The Value of Professional Organizations for Freelance Translators

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Building your reputation is incredibly important and frustratingly difficult in the freelance translation industry. The ultimate goal is to have the luxury and flexibility to do what you love, earn your desired wage and work in the field you like most. Whether that is working as a freelance translator, building your own translation company, managing other translators, the bottom line is that you have to get your name out there, consistently find steady and dependable work, and be really good at what you do so that people are satisfied and want to work with you again.

To make a name for yourself as a freelance translator you need to find ways that are unique, creative and allow you to stand out from others in your profession. There are a number of ways to get involved, build your network of professionals and get recognized as a leader in your field. Seeking membership in professional organizations is a great way to gain exposure and build your network of professional contacts.

Professional organizations offer a means to collaborate with other professionals and provide a wide range of tools and resources to help in obtaining your career goals. Participating in organizations in both your language pairs opens doors to a greater number of opportunities and expands your market area. Additionally, participating in organizations that are specific to your specialties gains you direct access to companies that are most likely already consumers of services similar to yours.

Professional organizations require their members to pay annual membership fees in return for the services they offer. Members typically receive discounts as an incentive to participate in training seminars, conventions, vendor fairs and other activities provided by the association. Advantages of active membership include being directly involved in the integral workings of the profession. This may include having opportunities to be a presenter at conventions, having the chance to volunteer as a working convention member at the registration table or possibly the information desk, participating in online discussions or maybe even acting as a writer for a professional journal published by the organization.

Professional organizations also offer members a common platform that encourages collaboration and discussion without the fear of having to compete with other translators for business or the risk of loosing customers to another translator that may be asking you for professional advice. Many organizations encourage mentoring partnerships, volunteer opportunities in the field, paid internships, and job posting boards. A senior translator or business owner is going to be far more willing to share information and advice with a member of their professional organization than they would with a translator who uses cold calling techniques.

The present popularity of online social media networking has facilitated collaboration and discussion among professionals for the betterment of the industry. It provides a method for individuals to find out what's happening in their profession, to get involved and to build relationships with other professionals in their field. Online social media networking has given people access to other high ranking professionals they previously would not have had the opportunity to collaborate with. It has also broken down barriers for people who find it difficult to build relationships with others. This type of networking has the ability to exponentially expand the number of contacts a person has access to by simply networking within groups, professional associations and other members that have similar interests. A freelancer can use this to their advantage by seeking advice and information that leads to building relationships and opening doors for advancement.

Professional organizations also offer credentialing, such as certification or accreditation of a providers skill. Credentialing has the ability to increase business as a result of advertising and the fact that some consumers prefer to only work with credentialed individuals.

Membership and participation in professional organizations comes at a price and with astute management and tracking skills can typically pay for itself through maximization of the professional resources offered by the organization. Freelance translators who are just starting out and trying to build their business may find participation priceless if they use the networking tools available to build relationships with experts in the field who can help them to grow their business.

It doesn't take long for a willing and enthusiastic translator to get involved at the professional level by volunteering to serve on committees and work at conventions. Busy professionals quickly grab up volunteers who are willing to work and have the skills necessary to meet the needs of the organization.

So get out there, get involved and get noticed!