Linguist in the Spotlight – 约翰·米兰
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There is much to be learned from our colleagues, 但与“专业人士”展开对话可能会令人生畏.” For that reason, we at Savvy have done the work for you in our Linguist in the Spotlight 访谈系列, 在这里,永利登录网址挑选经验丰富的翻译和口译人员,把他们的故事带到你的屏幕上. 永利登录网址希望他们的故事和正确的建议能够激励和鼓励你在翻译和口译事业中开拓自己的事业&我)行业.
在这次采访中, 约翰·米兰, 一个经济学家, 商业顾问, ATA-certified translator, 文字编辑, and lecturer specialized in economics, 金融, 银行, 合同, 劳资纠纷, international trade/development, 和法律, 分享选择专业的关键,这将为你提供长期的财务稳定,以及他在办公室的一天是什么样子的, as a translator providing more than one service offering.
Q: Are you a freelancer or do you work in-house? 如果你是一名自由职业者,为什么你会选择这条路而不是在内部工作呢?
A: 我是一个自由职业者. 我成了一名自由职业者, 首先也是最重要的, to have control over my work schedule, allowing me to manage my time and seek a healthy work-life balance. 自由职业让我适应跨时区和国家的项目和客户. I find that I’m much more productive working remotely, which I have been doing for more than 20 years now. 作为一个自由职业者, I’m also able to offer an array of services, 包括咨询, 翻译, 编辑, 解释, 和讲课, which keeps my work dynamic and engaging.
Q: How did you land your first T&I project or assignment?
A: 我的第一份任务是在我认为自己是翻译之前完成的. 我是一名本科生,在马德里留学,在一家医院兼职教英语. 我的一个ESL学生是医院的西班牙医生,他正在写一篇文章,要提交给美国的一家医学杂志. 他让我和他一起写英文版,准备出版. So, in that case, I was really an assistant translator.
My first truly professional assignment, 然而, 几年之后, when I was working as an adjunct professor of economics in 巴西. It was a word-of-mouth process that entailed some networking, 但最终我接到了一家公司的电话,他们需要把一份财务文件翻译成英文, and they were looking for a translator with my background. 这是一个非常合适的选择,并发展成为长达数十年的职业关系.
Q: How did you choose your areas of specialization?
A: I specialized first and got into language services after the fact. 作为一名本科生, 我主修西班牙语,并在攻读国际政治经济学第二个学士学位的同时被介绍给翻译/口译. When I studied abroad in Spain, 我不仅注重语言技能,而且还参加了西班牙语课程,这培养了我的经济/商业背景. This pattern continued during graduate school, 在那里我学习了葡萄牙语并修了翻译课程,同时获得了应用微观经济学的硕士学位. My specializations have expanded over time, as I have gained professional experience in other fields, 最引人注目的是与众多律师事务所和政府机构合作.
In terms of specialization advice for newcomers, 重要的是要记住,这一切都始于需求. 您需要确定一个或多个有需求且正在增长的领域, to ensure your own long-term financial stability. 然后, 你可以通过思考你愿意和感兴趣的学习和工作来缩小专业范围, long after you’ve completed your schooling.
问:是吗?&I work make up your entire source of income, 还是你教, 写的内容, provide consulting services, or have other side businesses?
A: From day one of my career, I have worn many hats. 多年来, in addition to working as a translator, 翻译, 和编辑, I have been an adjunct professor of economics, a lecturer (online and in-person), and a management 顾问. 我从这些追求中获得的收入所占的比例每年都在变化, depending on the projects that come my way. 在我职业生涯的早期, 翻译和口译在我的收入中所占的比例相对较小. As my language-service client base grew, 我开始分配更多的时间和精力去开发收入更高的直接客户, allowing lower-paying income streams to fade away. 我试着集中精力在我投入的时间里获得最高回报的项目上. 永利登录网址经常花太多时间在那些没有足够回报的事情上,以证明永利登录网址的努力是合理的. 新手应该掌握的一项技能是确定一个项目是否值得他们花时间. 这可能很困难,尤其是当任务很少的时候. 这就是为什么使你的收入多样化是如此重要,以避免不得不接受每一份工作.
For the past 20 years or so, I’ve worked 40-50 hours a week. 语言服务占了其中的50%到95%, 与咨询, 讲课, and advising making up the rest. 我试图通过不断寻找新客户来确保项目的稳定流动. Every year, I try to develop at least one new client. 我研究我想合作的公司,并花时间试图找出我能如何帮助他们. Once I have a proposal in mind, 我将开始(通常很长)联系人们的过程,试图在组织中找到一个决策者,他可以评估我的服务是否对他们的组织有意义.
Q: What is your typical day like?
A: The short answer, of course, is: It depends. 如果我在一个多天的翻译项目中(我典型的一周), then it goes something like this: I work from home, 所以我一天的开始是把笔记本电脑带到厨房,一边查收/回复邮件,一边起床喂狗. 最后,我搬进了我的家庭办公室,开始为我最近完成的工作开具发票,并在我的时间表上处理行政事务. 在那之后, 我准备好了, 我通常会留出三到四个小时不间断地进行翻译和研究, taking occasional breaks to stretch, 四处走动, and refresh my morning beverage.
在中午或下午早些时候,我休息一下,锻炼一下,忘记工作. When I sit back down in front of my laptop, I’ll answer e-mails again, then spend two to three more hours translating and doing research. When my eyes start to glaze over, I know it’s time to call it a day, so I finish up by checking e-mails, following up on potential leads with new clients, and working on my website/online presence.
When I have consulting assignments, 我要么在Zoom和客户开会要么每天在他们的办公地点待上几个小时, working on their respective projects, and I’m often able to fit in some 翻译 before or after.
This interview was prepped and conducted by 艾米丽Moorlach of 精明的新人 团队.
约翰·米兰 是经济学家、商业顾问、ATA永利登录网址翻译、文字编辑和讲师. 自2005年以来, he has provided services in Portuguese, 西班牙语, 他在教堂山的总部向十几个国家的数百名客户讲英语, NC. 从1996年到2005年, he worked as an adjunct professor of economics, 顾问, and translator/翻译 in São Paulo, 巴西. 他自2017年起担任ATA董事会财务主管,并于2009年至2016年担任Carolina Association of Translators and 翻译s的董事会成员, including four years as President. 电子邮件: john@milanlanguageservices.com
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