Freelancing is one of the surefire approaches most professional use to earn extra income. Some of them use freelancing as a stepping stone to accomplish a stable career. Today, one of the most lucrative areas where freelancers earn a good income is the field of translation.

More and more freelance translators offer their services. Although the profession sounds good and the translation industry is steadily booming, it can be hard to find well-paying work. To be successful as a freelance translator, you should have a degree in translation, translation experience, excellent language skills, and training and experience in a technical field of translation.

If you are interested in freelance translation, the easiest way to break in is to have samples and references. You can do this by volunteering or interning at agencies that need translation services, such as the American Red Cross, Translators Without Borders, refugee assistance programs, and public health clinics. Many agencies need volunteer translators or will hire freelance translators for low-pay in lieu of training and references.

Aside from getting experience and references, you also need to be a good writer. The profession of translation requires excellent writing skills because the translation must be accurate verbatim as well as grammatically correct. Lastly, you need subject-specific knowledge in your own native tongue to translate subject-specific documents as requested by your potential client.

Here are additional tips to help you become a successful freelance translator:

1. Make sure you set realistic goals. Just like in any field, you need to consider if you want to work fulltime or freelance. If you are considering working as a freelance translator, you need to realize the outcome. Since you are new in the field, you can't expect to earn a sizeable list of clients on a regular basis.

2. Market continuously. If you are established in the industry, then you know you must never stop marketing. Having a regular list of clients doesn’t guarantee you can keep all of them forever. Make sure you continue marketing your services and contacting prospective clients.

3. Tap into local markets. Never ignore the local market, especially if you can present yourself better in person than on paper. The best way to build rapport and credibility with a prospective client is to meet the prospect in person and show your portfolio. By doing this, you can be a step above your competition and increase the chances of convincing the prospect to hire you.

4. Join trade associations. By doing this, you can add credentials to your portfolio. Freelance translators can join associations such as the American Translators Association or its local chapters to help you establish professionalism as a translator. This can also create opportunities to meet other translators and learn from them.

5. Learn from experience by asking for advice. Try to talk to other translators so you will have an idea about the translation field.

6. Adjust your resume toward translation. The key to convincing clients to hire you is by marketing yourself as bilingual. Also if you have specialized professional skills, you can include this in your resume or portfolio.

7. Offer more benefits. Try offering services that more experienced translators don't. As mentioned, the translation industry is booming and many translators are offering their services. To meet the demands of the competitive market, offer services that others don’t offer, such as working on nights, weekends, and rush jobs.

8. Get certified. If you are a freelance translator, make sure you get certified so you can back up your credentials and experience. For information on getting certified, visit http://www.atanet.org/certification/.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Launch a freelance career today! Download Melissa's free e-book, Creative Freelancing, at Writing Career or visit her blog at creativefreelancing.blogspot.com