Lesson 5: 7 things you can do today to help another translator

Freelance translators spend most of their time alone, locked in their offices in front of PCs. We are lonely, in fact. If something goes wrong or if we’re stuck over a problem, or if we made a terrible proofreading mistake and feel worthless, there’s no-one around to wipe our tears. Or simply to make us feel better. The only people who will understand why writing “complementary” instead of “complimentary” makes us sad are other translators. We do need each other and we should support one another.
Help other translators today:

1. Tell them you appreciate them

You definitely know other translators that you admire for this or that reason, but you never tell them that. Well, today is a good occasion to write to them. You can use the International Translation Day as an excuse.

2. Comment on their blog

If you were only reading their blog up till now, change your habits! Give something back, even if you comment is a simple thank you note. It still matters!

3. Recommend them

Jot down just a few words about them for others to see. If you can’t recommend them for their translation services, find another thing: brilliant customer service, quality proofreading, good time management.

4. Follow them on their social media profiles

Connect with them everywhere: on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn… Show attention, tell them that there’s someone out there who takes care!

5. Share your resources

If you have a nice collection of glossaries or reference materials, share it with others! They will love you, but also the profession will gain in general.

6. Talk to them

Find someone to talk to, or chat on Twitter. Exchange thoughts and points of view, even with someone you don’t know and just met on Proz conference.

7. Answer their question

Take some time and write down a comprehensive answer. If you share something you know, it’s two people making use of it!

My bit

I was inspired to write this post by 10 Kind Things You Can Do Today to Help Another Freelancer. Today, I told two other translators that I really admire them, I’ve commented on some posts and I’m going to do some more today. I’ve wrote a recommendation for my friend who is a Polish translator as well and it turned out that I’ve made her day. She also recommended me back. I’ve already followed some new people on Twitter, and I’m planning to connect with a few more on LinkedIn. Sharing resources as always, but I’ll try to come up with something new. I’ve also had a nice and long conversation on languages and I’m going to write a long e-mail answering some important questions about getting more clients.

Your bit

How are you going to help today?

Marta Stelmaszak

Google+ Polish - English translator and interpreter specialising in IT, media, marketing, and business. Marta also translates from French, Norwegian, and Slovakian into her native Polish. She runs Business School for Translators, a blog full of invaluable tips on doing business in translation.

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You may also want to learn:

• Lesson 10: Service quality for translators: working with SMEs
• Lesson 8: 8 weird opinions on translators and how to educate the public
• Lesson 3: Fears about freelance translation… and how to fight them
• Lesson 14: Time planning - the ultimate answer to coping with workload
• Lesson 13: Becoming creative