14438_ITI_Career_Bulletin_2017_v2 (5)

ITI BULLETIN 

The Journal of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting 

Career options for interpreters 

Going freelance: are you ready? 

What agencies want

Climbing Aboard 

Whatever the stage of your career, 

there is an ITI membership category 

tailored to you, with a clear path for 

progression as your career develops 

ITI has a membership category for 

every stage of a translation or 

interpreting career, helping you to 

shape your own pathway as you 

progress onwards and upwards with 

the advice and support of colleagues 

and peers. 

The Institute of Translation and 

Interpreting is the only UK-based 

independent professional membership 

association for practising translators, 

interpreters and language services 

businesses. The Institute forms a warm 

and welcoming community of practice 

for individuals and entities that 

understand the importance of 

translation and interpreting to our 

society and economy, both within the 

UK and beyond. Our categories of 

membership are tailored to all stages of 

a translation and interpreting career, 

from newcomers to seasoned 

professionals and corporate entities. 

How to apply 

Please register at www.iti.org.uk/ 

membership/apply and we will send 

you an application pack. 

Membership offers multiple benefits, 

including: 

• A subscription to the ITI awardwinning 

journal, ITI Bulletin 

• The potential to join local ITI Regional 

Groups and as many of our specialist 

Subject and Language Networks as 

you wish 

• A plethora of networking 

opportunities with fellow professionals 

• Members’ rates at ITI webinars, 

workshops and training events 

around the country 

• Discounted attendance at industry 

events and conferences 

• Discounts on software and other 

services 

• Use of the ITI online CPD logging 

system 

• Access to the latest news and jobs 

via the ITI social media feeds and 

website 

• Free use of an online creditchecking 

facility 

• A legal helpline offering free advice 

on a range of legal matters 

• Representation on an 

international level. 

COVER IMAGE: BIGSTOCK 

2 ITI BULLETIN CAREERS SPECIAL 

www.iti.org.uk

COVER IMAGE: BIGSTOCK 

Great 

expectations 

Welcome to wonderland! 

Being a translator or 

interpreter is a great way to 

live and work, keeping a foothold in 

at least two cultures and gaining a 

wider perspective on the world we 

live in while contributing to a sound economic and 

social future for our increasingly globalised planet. 

All predictions are that the language services 

sector is set to expand exponentially in the 

coming decades, being one of the sectors most 

resilient to automation, thereby making it an 

excellent option for a sustainable career path. 

This special ITI Career Bulletin will help guide 

you over the initial hurdles in your transition from 

student to practitioner, or from a first career 

elsewhere into translation and interpreting. 

The coming pages will help you to find the 

perfect ITI membership category for your current 

situation, bringing you into the best independent 

association of practising translators and 

interpreters in the UK. So come on in – the 

water’s lovely! 

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ITI CONTACT DETAILS Telephone: 01908 325 250 Fax: 01908 325 259 

Membership direct line: 01908 325 251 Email: info@iti.org.uk 

Website: www.iti.org.uk 

Neither ITI nor the editor guarantees the accuracy of contributions or advertisements, nor do 

they accept any liability for statements expressed in the Bulletin. Articles are considered for 

publication on the basis that they are the author’s original work. No part of this publication 

may be reproduced by any means without the prior written permission of ITI. 

