For Translators — Page 6 — Sarah's Archives

Time Zone Dementia: How do you handle it?

Juggling time zones is a skill many translators find themselves perfecting these days.

I’m currently in contact with clients and colleagues in GMT + 1, +2, + 10, -4, and – 7 (i.e. London, Paris/Berlin, Brisbane, New York, and Los Angeles), although it varies with the projects I’m working on at any given time. Daylight saving time only adds to the fun.

Luckily there are lots of tools around to help me keep on top of things, such as the free FoxClocks, EasyTZ or the indispensable World Clock Meeting Planner. And because I’m old-fashioned at heart, I find old-school works well for me too:

But I still suffer from an occasional twinge of what Anne Zelenka over at WebWorkerDaily calls TZD, or Time Zone Dementia. If you’re in the same boat, or just think you could do with some ideas on how to better manage your scheduling, then I recommend checking out her post. It’s an old one, but the principles still hold true.

Any other readers juggling significant time zone differences? Any tips, tricks, tools or ideas?

Unprofessional isn't always bad

by Sarah Dillon

Ever wondered about the kinds of people who translate for free, or in their spare time? Maybe assumed they’re unskilled, or at the very least unprofessional, in its broadest sense?

If so, here are three things that might change your mind:

First, a very interesting interview with Masahiro Kyushima, a volunteer translator for TED – nothing unprofessional at all what’s going on there.

Second, a whole blog dedicated to “unprofessional translation” – or what is known more specifically as natural translation, native translation and language brokering (definitions here). Brian Harris is clearly more than qualified to address this oft-maligned aspect of translation, and his blog is a fascinating look at the stories behind those practitioners of translation who do not fall into the professional category.

Finally, the University of London will address this very issue in a public roundtable discussion on 27 April 2010.

A reminder perhaps that a per-word rate shouldn’t be the only way we measure respect for our fellow translators.

Getting paid across borders: multi-currency banking for freelance translators

by Sarah Dillon

When it comes to accepting payments from overseas, I’ve learned the hard way that there is no single answer as to what works best. It all depends on a range of factors, such as:

the country in which you live
the country or countries in which you hold bank accounts
the facilities available to you either through your bank(s) or in the country in which you live
the country in which your clients are based
the currencies in which you will (hopefully) be paid
the amount and frequency of payments
applicable fees, exchange rates and transfer times

[Read more…]

Copy cats are NOT cool

by Sarah Dillon

I don’t normally like to use my blog as a platform to criticise others. But today I’m making an exception.

Angry, by Marco Veringa on Flickr

[edit 30 October 2009: Scroll to the end for an update]

[Read more…]

5 Qs with Amy Williams, French and Italian to English translator

by Sarah Dillon

Amy Williams is a freelance translator working from French and Italian into English, and a director of Eggplant Translations. She specialises in marketing and advertising, and the arts, media and music in particular. In the early stages of my freelance career, Amy was kind enough to give me some great advice on setting up a website. Here I ask her for more tips about marketing, her areas of specialisation and why she has chosen to pursue further studies in psychology. [Read more…]

Building a Strong Online Presence

by Sarah Dillon

Hello to translators and interpreters surfing by following my recent Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL) webinar. I intend to blog about this in more detail later this week, but until then, here are some resources you might find useful:

A series of short videos introducing Twitter.
Some 5 minute videos on how I use LinkedIn, WordPress, and Google Reader for professional purposes.
A half-hour* presentation on social media for translators, which takes a more hands-on approach than my presentation today as it covers how to use Tweetdeck (co-presented with Philippa Hammond – check out her blog for a great guest post on search engine marketing too).
If you still think Twitter is just noise, then read about how one translator used it to track what she was learning at a conference.
Here’s some more thoughts on how I fit all these tools together as part of the bigger picture of my professional practice.
Finally, a write-up on using Skype for business purposes.

Thanks again to everyone for tuning in and for their questions. I plan to pull together a summary of some to the key issues raised as part of my write-up, but in the meantime, feel free to post your questions in the comment section below. I’m not promising I know the answer but I’ll certainly be able to point you in the right direction.

* 14 October: correction – it’s a half-hour presentation, not a one-hour one… Thanks Kimmo.

5Qs with Andrew Bell, AAA Scandinavian Translations

by Sarah Dillon

After working as a nurse in several countries, Andrew Bell set up AAA Scandinavian Translations in 2001 and now specialises in medical/pharmaceutical translation services. He also runs the popular translator-networking site Watercooler. Here Andrew tells us about how he became a translator, and offers a wealth of advice for new and experienced translators interested in moving into the highly specialised field of medical/ pharmaceutical translations.

Sarah Dillon: You have many years of experience in healthcare, and are in fact a Registered Nurse (RN). How difficult was it to make the conversion to being a medical translator? What preparation did you have to undertake to supplement your existing knowledge, and do you have any tips for aspiring medical translators who might not have this background? [Sorry, I know that’s really 3 questions but I couldn’t resist!] [Read more…]

5Qs with Karen Stokes, French to English translator

by Sarah Dillon

Karen Stokes has been providing French to English translation services through KES_Translate since 2002. In 2008 she was awarded Chartered Linguist (Translator) status, one of the first five translators in the UK to be awarded this distinction. Read on for more about Karen’s background, her approach to marketing and the Chartered Linguist application process. [Read more…]

Conferences for Introverts: 15 Top Tips

by Sarah Dillon

I’ve attended my share of conferences over the years, and they generally all have their own unique vibe. As a translation professional, I joined colleagues for conferences in niche areas, to retain my accreditation and certifications. As a business owner, I attended industry events to network with the wider business world. And now, as an aspiring academic, I attend conferences to develop my skills as a scholar and gain insight into a new career path.

Like most introverts, my preference is to listen to interesting talks, events, or training. But I still do OK on the social front. Here are some things I do to manage the transition from knowledge worker to networker.