Why Am I a Translator?

Hi everyone!

Recently, someone contacted me to ask what my experience has been as a translator because she wants to study translation, but she’s having second thoughts.

After reading this DM, I started thinking about why I became a translator and my journey to where I am today as a freelance translator.

I graduated as a translator and interpreter many years ago. I wanted a full-time job as a translator, but I couldn’t find anything locally, and back then being a “freelancer” wasn’t very popular. In those days, we didn’t have social media or too many translators’ platforms to find work from home.

So, I gave up on my dream of working full-time as a translator and started working in several administrative positions in different companies, and I was a translator just during my “free time” like it was a hobby. The experience I got from those jobs was significant, I learned so much… But after a while, I would always end up getting really tired of doing what I was doing, and I would go off to find a new job in the same field.

About a couple of years ago, it finally hit me… I’m not doing what I love, that’s why after a while I get so sick and tired of these administrative jobs, I have to do something about it! And I finally made the decision to quit my last administrative job, which was a good one, and took the risk of starting a new career as a freelance translator.

It hasn’t been easy, that’s for sure! There were moments when I thought it was better to stop trying and find another 9 to 5 administrative job. It took me a lot of hard work, self-doubt, desperation, and sacrifices to finally get my first full-time job as a freelance translator. Also, I am working with great clients who pay very well for other smaller projects.

Nowadays, social media and translators/freelancers’ platforms like ProZ.com, Upwork, etc., helped me a lot to network with clients and get projects to work on. They have also helped me to earn a reputation as a professional and reliable translator.

So, going back to the DM I got, I wrote back asking her if translating is her passion. Is she willing to take all the necessary risks and make all the sacrifices needed to succeed in this business, where there’s so much competition? If her answer is yes, then she should go for it!

Translating is my passion! I could not see myself doing anything else for the rest of my life. This is why I am a translator, and I could never go back to boring jobs that don’t fulfill my dreams.

What was your journey like? Was it easy or not to make the decision to follow your dream? I’d love to hear your comments and remember to subscribe to my blog!

Until next time, have a wonderful time!

XX