In-House versus Freelance

Translators either work for themselves as freelance translators or in-house as employees of, for instance, a translation agency or software localization firm. The former are typically called freelance translators, or freelancers, and the latter in-house translators. If you are just entering the profession, or if you are considering translation as a career, you have to look closely at these two options to decide which is right for you.

As a freelance translator, you are a business owner. You will take care of marketing, invoicing, accounts payable and receivable, taxes, equipment purchases and maintenance, and so forth. Freelance translators may make more per year on average than in-house translators, but their income is far more variable, and they have to cover all their own expenses, including all taxes, retirement funds, medical and other forms of insurance, and business/operating costs.

As an in-house translator, you work for someone else. You go to your office in the morning, sit in your cubicle during the day translating whatever the company needs, attend meetings to discuss large-scale translation projects, terminology, or equipment, go to training sessions to learn to use the new LAN system or MAT software, and then go home in the evening. Like most jobs, you get paid vacation, insurance, half of your Social Security and FICA taxes paid, and a retirement plan of some sort.

Although the remaining articles will discuss the above differences between freelance and in-house translation in detail, and even offer suggestions as to which people might be suited for, I will say here that often questions of personality and work style are irrelevant. The first and most important question is money. Can you afford to be a freelance translator? To start as a freelance translator, you will need a several thousand dollars to get the computer hardware and software you need, to do some marketing, and to wait out the first few months during which time you will likely have little work, and you will be patiently waiting for that first invoice to be paid. So if you are single with few financial responsibilities, some money saved, and don't mind a bit of a risk, the answer to the money question is affirmative: you can have a go at freelance translation. If however you are married with a couple of children, have the usual expenses of a mortgage, medical costs, and so forth, then you should think very carefully before starting up as a freelance translator.

There is also a strong argument for getting your feet wet in the industry by working for someone else. You can think of it as paid on-the-job training. You will learn more about translating by translating than by doing anything else. And you will also acquire not only all that secondary know-how, such as word processing, negotiating, or filing tax forms, but also lots of practical knowledge of the industry, such as rates, which language pairs or subject areas are in demand, or what technologies are likely to affect translation in the near future. You might even develop relationships that can be turned into clients for a freelance business. So consider starting off as an in-house translator, especially if you are uncomfortable with the financial aspects of working for yourself, or are uncertain as to how you will feel about working at home alone.

A Paradox

The very qualities that seem to make a good translator, those of attention to detail, passion for languages and research, care and craft in writing, also seem to be those that make a poor negotiator or marketing person. How does one overcome this paradox? One, force yourself to market, even when you don’t want to. Make a commitment to yourself to send 100 letters to agencies this week; to call your top five clients for a brief chat; to do annual taxes before 1 October, after having filed an extension on 15 April. You are in business, and don’t forget it.

You should also remind your clients that you are a business professional. Translators want to be treated as professionals, and therefore, they have to behave as professionals. Take the time to learn about your industry, about your languages, about your subject specializations, and about the technology you use to do the work you do. In any industry, there are always too many people wanting to do the work to be done, and too few people who can actually do the work properly. As a translator, you want to make clear to everyone that you are in the latter category, and not in the former.

Above all, as a translator, you are standing between two people or organizations, one which created the material and the other which wants to read it. You are their solution to this otherwise intractable problem. Remember, it’s the information age, and there’s lots of information out there in lots of languages. Translators are the ones who bring this precious commodity to the people who want it.

Appendix 2.

Protocol for Interpreters

Upon arrival in Ukraine, hire a driver and a translator. Recognize that the most valuable staff members have added value in general information – how to get around red tape, where you can get keys copied, purchase a fire extinguisher, or notarize a document. While the Yellow Pages and Golden Pages (see below) available in bilingual versions are useful, people rely most heavily on staff, friends, and other people. (See the section below on Procuring Equipment for a caveat to this).

You will also need to know the local labor laws.

Always place your interpreter next to you, but look at your counterpart, not at your interpreter. Refrain from making statements such as “Please tell him…”. Organize your comments in advance, and pause frequently to give your interpreter a chance to translate. Avoid slang and jargon, including sports analogies, which may be misinterpreted or simply translate poorly.

Never say anything in English that you don’t want understood by everyone present; you must also assume that telephone lines can be tapped. No paranoia here, but take necessary precautions.

When hiring interpreters, look for those who love languages and especially this career field. Many interpreters want to use their language skills as a springboard to other professions, especially in a Western company where salaries tend to be significantly higher. Over time some interpreters slip into their desire to speak for themselves, rather than serve as the mouthpiece for another person. I have encountered interpreters, who after repeated conversations, were eager to demonstrate their familiarity with the subject and sometimes pre-guessed what was about to be said. This is not the purpose of an interpreter and can only lead to inaccuracies; words will literally be put into your mouth, and if you don’t speak the language well, you may never know it. As authoritarian as it may sound, one needs an interpreter who speaks only when spoken to and then translate as accurately as possible.

Some interpreters tend to sanitize more awkward conversations, and this is not desirable either. You may want to work with several interpreters to identify one with whom you have a better rapport.

There are some related cultural issues. I have encountered a few expatriate men who were uncomfortable travelling out of town with female interpreters. We have also have interpreters who were cowed by some of the frankly intimidating higher officials in the Ukrainian government. Your firm or team will not want to project an image of being easily intimidated.

My company initially decided against setting strict guidelines regarding interpreters imbibing alcohol at business functions. But excessive alcohol intake on several occasions resulted in a revised policy discouraging interpreters from imbibing on the job.

Finally, it is always a good idea to have someone in your party take notes of the meeting. Ideally, this will be someone who understands both languages and can monitor the accuracy of translation.

(Source: Meridith Dalton. Culture Shock: Ukraine. Graphic Arts Center Publishing.2000)

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