How do I go about being a work @ home freelance translator?
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¡Guau! You speak Spanish? ¡Yo también!
I work for a Boston-based company though I live in Santa Monica, California. They send me the work online and I can do my film production work at the same time that way.
However, I am just a freelancer, and the work is already translated; I just get the English and Spanish files to copyedit (making sure the Spanish is correctly spelled and isn't "regionalized"--they have a lot of Caribbean Spanish-speaking translators working there, so I have to standardize the Spanish, so to speak. It's funny because sometimes they drop the "o" in -s ending words, such as "vamo" for "vamos," just the way they speak!). But usually the errors aren't that obvious. Usually I have to correct wrong uses--more frequently, the non-use--of the subjunctive tense; that's when I can tell whether it's a non-native Spanish speaker translating or a native Spanish speaker who doesn't know all the nuances of the English language--sometimes they'll translate English idioms and sayings word-for-word--which makes some hilarious sentences! (I grew up speaking both languages, so I can tell.) And they also love me at VPG because I'm a stickler for proofreading in both languages--I correct even commas and periods that are left in italics (usually they're in the Spanish files; for example, after variables such as x [as in "2x," "3y."...]--the translators get lazy and don't change the comma or period to regular font after the italicized variable. You can tell if you look hard enough. If you blow up the font, you can see if the period is in italics because it'll be rhombus-shaped rather than square. Yeah, I'll catch that.)
But anyway, as for being a translator, I don't know how I'd get that job. It seems to be a lot more difficult because the subject is about 99% mathematics, from beginning algebra to advanced calculus. You have to know all the obscure statistical and calculus terms that you wouldn't even know in English. I've never been offered that job, but I'm sure it's pretty good pay. I'm not sure if you have to be a full-timer working in-house there, though.
For the copyediting I get $25/hour because I used to teach both English and Spanish, and I keep track of my own hours; so it's pretty good. (I don't know; that was two years ago when I was hired in Boston [while I was living there]; maybe I'm due a raise. The other copyeditors were getting $20/hour.) The only bad thing is that, since I'm a freelancer, it isn't a sure thing that they'll send me work regularly. I haven't been sent any work since April. It's kind of a seasonal job; sometimes I get like three projects to do within a span of three or four weeks.
The company is called VPG, and it's based in Boston. You might want to check out their website to see if they need translators. I'd sharpen up my algebra and calculus skills--I often have to correct those terms because the translators usually get lazy and just assume it's spelled the same in Spanish.
What they do at VPG is they tape math videos for educational purposes in-house. Then they put the text in for the closed captioning. Whatever the instructor says in the video is put into text. Then another person translates the English CC text into Spanish. That's the time-consuming part. I've heard it's very tedious because of the mathematical terms. When that's finally done, that's when I get both sets of files and compare and correct them--sometimes I have to correct the English mistakes too.
http://www.vpg.com/
Check the "About Us" link for job opportunities.
¡Buena suerte! ¡Te deseo lo mejor! ('',)
I don't know...How do I go about being a work @ home freelance writer? I wish I could answer both of our questions. : )
Now the best way to become a translator is to start at a company and build up a rep. Once you have done that it's fairly easy to slide into freelance transaltion by taking some clients with you (the co. won't like that but you'll figure out how to do that w/o burning bridges once you get some experience) and finding new clients.
You don't need a degree in anything other than maybe for visa purposes. You need skills. Prove to people you can translate and you'll get work. Also, I'd suggest moving to Spain or a Spanish-speaking country to start. It'll speed things up as your English will be so much better than those there and you should be able to find work much more easily.
P.S. Apologies to the Candied One, if I read the question wrong...my bad on the slangy @ there. Wet noodles all around to me. Anyway the advice above is sound. Take it or leave it. so don't get your panties in a twist about my blunder. I blame the sangria and drooling at pics of Salma at the time.
With a computer at home and internet connection,you can start earning from home,without any investment. You should choose your work at home job according to your skills and time available.
Many companies like Manuscript Services,Associated Content,Constant content pay for writing articles,poems,
proofreading and copywriting. A good writer can earn
more than US$30 per hour.
You have to directly apply online and the companies websites are listed at
http://tinyurl.com/qrnfe
I don't think there are easy money for no hard work. perhaps you can setup a website and to earn money through google adsense.
besides, here is a specialized webpage containing 10 methods making money online and doing small business online.
http://www.adcenter.net.cn/make-money-on...
maybe that will help you or give you some bright idea.
Best Wishes && Good Luck!
Type "translation" or "site translation" in google. Comes up with a a huge list but check them and you'll see some of these companies are looking for freelance workers.
I'm in the process of translating my website.
Have you tried http://tinyurl.com/f4rab Changed my life for the best, could do yours too!
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