Launching a translation career is no different from starting a career in writing, except that it requires an additional skill. A language translator should know how to write in English, and in a second language.

Primarily, a translator should market himself as a writer. Clients must first see his ability to capture people’s interest through his writing before they trust him with translation jobs. In translating a document, it is not enough to change a document into a new language; it must retain the tone and message of the document.

Someone who is seriously considering a translation career should study the work of successful writers first. This will help him understand the limit of his creative license and the level of work involved in each translation project.

After fully knowing what translation is like, one has the option to be a freelance translator or to take a full-time translation job. In doing freelance, one can place an ad on newspapers or create a personal website to advertise one’s service. In choosing a regular work, however, one has the option to work for a multinational company, a non-profit organization or a government agency.

A translator who decides to do freelance must have a set of payment policies. He must determine whether he will charge per word or per page. Of course, before he can determine his method of pricing, he should check his experience first. If a translator is just starting out his price should be minimum, or even perhaps a little below the minimum. He can jack up his price when he already has a steady client base.