In this issue 

2 Climb aboard 

Find the right membership category for you 

4 First steps in freelance translation 

Helen Oclee-Brown tells you what you need 

to know before you ditch the day job 

8 How to become a translator 

An overview of required skills, knowledge 

and qualifications, as well as career paths 

10 Career options for interpreters 

The three main types of interpreting 

explained – Conference, Business and 

Public Service 

12 What agencies want 

Director of Atlas Translations Clare Suttie has 

some straight-talking advice for freelancers 

14 The pricing puzzle 

By the word, or by the hour? How should you 

charge for your work? Kari Koonin explains 

16 Interpreting – a snapshot 

Kirsty Heimerl-Moggan explains why 

interpreting is her perfect job 

17 Professional networking opportunities 

How ITI’s Networks and Regional Groups 

can support you as your career progresses 

18 Finding your niche opportunities 

Arantza Elousa shows you how to move on 

from ‘generalist’ translation 

21 How SUFT can kick-start your career 

Five of our past students give their verdict on 

what passing the course has done for them 

25 Life after SUFT: 

Claire Turner recollects starting out 

27 Student membership 

Information on Student membership 

www.iti.org.uk 

ITI BULLETIN CAREERS SPECIAL 3

First steps in freelance 

translation 

Whether you’re about to start your translation and interpreting 

career, or are in a full-time job and thinking of going it alone, Helen 

Oclee-Brown has some advice for first-time freelancers 

Helen Oclee-Brown 

MITI is a commercial 

translator working 

from French and 

Spanish into 

English. She is 

a member of 

ITI’s Professional 

Development 

Committee and 

Promotion Chair for 

MET (Mediterranean 

Editors and 

Translators). 

You can contact 

Helen at helen@ 

helenocleebrown. 

co.uk. and follow 

her on Twitter @ 

helenocleebrown 

Freelance translation can be a 

brilliantly rewarding and 

stimulating career. We translators 

help businesses expand into new 

markets, help patients access the 

care they need and help people find 

justice, among many other things. But 

much like any meaningful profession, 

freelance translation is a hard nut to 

crack, so you have to be prepared to 

put in the work. 

Does this sound like you? 

You write exceptionally well in your 

mother tongue and you have a nearnative 

command of at least one other 

language. Good start. You’re an avid 

reader and naturally inquisitive. Even 

better. You’ve worked or trained 

abroad in another industry. Great. And 

you’re a team player who’s not afraid 

to share their work with others. Very 

promising indeed. A career as a 

freelance translator could be just the 

thing for you. But there’s plenty more 

to consider before you take the plunge. 

Speaking your clients’ 

language 

You can only translate what you 

understand. That means you need to 

have (or need to start acquiring) 

specialist knowledge. If you’ve already 

got professional experience in a 

particular area, great news, build on 

that. If not, look out for a field you 

enjoy and where there’s demand. And 

then get stuck in. There are so many 

ways you can learn now (short 

courses, degree programmes, 

MOOCs, etc.), so there’s no excuse. 

One thing is for certain, freelance 

translation means life-long learning, so 

embrace your inner student. 

Freelance translation 

means life-long learning 

Producing the goods 

Before you market your services to 

clients, why not test your skills on the 

pros? Several ITI networks offer 

mentoring schemes through which 


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starting out 

you can glean priceless feedback 

from seasoned translators. Networks 

also often run face-to-face and virtual 

training events, so get out there and 

meet your future colleagues, in person 

and online. You may think that 

freelance translators work alone, but 

for us, collaboration is key. Revision 

partnerships, referrals, a sounding 

board…the benefits are endless. Start 

building your network now. 

Think business 

As a freelancer, you’re a oneperson 

business: chief coffee maker, 

IT technician, bookkeeper…all the fun 

stuff. When you first start out, you 

must make sure that you register with 

the appropriate authorities. In the UK, 

that means HMRC (see their website 

for details: www.gov.uk/working-foryourself). 

Of course, it may be wise to 

outsource some tasks, especially your 

accounts to make sure you’re always 

in the taxman’s good books. A word 

of caution: business can be tough, 

which makes this mindset all the more 

important. Don’t get pushed around: 

set boundaries and learn when to say 

no, especially to unscrupulous offers. 

After all, if something doesn’t feel 

right, it probably isn’t. And if in doubt, 

ask a colleague. 

‘Don’t get pushed around: 

set boundries and learn 

when to say no’ 

More freedom means more 

responsibility 

If you think freelancing means a lot 

of lie-ins and days in your PJs, then 

I’m sorry to say you’ve got it wrong. 

Sure, you can set your own 

schedule, but it’s best to work when 

your clients do – or be contactable at 

the very least. Discipline is an 

essential trait of any good freelancer. 

Our work is driven by deadlines, so 

we have to keep an eye on the clock. 

If your client needs your translation 

for a 3 pm meeting and you deliver at 

4 pm, your work will have gone to 

waste – and you’ll lose the client. You 

alone are responsible for what and 

when you deliver to your paying 

clients. The buck stops with you. 

