How to Become a French Translator
French language translators have long been in demand for diplomatic and political posts as French remains a prominent language used in many places throughout the world. Translation can range in scope and importance from freelance documents and text work to high-level governmental interpreting and everything in between. Becoming a French translator is a long and demanding process.
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Instructions
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Master the French language. You must know the language well enough to understand proper texts and speakers, as well as the many dialects, colloquialisms and errors you may come across during your translation duties. Without this true fluency, there is no career in translation for you.
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Search the Internet for freelance translation work on job posting sites (see Resources 1 and 2). You will find an array of work ranging from the very small to the very large, and with pay rates to match. As a new translator your goal should be to expand your portfolio and collect as much experience as possible. These specialized sites tend to keep track of your progress, ratings and past work, which makes it easy to create references and allows you to develop a reputation within your field.
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Search general employment and media sites for salaried translation work (see Resource 3 and 4). These positions are highly sought after so a good base of experience and demonstrated ability are required to be considered. Most jobs are contract-based with few leading to permanent positions. The majority of French language translation positions exist in the diplomatic and governmental fields.
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Post your resume and credentials on a freelance writing and translation work website (see Resource 5). Here you may be approached by employers looking for qualified translators or individuals seeking assistance with one-off translation work.
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Work toward attaining a translation degree at an accredited institution (see Resources 6). This credential can be an essential element in seeking a translation position and may be a requirement in some instances. In recent years the degree has lost some of its luster as freelance work has surpassed more formal employment, but for the top jobs it is still highly valued.
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Tips & Warnings
Spending time in French-speaking locales can positively affect your French language learning progress. Realizing that you must speak French to be understood forces you to make the effort and results in a level of language ability that cannot be gained any other way.
Be willing to work in translation both into and from your native language. This may be more difficult for you but can result in twice as many potential jobs and exposure in two markets.
Finding freelance translation work using an online clearinghouse allows you to build your confidence and your abilities by first completing smaller jobs geared to your specific skill set and expanding from there.
References
Resources
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