Many companies need translators for a variety of reasons. Maybe they are printing documents in a second language, or maybe they are delivering abroad and need to be able to read and reply to customers' emails in a second language.
And if you have a second language, this is where you can come into action. If these businesses are not doing enough trade to employ full time language specialists, or their language specialists are on holiday, then they need short term translators working for them.
You don't need to be fluent in both languages
However, it is not always the case that you need to be fluent in both languages. This is certainly the case for a lot of people who are able to best make use of this idea.
For example, I know of someone who moved from Spain to England. Her English wasn't that great, but she was able to find plenty of work translating from English into Spanish - her native language.
Businesses can't always use translation tools
If a business is dealing with customers who speak a different language that business is probably happy putting the foreign language emails through a translation tool. It gives a near enough translation for what is required. However, typing in English and then translating to Spanish with a tool is not a good way to send an email to a new customer.
However, if you can then put that translation by a native Spanish speaker, or someone who has a good understanding of the language, then the translation can be cleaned up and can look completely correct.
Your job in the translation
And if you are also living abroad where the local language is different to your native language, this is how you can work. Even if you don't yet have a full grasp of the local lingo then you can use a translation tool to get most of the way there and then read through the draft, retyping it in the correct grammar.
With time, hopefully you will pick up the second language and be able to translate fully, but that then begs the question of how to find these companies.
Finding translation work
Well there are a lot of freelancing websites that advertise opportunities for freelancers to pick up a bit of work, and translations are one of the aspects that are covered by these sort of sites. So dig out a few such sites that cover wherever you are living and see what opportunities there are for translating work.
You could also visit some of those automated translation tools and take a look around their website. Many offer paid additional services in which a human translates the provided text. When you find these, drop them a line asking if they are taking on any translators in your field!
And if you have a second language, this is where you can come into action. If these businesses are not doing enough trade to employ full time language specialists, or their language specialists are on holiday, then they need short term translators working for them.
You don't need to be fluent in both languages
However, it is not always the case that you need to be fluent in both languages. This is certainly the case for a lot of people who are able to best make use of this idea.
For example, I know of someone who moved from Spain to England. Her English wasn't that great, but she was able to find plenty of work translating from English into Spanish - her native language.
Businesses can't always use translation tools
If a business is dealing with customers who speak a different language that business is probably happy putting the foreign language emails through a translation tool. It gives a near enough translation for what is required. However, typing in English and then translating to Spanish with a tool is not a good way to send an email to a new customer.
However, if you can then put that translation by a native Spanish speaker, or someone who has a good understanding of the language, then the translation can be cleaned up and can look completely correct.
Your job in the translation
And if you are also living abroad where the local language is different to your native language, this is how you can work. Even if you don't yet have a full grasp of the local lingo then you can use a translation tool to get most of the way there and then read through the draft, retyping it in the correct grammar.
With time, hopefully you will pick up the second language and be able to translate fully, but that then begs the question of how to find these companies.
Finding translation work
Well there are a lot of freelancing websites that advertise opportunities for freelancers to pick up a bit of work, and translations are one of the aspects that are covered by these sort of sites. So dig out a few such sites that cover wherever you are living and see what opportunities there are for translating work.
You could also visit some of those automated translation tools and take a look around their website. Many offer paid additional services in which a human translates the provided text. When you find these, drop them a line asking if they are taking on any translators in your field!