Working from home 

You’ll need a dedicated working 

area where you can lock away your 

clients’ information – physically and 

digitally. Your office should also be 

light and airy, somewhere you want 

to work. And don’t neglect your 

number-one asset: you. Invest in 

ergonomic furniture (hey, why not 

even get a sit-to-stand desk?), be 

kind to your eyes and remember to 

take breaks – you’ll be more 

productive in the long run. And if 

working alone isn’t for you, think 

about co-working in a shared office. 

Tech talk 

Technology is here to help, not to 

hinder. Whatever formats you choose 

to work in and whatever tools you 

choose to use, make sure you know 

them inside out. Each program and 

device in your toolkit should slot 

perfectly into your own workflow. You 

are the boss, so don’t be pressured 

into using other tools when yours are 

fit for the job. But things do go wrong, 

so it’s important to have a plan B: get 

an effective backup system, use 

dictation software to ward off 

Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI), and 

install some decent anti-virus software 

to keep out unwanted intruders. 

Prevention is better than cure – for 

you and your business. 



Money matters 

Until you’ve established a regular 

client base, your income may be 

unpredictable. Before you start out, 

make sure you have a buffer to tide 

you over (savings, part-time job or 

even a loan). Set yourself realistic 

deadlines and targets. Remember 

that this is a business, so you’re in it 

to make a living. Track your earnings 

and tweak your pricing to match 

demand. And don’t forget those 

non-billable hours. Your income 

needs to cover all of your time, not 

just the hours you spend translating. 

Don’t be shy 

Clients won’t be able to find you if 

you skulk around in the darkness. 

Make sure you’re visible and present 

yourself consistently as a 

professional service provider. Getting 

a smart website that demonstrates 

your expertise is a good start. 

Advertise in the right places (do 

research into your specialist area to 

find out where), write for client 

publications, speak at networking 

events, hand out professionally 

designed business cards, put 

together a portfolio and collect 

testimonials. Be your own 

cheerleader. 

Make sure you’re visible 

and present yourself 

consistently as a 

professional service 

provider 

Would you hire yourself? 

Step back and critically assess 

how you plan to market your 

services. If you’re targeting agencies, 

you’ll want to prepare a profile-type 

CV that’s tailored to each agency. 

Remember: you’re offering your 

services, not applying for a job. Most 

important, give your contact details, 

language combination(s), specialisms, 

relevant experience and tech tools. 

And get a trusted colleague to 

proofread it – and that goes for your 

accompanying email, too, which 

should always go to a named 

individual. However, if you’re 

targeting direct clients, that approach 

won’t cut it. Would you hire an 

architect who sent you a CV? I 

wouldn’t. I’d expect a professional 

leaflet or proposal that clearly states 

how I can benefit from expert 

services, and then a phone call or a 

face-to-face consultation. It should 

be no different for translators. 

Don’t go Missing In Action 

Once you’re on a client’s radar, you 

have to work hard to stay there. You 

can do this by being responsive: 

always answer emails promptly, pick 

up the phone and redirect calls to 

your mobile if you know you’re going 

to be away from your desk. Do 

whatever it takes to stay in touch. 

Then be pro-active: phone potential 

clients to check that they’ve received 

your emails, although be careful not to 

pester them. When projects start 

coming in, make the best impression 

you can: follow the instructions to the 

letter, send in any queries well before 

the deadline and deliver early. The aim 

is to make your clients’ lives easier 

and not to create any problems. 


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starting out 

Spinning your web 

If you want to prove you’re serious 

about what you do, join a 

professional association. Qualified ITI 

members are listed in the online 

directory and they can use the letters 

MITI after their name because they’ve 

been assessed by their peers – who 

better or tougher! ITI members of any 

category can enjoy bountiful 

networking opportunities; they have 

the chance to shape the profession 

and they publicly vow to adhere to a 

strict code of conduct. What’s more, 

ITI members are entitled to special 

rates on training events that cater to 

every category of membership, 

including new entrants. 

