What to put in "About me" section as a beginner?
Thread poster: Teresa Woischiski
Teresa Woischiski
Teresa Woischiski  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 21:16
English to German
+ ...
Dec 14, 2015

I am creating my website right now and am relatively new as a freelance translator, just finding my fields I want to specialize in. What is best to put in the About me section at the beginning?

I have done mostly Health and Fitness (marketing, press, product infos, social media) and have started a bit with technical translations (energy). Do I write: technical and marketing translations or rather say the categories, such as Health and Fitness, Energy? I love marketing translations
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I am creating my website right now and am relatively new as a freelance translator, just finding my fields I want to specialize in. What is best to put in the About me section at the beginning?

I have done mostly Health and Fitness (marketing, press, product infos, social media) and have started a bit with technical translations (energy). Do I write: technical and marketing translations or rather say the categories, such as Health and Fitness, Energy? I love marketing translations and also technical ones, if it is not too IT based, but still acquiring skills.



Thanks for support.
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Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 20:16
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
Look at yourself from the perspective of the client Dec 14, 2015

Teresa Woischiski wrote:
I am creating my website right now and am relatively new as a freelance translator, just finding my fields I want to specialize in. What is best to put in the About me section at the beginning?

I have done mostly Health and Fitness (marketing, press, product infos, social media) and have started a bit with technical translations (energy). Do I write: technical and marketing translations or rather say the categories, such as Health and Fitness, Energy? I love marketing translations and also technical ones, if it is not too IT based, but still acquiring skills.

It doesn't sound as though they are real specialisations, at least they aren't yet. They're more like the fields you've been working in, the ones where you have the most experience, that have the potential to become specialisations. If that's the case, it sounds as though your text ought to find a different focus.

Now, only you have the whole picture, but from what you've told us, combined with what's in your profile here, I'd say the focus ought to be on your background in your languages:
- You studied English in the US, and Spanish in Spain - not just for a few months but on a long-term basis.
- And now you're back in your target/native language environment, keeping those target skills up-to-date.

It seems to me that it's that background of having "lived" all your languages and their cultures that is going to attract clients, giving you the edge over those who learned their languages in a classroom in their own country. Just let potential clients know that you can handle most things and won't fail at any job you take on (i.e. you'll let them know if it's too technical, rather than promising what you can't deliver).


 
Teresa Woischiski
Teresa Woischiski  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 21:16
English to German
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
very useful Dec 14, 2015

Thanks a lot, Sheila.

I will not put any special fields then for now and will emphasize on my time abroad.





[Edited at 2015-12-14 20:41 GMT]


 
sweettooth
sweettooth
Spain
Spanish to English
+ ...
Very helpful! Jan 19, 2016

Thank you very much! This was also very helpful to me as a newbie translator as I also didn´t know what to write in the About Me section of my profile!

 
Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 20:16
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
You're welcome, sweettooth Jan 19, 2016

Sweettooth? Not a very professional name, methinks.

But that apart, based on what's in your profile at the moment it does look as though you too should be emphasising your time abroad. As long as you can convince clients that you've kept your native language up to date. I have to admit that mine did get a bit old-fashioned when I spent 15 years in France away from the favourite haunts of Brits (and well away from the
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Sweettooth? Not a very professional name, methinks.

But that apart, based on what's in your profile at the moment it does look as though you too should be emphasising your time abroad. As long as you can convince clients that you've kept your native language up to date. I have to admit that mine did get a bit old-fashioned when I spent 15 years in France away from the favourite haunts of Brits (and well away from the few who were around, too). I thought it was okay until I came to live in the very expat-rich Canary Islands. Now I realise that the language had moved on a bit in my absence.
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What to put in "About me" section as a beginner?







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