What Interpreters Really Do

Hot off the presses from our favorite newsletter, Interpreter's Launch Pad, comes the meme that's been created by interpreters around the world. These memes have been very popular to describe other professions, and thanks to Interpreter's Launch Pad we now have our own. Thank you to everyone who collaborated on this project. What do you really do as an interpreter? Can you describe it in a sentence or two? We'd...

ATA Pricing Webinar Questions: Answered (Part II)

As promised, here is the second part of Judy's answers to questions that were submitted during her American Translators Association Webinar on February 29. Due to large amount of questions received, she wasn't able to answer all of them during the live session, but she answered the first part of the questions here. Read on for part two. If you'd like to purchase a recording, please visit the ATA's webinar section. The...

Food for Thought: People Don't Respect....

Neon Boneyard, Las Vegas. Photo by Tom Gruber Thanks to our tech guru for letting us know about this fabulous article by Forbes blogger Selena Rezvani. In a short, but very to-the-point article, she tells us why we should charge for work: because people don't respect free work. This is very, very true for any line of work, and it directly applies to our business (think free translation tests!). Here's an excerpt: Whatever...

Yes, Spanish is Difficult (Video)

After a long and busy week, it's time for some Friday laughs! We hope you enjoy this hilarious Spanish-language video that's been making the rounds for a few weeks now. It succinctly highlights some of the regional differences, and thus difficulties, of the Spanish language. Sure, it's widely spoken around the world, but that doesn't mean we all understand each other. We can attest to this: during last year's trip to Chile and Argentina, we struggled quite a bit, especially with food items. Among many, many things, we learned...

ATA Pricing Webinar Questions: Answered (Part I)

Thanks to all the colleagues around the world who attended Judy's American Translators Association webinar on "Pricing Strategies for Interpreters and Translators" on February 29, 2012. As promised, she will answer the questions we didn't get to right here. To purchase a recording of the webinar, please visit the ATA's website. There were so many great questions that Judy will answer them in two batches -- stay tuned...

Spanish-Language Interview: Radio

First time doing live radio with co-host Lorena Pike. A few days ago, Judy was asked to give a one-hour radio interview for a local Spanish-language radio station in Las Vegas: KRLV 1340 AM. It was a huge pleasure to share a bit of information about our profession with the Hispanic community in Las Vegas. The program is called "Cultura Comunitaria" and airs on Fridays at 5 p.m. Co-host Lorena Pike is a fellow translator...

How to Lose a Client in 10 Easy Steps

Most of the time, we are the individuals who provide translation and interpreting services to our clients.  Many times, we are also the client because we frequently outsource work to our fabulous colleagues around the world. Throughout the years, through our own mistakes, others’ mistakes and clients' praise and criticism, we have learned a thing or two. We would like to introduce you to our (somewhat tongue-in-cheek) lists of how to lose a client in 10 easy steps. Take it with a grain of salt, but it’s (probably) all happened...