Next steps 

If you’re thinking about going 

freelance in the near future, check 

out SUFT (Setting Up as a Freelance 

Translator). It’s ITI’s online course for 

new and upcoming freelancers – and 

it could be just what you need to get 

your career off to a flying start. While 

it may seem as if you have a long, 

hard slog ahead of you, if you do 

your groundwork now, you’ll be 

setting yourself up for a successful 

and satisfying career. Good luck! 

For more info on SUFT, go to 

www.iti.org.uk/professionaldevelopment/career-development/ 

freelance-translator 

CORPORATE 

MEMBERSHIP 

OF ITI 

Did you know that ITI also welcomes corporate members? There 

are three types of corporate membership, each tailored to the type 

of organisation joining the Institute: 

n Language Services Business is for businesses and 

organisations that provide translation and/or interpreting 

services. 

n Education is for universities who provide translation and/or 

interpreting qualifications. 

n Corporate Affiliate is for any business or organisation with an 

interest in translation or interpreting. This type of membership 

is not available to businesses or organisations which provide 

translation/interpreting services. 

n The right to market yourself as a Corporate member of ITI 

n The Corporate logo (above) to use on your literature, website, 

etc. 

n A subscription to ITI Bulletin 

n The opportunity to join ITI’s Regional Groups and Networks 

n Members’ rate for ITI webinars, workshops and training events 

n Numerous networking opportunities 

n Discounted attendance at industry events and conferences 

n Discounts on software and other services 

n Access the latest industry news and jobs via ITI’s social media 

feeds and website 

n Access to the Members’ Area of the ITI website, including the 

forums 

n A legal helpline offering free advice on a range of legal matters 

n Representation on an international level 

n And much more, including additional benefits tailored to each 

membership category, and a complimentary individual 

membership for each corporate member. Please contact ITI for 

further details. 



How to become a 

translator 

An overview of required skills, knowledge and qualifications, 

as well as career paths 

Translating words and ideas 

from one language to another 

is a fascinating, rewarding and 

creative process. The range of areas 

in which translation is needed is 

virtually limitless – especially with the 

massive explosion in translated 

content as the world goes digital. So 

if you love language, languages and 

words, then working as a 

professional translator could be your 

ideal job! 

But there’s a lot more to being a 

professional translator than being able 

to speak another language well. On 

this page we outline the kind of skills 

you’ll need and where to get them. 

To be a professional 

translator you will need: 

n a fluent (near-native) 

understanding of at least one 

foreign language (source 

language) 

n a solid understanding of the 

culture of the source language 

country, usually gained by living 

and working there for a prolonged 

period of time 

n excellent writing skills in your own 

mother tongue 

n preferably an academic degree in 

the source language or in 

another subject which could lead 

to a specialist subject area (or 6 

years’ experience without a 

degree) 

n an eye for absolute accuracy and 

endless curiosity! 

Do I need a qualification in 

translation to become a 

translator? 

Not necessarily, although an MA 

in translation or another similar 

qualification such as the Diploma in 

Translation (DipTrans) gives you 

credibility and an edge in this highly 

competitive market. 

What training courses are 

available for translators? 

In the UK, the main training 

courses for professional translators 

are the Masters degree courses 

offered by various universities and 

the Diploma in Translation (DipTrans) 

run by the Institute of Linguists 

Educational Trust (IoLET). 

‘As a professional translator, 

it’s vital to be able to write 

and communicate well in 

your mother tongue (the 

language you translate into)’ 

A full list of the universities offering 


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starting out 

Masters in translation studies can be 

found on the ITI website (www.iti. 

org.uk). 

The DipTrans is a postgraduate-level 

qualification consisting of three 

exams in different subject areas. 

Preparatory courses are run by 

various providers. 

Once I have my translation 

qualification, what job 

opportunities are there? 

There are in-house jobs for 

translators at translation agencies 

Language Service Businesses, (or 

LSBs) or major institutions such as 

the EU, but most professional 

translators tend to work freelance. 

There is lots of help and advice 

available on setting up as a freelance 

translator, such as the ITI online 

SUFT course (see page 21) and 

information on the ITI website. 

