103THE BIG LIST OF

FREELANCE TRANSLATORS‘ TIPS

WE RECEIVED SO MUCH POSITIVE

FEEDBACK ABOUT THESE TIPS…

WE DECIDED TO COLLECT ALL 103 GREAT TIPS AND MAKE A SPECIAL MEGA-POST

BE SURE TOCHECK OUTEACH TIP

MAKE YOUR SKILLS

KNOWNTO FAMILY AND

ACQUAINTANCES.A FRIEND OF A FRIEND OF A COUSIN CAN BECOME YOUR

BEST CLIENT.

#1

BUILD A WEBSITE THAT CAN SERVE AS A

CENTRALIZED PROFILE OF YOUR SKILLS.

#2

THERE WILL ALWAYS BE SOME JOBS – AND SOME EMPLOYERS – THAT

GIVE YOU A BAD FEELING.

TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS AND SAY

NO!

#3

WHEN AN EMPLOYER TURNS OUT TO BE DIFFICULT,

MANAGE THEIR EXPECTATIONS AND BE

POSITIVE IN YOUR COMMUNICATIONS.

#4

LOOKING FOR

EXTRA INCOME? TRY WRITING / LANGUAGE

TUITION / TYPING / DESKTOP PUBLISHING / EDITING

#5

CONSIDER TRANSLATING ON A TABLET AS IT IS

QUICKER TO SWITCH ON AND MORE VERSATILE THAN A LAPTOP

#6

AVOID CASES OF NON-

PAYING CLIENTS BY

ASKING NEW

CLIENTSFOR AN

UPFRONT

PAYMENTON YOUR

TRANSLATION WORK.

#7

MANY COUNTRIES OFFER

LEGAL ADVICE TO FREELANCERS THAT ARE HAVING TROUBLE

WITH NON-PAYING CLIENTS.

#8

IF YOU CAN’T FIT IN REGULAR TRIPS TO THE GYM, TRY COMPLETING

10 SQUATS EACH TIME YOU FINISH A

PARAGRAPH

#9

AVOID THE "EVERLASTING

JOB" TRICK BY STATING THAT

ANY ADDITIONS TO THE AGREED UPON

JOB WILL BE AT

ADDITIONAL COST

#10

A COMMON WAY TO TRY AND FOOL TRANSLATORS IS TO

PROMISE A HUGE JOB IN RETURN FOR

LOWERED RATES.

STAY ALERT!

#11

IF YOU NEED A BIT OF

ENCOURAGEMENT TO STAY IN SHAPE, MAKE

THINGS

COMPETITIVEWITH OTHER

FREELANCERS.

#12

CHECK OUT THIS CLIP TO UNDERSTAND

HOW TO TURN YOUR SERVICE OFFERING INTO SOMETHING

PEOPLE WANT

#13

TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS!

UNUSUAL PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS OF ANY

KIND SHOULD BE AVOIDED UNLESS YOU KNOW THE

CLIENT WELL.

#14

TRY A SKYPE MEETING WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS

TO SAVE TIME AND TRAVELLING EXPENSES.

#15

SCREEN SHARING

IS ONE OF SKYPE’S BEST FEATURES

WHEN VIDEO CONFERENCING WITH A CLIENT.

#16

DRESS FOR SUCCESS

EVEN WHEN YOU WORK AT HOME, YOUR CLIENT CAN

SURPRISE YOU WITH A VIDEO CALL AT ANY MOMENT.

#17

ALWAYS ALLOW YOURSELF A

REALISTIC AMOUNT OF TIME

TO GET YOUR WORK DONE.

#18

DON’T OVER-PROMISE

AND UNDER-DELIVER. THAT LEADS TO UNHAPPY CLIENTS WHO

WILL BE LOOKING FOR ANOTHER TRANSLATOR.

#19

BE AWARE OF YOUR BODY LANGUAGE

WHEN VIDEO CONFERENCING WITH CLIENTS.

#20

TRY TO NOTICE IF YOU SIT WITH YOUR

ARMS FOLDED,

YOUR CLIENT MAY PERCEIVE YOU AS BEING

DEFENSIVE.

#21

AVOID FILLING YOUR OFFICE WITH ‘EXECUTIVE

TOYS’ AND OTHER

DISTRACTIONSTHAT WILL HURT YOUR

PROFESSIONALISM

#22

DELAYSIN ISSUING

INVOICES MAY CAUSE CLIENTS TO

THINK OF YOUR SERVICE AS

INEFFICIENT.

#23

NODDING OR SHAKING YOUR HEAD ARE GESTURES

THAT MAY BE

LOST IN TRANSLATION BETWEEN

COUNTRIES.

#24

WHEN EXPERIENCING A

POOR SKYPE CONNECTION, DON’T

ALLOW YOUR FRUSTRATION TO COME ACROSS TO

YOUR CLIENT.

#25

DON'T COMMITTO A TRANSLATION

PROJECT WITH AN

IMPOSSIBLE DEADLINE.

#26

DON’T RELY ON A SILENT READ-THROUGH OF YOUR WORK; TAKE THE TIME TO

READ IT OUT LOUD.

#27

QA YOUR TRANSLATION

YOU DON'T WANT YOUR CLIENT CALLING YOU QUERYING A MISTAKE

ON THE FIRST PAGE.

#28

WORKING FREELANCE PROVIDES YOU WITH A

RANGE OF FREEDOMS! MAKE SURE YOU

TAKE ADVANTAGEOF THAT.

#29

BEING A FREELANCE ALLOWS YOU TO RELOCATE TO A

COUNTRY WITH A LOWER COST OF

LIVING.

#30

…THIS IS ONLY A TIP

OF AN ICEBERG

WE HAVE

70+ MORE TIPS FOR YOU TO BOOST

YOUR SKILLS AND EFFICIENCY

CLICK HERETO READ THEFULL ARTICLEON TOMEDES TRANSLATORS

HUB