Diana Rhudick, French & Spanish to English translator, tells Bewords more about her thoughts on translation.

Dear readers, please fell free to react and discuss/comment on this interview (here on the blog)

1. Could you kindly tell us and our readers about your personal and professional background in a few words? 

I am a native speaker of English with a Master’s degree in translation from the Monterey Institute of International Studies. I have been a translator of French and Spanish commercial texts for 23 years, both in-house and freelance.

2. Tell us please a bit more about your current professional situation and status. What does it feel like to be independent and what are the associated advantages and limits?

My volume of work was negatively affected by the economic crisis beginning in 2008 and is slowly picking up. The main disadvantage to freelance work is that you have to make constant efforts to find new clients. However, I much prefer the freedom of working how and when I want rather than having to work in someone else’s office.

(more…)

Rafa Lombardino, Portuguese to English & English to Portuguese translator, tells Bewords more about her thoughts on translation.

 Dear readers, please feel free to react and discuss/comment on this interview (here on the blog)!

1. Could you kindly tell us and our readers about your personal and professional background in a few words?

I started working as a freelance translator back in 1997, when my day job was teaching English to young kids, teenagers, and adults. Three years late, while I was in college pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism, I started working with a professor who was also a professional translator. That's when I realized that translating was a viable career path.

2. What does it feel to be independent and what are the associated advantages and limits?

I currently work at Word Awareness, Inc., a small network of professional translators established in Southern California. I'm the founder and director, which gives me a lot of freedom as to whom I'll be working with, since we only collaborate with translators we really trust. The best part is that we were able to become a cohesive team that acts as language consultants to help our clients achieve their goals. The only limitations in our current setup is that, since we're a small group, we can only take so much volume, but this limitation is good in a sense that we provide quality services as opposed to worrying about quantity and hiring anyone despite their qualifications just to secure a large contract.

(more…)

I am a self-educated freelance translator English – Dutch (both directions). After years of telesales and credit management activities I decided it was time for a change and I emigrated to the South of France, thinking that it wouldn’t be difficult to find a job  since I had done so before when I emigrated to Ireland, and ended up utilising my language skills to earn a living as a freelance translator

2. Tell us please a bit more about your current professional situation and status. What does it feel to be independent and what are the associated advantages and limits?

I am a auto-entrepreneur and I intend to stay that as long as possible (it is a French statute for small entrepreneurs without employees, with various benefits and limitations). I really took a plunge into the unknown when I set up shop, but for the first time in my life I decide which work I do – major stress reducing factor! The limitations are that one is never certain of what lies ahead, but with an increasing client base that uncertainty gradually fades.

(more…)

Marguerite Storm, English & Dutch to French translator, tells Bewords more about her thoughts on translation.

Dear readers, please feel free to react and discuss/comment on this interview (here on the blog)!

1. Could you kindly tell us and our readers about your personal and professional background in a few words?

I am a 59-year old Belgian citizen living in the US since 1996. My native language is French. I grew up in Belgium and came to the US to marry my high school sweetheart I had met while a foreign exchange student in Amarillo, Texas. We reconnected after 24 years.

I have been a freelance translator for 11 years and enjoy a wide variety of translation areas (finance, business, arts, pharmaceutical, cooking, tourism, history, etc.). I have a degree in Journalism. We live in Montana and I love working from home while watching the mountain and wildlife through my window. My hobbies include skiing, hiking, camping, knitting, and spending time with my children and grandchildren.

(more…)