issues or other issues which may delay payment even further or preclude payment altogether.
So, for your needs, translation isn't the answer. ▲ Collapse
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Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 15:55
English to German
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In memoriam | The headline has been edited and this should be indicated. | Jan 3, 2012 |
It renders several of our posts useless and, out of context, makes us sound like morons.
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Ty Kendall
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:55
Hebrew to English
Nicole Schnell wrote:
It renders several of our posts useless and, out of context, makes us sound like morons.
What was it before?
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