If you have a talent for languages and have achieved full fluency in one or more foreign tongues, then your career prospects will be given a strong boost across many varied fields. Commerce nowadays is increasingly global, and those with a mastery of language can pick and choose from many enticing opportunities. So why pursue a career in translation rather than in the wider international business world? Here are five excellent reasons.
Enjoy Flexible Hours and Conditions
Working as a translator gives you a lot of flexibility in terms of the hours you work. If you have commitments that make working a standard nine to five office job difficult, then a career in translation could be ideal, whether you work through an agency or as a freelancer.
Interesting and Varied Work
One of the major benefits of being a translator is that it’s a job suited to those with restless and inquiring minds. The nature of the job means that you’ll be covering a wide range of topics, and meeting different challenges with every project. You’ll also need to keep your vocabulary and general language skills polished and up to date, so the chances of being bored are slim indeed.
Independent Working
One powerful answer to the question “Why become a translator?” is that a career in this field offers many opportunities for those who enjoy working independently. Taking on freelance or agency work offers a chance to build a solid career that isn’t reliant on the whims of superiors or the vagaries of the job market.
Translation is Often Highly Paid
In the age of global business and widespread competency in English, you may ask yourself why pursue a career in translation, especially with ongoing advances in computer translation technology? One very simple answer is that the skills required for high level, accurate translation work are in extremely short supply, especially in non-European languages. In areas such as business, politics, or diplomacy, translators who can produce excellent work are in high demand, and are thus able to command high levels of pay.
Excellent Opportunities for Career Progression
Why become a translator rather than pursue another line of work where your language skills are of use? The answer is easy if you’re ambitious: translation is a highly meritocratic field, meaning that if you have talent and are prepared to work hard, there is no real limit to what you can achieve. There are no fixed career structures nor artificial barriers to promotion, and so if you have the drive to succeed, the sky really is the limit.