Nowadays, translators are in great demand in many fields of our life: production, marketing, television, Internet, etc. It is well known that demand determines supply. Thus, many new freelancers come to the market every day to sell their services.
Today, this is not a problem at all. The Internet offers many freelance markets where any translation provider can publish some information about himself and his services, bid for a project, and communicate with customers. It could be a difficult task for an uninformed person to decide on a good provider. By posting a project you can receive dozens of bids.
Who is the best? How do you find a good translator? I’ll try to help you out on this difficult matter.
1. Translation Experience
First of all, a translator should be experienced in translation. No matter how somebody knows a foreign language, he can hardly provide high quality translation having 20 years of teaching experience. If you need a text to be translated into a foreign language, it will be better to find a native speaker.
2. Qualification
Perfect knowledge of a foreign language doesn’t guarantee a perfect translation. If you want to translate a manual for a home theatre, you should search for a specialist in this field. Every professional translator is specialised in specific subjects and doesn’t tackle all texts each and every type of text. If your translator announces that he can translate anything, please think carefully before entrusting the work to him.
3. Price
Good translation isn’t cheap, as with any quality work. Of course, exclusions are possible, but they are so rare in the translation industry that you can give up all thoughts of finding one. Don’t throw away your money and time. Remember that a miser pays twice. On the other hand, high rates don’t mean high quality. Be careful!
4. Recommendations
Always pay attention to the other customers’ feedback. Try to find a provider with “clean records”.
5. Communication
It’s also worthwhile to consider the translator’s manner of speaking, whether there are mistakes in his messages and emails or not, how attentive he is to your words, how fast he is in his replies. Ask the provider to give you all possible contact details. His email address may not be enough. In turn, you should provide the translator with your phone number, Skype name, etc. to stay in touch in case of force majeure.
What’s about you?
These are just basic tips you should bear in mind when selecting a translator. Your comments are welcome.
Remember that quality translation can serve its purpose. It can help you to complete a profitable deal, find good business partners, open up new vistas or avoid troubles with new equipment. Selecting a translator is a very responsible mission. Good luck!
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