Episode 44: Communication, negotiation and understanding client needs – Interview with Alessandra Martelli
03/09/2015Episode 46: What a translation company looks for in a translator – Interview with Terena Bell
03/23/2015Episode 45:Marketing Services to Translation Companies and Agencies – Alina Cincan
Based on a survey among you listeners at the end of last year/beginning of this year, many of you wanted to hear more from project managers and translation company owners. Today I have a translation company owner with me and we are discussing the procedure for hiring translators, how freelance translators can start marketing translation services to translation companies, the biggest mistakes in applications to translation companies and more. I am happy to interview Alina Cincan, owner of Inbox Translation and you will find out what her unhealthy obsession is.
In this episode we discuss the following:
- How to apply to translation companies
- What a translation company looks for in the applications
- Common CV/resume mistakes
- How they deal with false applications/CV/resumes
- How to make the translation companies more aware of your services through social media
Useful links mentioned in this episode:
- Inbox Translation
- 9 tips on how to spot translation scammers
- Dear Scammer
- Avoiding CV scams as a translator
- Translator scammers directory
- Being kind to each other in the translation business
Thank you for listening! Some good advice on both how to market our services to translation companies and avoiding translator scammers. If you found the episode useful, please share it with others. Do you have any comments or questions? Please share them in the comments below, or email me. Have a wonderful day!
[convertkit form=5001680]
Romanian native speaker, BA and MA in languages (English and French), Alina also speaks a couple more languages with various degrees of fluency. She is a former teacher, translator and interpreter with over 10 years’ experience, total language geek, avid reader, Managing Director at Inbox Translation, a London based translation agency. When not writing on her own blog, she is writing on other people’s. She also has a soft spot for sushi, books, shoes and make-up. And, needless to say, a passion for translations. You can get in touch on Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn.
This podcast is a labor of love and brought to you free of charge. If you enjoy this series and would like to show your support, please consider making a small donation to ensure I can keep offering you great content in the future.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
20 Comments
Some great tips here – I’ve just updated my Twitter profile as a result! Thanks Tess and Alina for making Monday a little more enjoyable. 🙂
Thanks Suzanne! So glad to hear you liked it. You have a good looking Twitter profile and amazing specialization.
Thank you, Suzanne. I’m really glad the tips have helped. Like Tess said, you do have a great specialisation and a memorable brand.
[…] Whitty’s most recent podcast interview on Marketing Tips for Translators Episode 045: Marketing your translation services to translation companies/agencies, which I listened to this morning, also provides some good advice from a translation company’s […]
[…] Thoughts and Infographic 11 examples of what can go wrong in translation of marketing materials Marketing your translation services to translation companies/agencies Why translation and terminology are so important at a global market Outstanding translation is […]
Great interview, ladies! Thank you Alina for your useful tips, I’m reorganizing my career and they came in handy. It was very interesting to hear how and why an agency would check a candidate’s social media, you shared some great insight there 😉
All the best!
Daniela
Thank you, Daniela. I am really glad you have found the tips useful. Have you applied any of them in particular?
[…] Marketing your translation services to translation companies/agencies – Alina Cincan […]
Thank you Alina and Tess,
I’ve only recently discovered these podcasts and this is my favourite so far.
Lots of useful tips and a refreshingly human angle on the translation business.
I too, hate the pointless bickering to which some translation forums are prone.
I also admit with some embarrassment that I was guilty of the first CV “don’t”.
On the point about blogs, however, I would just say that I can’t imagine ever having the time to generate enough content for one. Some people are just better at that kind of thing.
Thank you Sebastian! Glad you found it useful. Yes blogging is very time consuming, but you can still post updates about your availability or recent projects on your website to keep it updated.
Hi Sebastian,
Many thanks for your comment and kind words.
Regarding having a blog, you are absolutely right, it is time consuming and may not be everyone’s cup of tea. But it is a good way to stand out.
Thank you Alina and Tess for this interesting and inspiring podcost! (I had this bookmarked to listen to and finally have…)
I wasn’t sure about the effectiveness of social media, but now I will reconsider breathing life back into my Twitter account (previously used for English expressions for my students and others) and maybe begin listing some translation work completed on my homepage.
Also, registering memberships. Yes, I have recently realized this is a worthwhile *Marketing Investment* expense, that pays back after only a few days of work. I was only focused on those in Japan (where I reside and work as a JP>EN freelancer), but others in other countries certainly may have their benefits as well.
I have a question: How necessary is having a higher education qualification in becoming a successful freelance translator? (I hold a BA in Psychology only. No time for a Master’s degree or higher in the near or distant future.)
Thank you again for taking the time to do this podcast and I look forward to checking out the relevant links.
Thank you Alexandra,
I will let Alina answer your question too, but personally I think it is very beneficial to have a degree in higher education, but definitely not a requirement. I know many successful translators without a higher degree.
Thank you, Alexandra. One small suggestion regarding memberships: since there are so many professional associations for translators, it can be difficult to choose the right one. As a rule of thumb, focus on those in the country where you live or where most of your work comes from. An international one is also a good choice.
As for Master’s degree in translation, like Tess said, while it is not a must, it does help. Of course, a BA in a different field combined with years of experience is a great advantage.
Hi Tess and Alina, I really enjoyed listening to this podcast. A lot of useful tips. I have one question though, I hope you can help me. 🙂
I am a beginner translator from Serbia and I mainly work for agencies here in the South-East Europe. Here in the Balkan region, translation agencies expect from translators to know to work with CAT tools although translators, especially beginners do not have to have the license for a specific tool. Free tools are out of question due to privacy issues. Agencies give translators a license for a specific project. I was wondering whether the situation regarding CAT tools is the same in the rest of Europe and in the US, as well, or working with agencies requires having a pro version of the tool?
Hi Milica,
Thank you for your comment. My impression is that it is the same. Personally, I got a lot more agency clients after I invested in a CAT tool, which was Trados. Now I have SDL Studio and MemoQ, but they work with each other and you only need to learn one. It is a good investment though. If you want a lower investment to start with, you can check out Wordfast Pro, which can work with Studio and MemoQ files fairly well. It is also, to me, easier to use. I hope this answer helps.
Hi Milica, I’m glad you enjoyed the podcast.
As for CAT tools, like Tess said, they are a good investment (though it also depends on the types of texts you work with). I was recently on a panel discussing tools and technology and one of the panelists mentioned OmegaT as a good tool for beginners, as it is free but also secure. It is worth investing time to learn how to use these tools, definitely.
I hope this helps.
Thank you so much for your answers, Alina and Tess! 🙂
[…] a marketing plan for translators – Tes Viti: kako da napravite plan marketinga za svoj posao. • Marketing your translation services to translation companies/agencies – Alina Cincan: šta prevodilačke agencije očekuju od vas kao spoljnjeg […]
[…] of a marketing plan for translators – Tes Viti: kako da napravite marketinški plan. • Marketing your translation services to translation companies/agencies – Alina Cincan: šta prevodilačke agencije očekuju od spoljnjeg […]