News   >>  Must-have competencies for todays freelance translators

There is not no doubt that translators as mediators between the source and target languages need to have the mastery of the two languages involved in translation. Yet, there are a broad range of other skills professional freelance translators are required to have today.

Computer Skills

Working with computers seems a necessity in the present translation market. Professional translators need to be able to work with computer-aided translation technology such as machine translations and translation memories.
In fact, the range of computer competencies the current translators should develop has expanded considerably. Some years ago, using a computer for typing was possibly the only computer skill translators needed to have. Today, however, translators are supposed to constantly update their knowledge of how to use translation memories, machine translations and terminology manager software, to name but a few.

Internet Skills

The same scenario holds true for translators’ Internet skills. Translators’ Internet competencies include a wide range of skills from the ability to use online translation resources such as online glossaries, term banks and corpora to using search engines to extract translationally relevant information from the World Wide Web. Having the ability to communicate through the Internet is also essential.

Advanced Interpersonal Skills

In the present globalized translation market, translation has turned into a team activity with translators, proofreaders, subject matter experts and clients working together. Professional translators may collaboratively work on a project, seek/give advice to fellow translators and work closely with the clients and subject matter experts to produce the desirable target texts.
The translator’s interpersonal skills thus can be said to include the ability to maintain a good relation with fellow translators, subject matter experts and more importantly with clients.

Resource finding Competence

Resource finding skill refers to the ability to seek out appropriate resources and information when required. The specialization in today’s translation market requires translators to work with different texts and text types. This implies that a good translator needs to have the skills and contacts to find proper resources and information whenever the need arises.



Date: 2013-10-02 , Views: 10411