The GITS Blog

Being a Japanese-to-English translator can be a rewarding career. Due to the relatively small number of native English speakers who learn Japanese well, there's always demand for translators with excellent Japanese comprehension and English writing skills.

Due to this demand, it can pay fairly well. But the thing I like best about being a freelance translator is the freedom: I work from my home office, living in Okinawa while working for big-city clients. I set my own hours, have no dress code, and get paid for my work rather than my soul (i.e. for hours of my life).

But the barrier to entry is steep. First of all, if you don't already know Japanese very well, you're putting the cart before the horse. Japanese takes a long time to learn. No, really, it does.

So, first off, do you have what it takes to be a professional translator? Do you have:

• A level 1 on the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) or equivalent ability?
• Solid English writing skills, as well as the ability to write convincingly in your chosen field(s)?
• A professional-level understanding of the subject matter?

Finally, how are you about solitude? Translation is a pretty lonely business, and for freelancers in particular, your only day-to-day human interaction is likely to be with your family. A lot of people who are good translators quit because they go stir crazy. On the other hand, if your idea of a good time is curling up in front of a monitor and spending hours at a time in deep concentration, than maybe this career is for you. And of course, you can create your own social life. Play a sport, take classes, go out for drinks with friends, etc.

Finding Work

OK, so you've got all these things, and you're ready to hang out your shingle. The problem is, how do you find work?

When I decided to go freelance, I resolved to work for companies in Japan, because I believed that author-driven translation pays better than reader-driven translation. I scoured the Internet for translation agencies that were hiring freelancers, taking translation tests and shotgunning my resume to all I could find. I used various combinations of keywords like [日英、和英、在宅、フリーランス、翻訳者、募集、求人、トライアル、リクルート、ネイティブ] in my searches. I gradually got work this way, and I had about all I could handle within six months.

I think this approach is still valid today, especially as more and more translation agencies go online, and are willing to deal with translators at a distance. Just watch out for the low-ballers and bottom feeders. Find out the going rates and don't get suckered into working for fast-food wages.

I also invested in joining the Japan Association of Translators (JAT), and attending an IJET conference. This was invaluable in that I was able to talk with a lot of established professionals about getting into the biz. What a lot of people shy away from telling online, they will divulge over beers at the nijikai (or sanjikai, or…). Attending my first IJET was what really convinced me that I could make a go as a full-time translator. In fact, I was so grateful to JAT that I served on the board of directors, and am currently helping to organize the next IJET in Okinawa, Japan.

So go to an IJET if you can afford it. A lot of people also attend trade shows and conferences in their chosen fields. I've personally never attended a software conference, and am not much for schmoozing and marketing. Luckily, I don't have to do much of that any more: nowadays, all my work comes from existing clients or word-of-mouth introductions.

Speaking of investments, invest in the tools of the trade as well. Put away your poor little pocket dictionary and get the best dictionaries you can find. Amass a library of technical references in both English and Japanese.

Buy a good computer and a spare, get a solid Internet connection (and a spare), etc.

One final word of advice is to develop very good spoken and written Japanese. This will go a long way in convincing Japanese clients that you're capable of correctly interpreting their valuable documents.

Further Reading

• Getting Started as a Translator: Gleanings from Honyaku
  Tom Gally put together this advice from a discussion on the Honyaku mailing list responding to a question about how to get started as a (J-E) translator. (By the way, Honayku is also a good mailing list to subscribe to)
• Getting Started as a Translator: Initial Sales and Marketing
  Richard Thieme's great article about how to break into the biz