“If a window of opportunity appears, don’t pull down the shade.”
– Tom Peters
I don’t talk about translation much because my primary income normally comes from teaching, language coaching, and secondarily through writing. But, since I started my business back in 2011, I have been doing language translations for both large and small companies.
In contrast to my language teaching work, where I use blogs, videos, and podcast interviews as part of my marketing strategy, I had never actively searched out translation jobs or even advertised them as a service I provided (even though I did!). They sometimes randomly landed in my lap at the rate of one or two per year, sometimes more, sometimes less. And it’s precisely this quality of the unexpected that made them all the more appreciated, especially when times were tough.
The question that you may be asking yourself is how did those translation opportunities arise without actively searching for them and from where.
People who can speak more than one language have a wider cultural understanding and perhaps more flexible thinking, over those who speak only one language. This translates to (excuse the pun), more opportunities for work, career growth, and an ability to tap a wider variety of income streams. My certification as a teacher only provides me with teaching jobs but my ability to speak English and French fluently, on top of my mother tongue Spanish, opens doors to translation and interpretation gigs, tour guide and product localization jobs. Also, my multilingualism allows my business to target and access additional markets and audiences.
But back to focusing on those sweet translation jobs. The two key elements that made them possible are:
Be open and curious.
You have probably heard over and over again that you need to niche down, offer one service and focus on that. That’s not bad advice, but the reality is that it usually takes from 1 to 5 years for a business to gain traction, regardless of how niche you are.
Also, when you are starting, my advice is to do almost the opposite. To find your niche, you need to venture down many alleyways and point in many different directions. Finding your unique voice requires a lot of barking up the wrong tree and sometimes shouting into the wind. This isn’t by any means a misdirected effort; it’s part of the journey itself.
You may love learning languages and want to create a language learning business that helps others achieve their language goals. Awesome! You may think that making incursions into translation might be misaligned with your goal. But, is it really though? What if you understand the intricacies of your native tongue and the other languages you speak by dabbling in translation work? Wouldn’t that make you a better language coach, teacher, or language consultant?
What if you discover that you love helping bridge the linguistic barriers between countries through your translations?
In my latest translation for a big tropical produce importer, I got to understand their work and ethos in depth. It also helped me broaden my own vocabulary in their area of business. And it allowed me to contribute, even if ever so slightly, to improve the working conditions of their partners in Latin America.
Curiosity is essential when starting your language business (even if you intend it to just be a side hustle), and it continues to be crucial when you are an established language business.
Build Meaningful Relationships
All the translation opportunities I’ve got came via people I’ve met travelling or in a social context. And I’m not even talking about networking (which is probably very effective in this regard too); I’m talking about people I met for coffee once and never met again, who after a year DM’d me to ask if I would be interested in doing a translation for them!
The first paid translation I did came from a friend of a friend I met in India. That person, an international business owner, was looking for a translator to help him reach the Latin American market. In a conversation with our common friend, he talked about this challenge. The friend had me in mind as a native Spanish speaker who had fluent English, so he brought my name into the conversation and, voilá! My first translation job emerged.
As polyglots, language learners and entrepreneurs, we need to be curious and open. Besides, languages exist precisely to build relationships, bridges with other peoples. However, working from home in your own business can get lonely, so doing freelance work for translation companies, for example, can make available for you a community of polyglots and colleagues.
Curiosity and openness will lead you to your passion. From there, your niche and personal brand will be another step forward.
Now, for me, translation is a job I enjoy every so often. It’s a breeze of fresh air amid my language coaching, teaching, and creating content for educational programs.
My recommendation is that you should talk about your multilingualism often. I also suggest you explore translation gigs as they are flexible, remote and, what’s best, you’ll gain a new skill set. If you are curious about what joys the translation world could bring, you don’t need to wait for the opportunity to explore translation, you can check out project and job opportunities via translation companies such as Day Translations (disclaimer: who I do work for!). They are a global language services provider that focuses on human-based translation, interpretation, and localization services. It’s through active exploration of all these hidden streams that you will discover your unique voice while expanding your knowledge and abilities. Let me know what you think via my Contact page and as always, go for it!
