Are you looking for a career that will allow you to put your foreign language skills to work? Or perhaps you’re just a language enthusiast and would love to work with people from all over the world? If this sounds like you then a career in the translation industry could be perfect for you, even if you don’t speak multiple languages there are still many roles in the industry that aren’t that of a typical translator. Below we have 5 benefits that come with working in the translation industry: Variety of tasks and job roles As mentioned previously, the translation industry isn’t just for those who are professional translators. There are many different paths that you can choose to take depending on your skillset. For many roles in the industry, just a keen interest in languages will be enough, providing you have the other skills required for that role. A few examples of the different roles available in the translation industry include Project Management, Recruitment/Vendor Management, Business Development and Marketing. Not to mention more senior roles in strategy and operations as you gain more experience. The requirements and experience for each of these roles will differ from company to company so it’s best to check the desired skills needed for these jobs before applying! You will get to meet people with lots of different backgrounds/cultures When working in the translation industry it is a given that you are going to be interacting and working with people from all over the world. This is what makes the translation industry a wonderful place to work as you will meet such a variety of people and learn from their experiences as well as be able to share your own. You can work in-house or freelance Working in translation is great because there are many ways that you can choose to do your work. If you prefer structure and like to work as part of a team then working in-house would be a great option for you. On the other hand, if you prefer more flexibility and are less risk-averse then opting to become a freelancer will allow you to choose your own hours and control your workload. You can also perform most of the roles from home so remote-working is common within the industry. Your work will make a difference Many translation companies work with clients in many different sectors, including pharmaceutical and healthcare. This means that you could be working on translation projects that contain studies into new medication for viruses, diseases and medical conditions. How rewarding to know that your work is contributing towards helping those with potentially life-threatening illnesses! You will keep learning new skills Ask anyone in the translation or language sector what skills they’ve learnt since they started working and they will no doubt be able to give you at least a handful of different things. Depending on your role, you may have to learn how to use new platforms and technology such as CAT tools or a TMS (translation management systems), as well as other programs such as Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and more. Don’t worry if you’re just starting out though, training is often given for these platforms for beginners so you’ll get the hang of it in no time! If we’ve managed to convince you that translation is an awesome industry to work in then why not check out some of our latest vacancies on our careers page? We have a variety of in-house and freelance roles available depending on your skillset. Take a look at our latest vacancies here.
