Translation: Starting Out

So, you have signed up and prepared for the exam. What comes next? As I am sure you are feeling right now, the panic is starting to set in. That nasty pit in your stomach. No matter how prepared you are, any exam as large as this, especially one that could define your career, the nerves will set in. Mine did about a month before the exam. Personally, I had just been promoted AND was then told that my SO was being transferred to the States at some point in the near future. Our lives had been turned upside down AND I had this massive upcoming exam weighing on my shoulders. As many people who take this exam instead of going back to school, we all have busy lives that may interfere. My suggestion is the week before the exam, take time off to really focus. The exam is always on a Tuesday, and especially for those who need to travel to get to the exam, you need time to be able to focus and get everything prepared. Material to Bring You are allowed to bring any and as many dictionar...

Once you have decided that you want to be a translator, what is your next step? This answer can vary, depending on your individual circumstances. For example, you could be at a university that offers such a degree. What I have found is that a lot of people joining the translating world often stumble into it, as I did. Circumstances, such as living in a country that does not speak your native language and you become fully immersed into it, can often lead toward a translation career. Now, for those of you out there who already have degree in something else and would like not to go through all of that again, there are other choices. Translation Degrees If you do have the opportunity, this would naturally be a great way to both see what the field is about and if you really like it. As you can read in my introduction, I changed my major three times, so I know all about having grandeur ideas, or even just inklings.  Pros would be coming out with a degree in translation, of co...