You can find out more about what 

LSBs look for in freelance translators 

on page 12 of this Bulletin. 

How do translators charge 

for their work? 

See page 14 for information on 

how to charge for translation work. 

Why do I need good mother 

tongue skills? 

As a professional translator, it’s 

vital to be able to write and 

communicate well in your mother 

tongue (the language you translate 

into). The texts you will be 

translating all have a purpose, 

whether it’s to sell products, to 

advertise, to instruct users of 

machinery, to contribute to research, 

so they have to be accurate, error 

free and fluent. A translation needs 

to sound as if it was written in that 

language to begin with, and a badly 

written translation containing stylistic 

or grammatical mistakes can make 

or break the client’s business. 

Fortunately, it’s easy to improve 

your mother tongue skills. Think the 

three Rs: read, read, read! 

n Subscribe to high-quality 

publications, journals and 

newspapers in your mother 

tongue, for example. 

n Look for writing skills courses, 

either general or specific to a 

particular genre, such as technical 

writing, copywriting, legal drafting, 

etc. ITI regularly puts on 

workshops on skills such as 

these: details can be found on the 

ITI website, in the Bulletin and in 

ITI’s monthly email updates. 

n Become a grammar and 

punctuation pedant! A 

professional translator working 

into English must be absolutely 

sure how to use commas, semicolons 

and colons and what does 

and doesn’t take an apostrophe, 

for example. 

n Follow a style guide for guidance 

and consistency in your work. 

Many translators apply the style 

guides of the major newspapers 

and magazines such as The 

Economist, or the EC Style Guide. 

These are just a few examples – 

honing both source language and 

mother tongue skills is something 

professional translators do in many 

different ways on an ongoing basis 

throughout their careers. 



Career options for 

interpreters and types 

of interpreting 

The three main types of interpreting explained – Conference, 

Business and Public Service 

There are three main career 

areas for interpreters: 

Conference, Business and 

Public Service. 

Conference interpreters 

can be hired as in-house staff 

interpreters by large international 

organisations such as the UN and 

EU, or they can be freelancers 

working at large international events 

and conferences; political events, 

European works council meetings or 

trade fairs. Many join the International 

Association of Conference 

Interpreters (AIIC) and similar 

professional bodies. 

One of the methods of interpreting 

used for conference interpreting is 

simultaneous interpreting. The 

interpreter works with a colleague in 

an interpreting booth. The speaker at 

the meeting talks into a microphone 

and the interpreter instantaneously 

transfers the message via a 

microphone to the delegates in their 

target language. At many 

conferences with simultaneous 

interpreting, the interpreter will be 

interpreted onward by other booths 

(relay interpreting), e.g. Turkish 

speaker -> English booth -> Korean 

booth -> Korean delegates’ 

headsets. Similarly, at many 

simultaneous conferences, bilingual 

booths are used, with the interpreter 

working in more than one language. 

The other type of interpreting used 

is consecutive interpreting. This is 

where the interpreter sits with the 

delegates and listens to the whole 

speech or a section thereof (which 

may last from 10 to 20 minutes) and 

then renders it into the participants’ 

own language. Notes may have been 

provided beforehand by the 

speaker(s) to give the interpreter 

some background to the meeting. 

Note-taking skills (such as the 

Rozan method) are taught on e.g. 

MA Interpreting courses, over several 


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starting out 

months, and the interpreter’s notes 

need to be standard and thus 

decipherable by colleagues. 

Business interpreters 

interpret for business people, 

often at company meetings, training 

courses, business negotiations or 

any kind of company event. This is 

something of a hybrid form, 

sometimes undertaken by 

conference interpreters or public 

service interpreters. 

The main type of interpreting used 

for business interpreting is 

consecutive interpreting, but 

generally the sections are shorter 

than in conference interpreting. 

Whispered interpreting (or 

chuchotage) is also used for 

business interpreting. This is where 

the interpreter stands or sits beside 

the delegate and interprets directly 

into their ear. 

Public Service interpreters 

work in a whole array of settings, 

which largely fall into two categories: 

Police and court interpreting 

which takes place in a legal 

environment in a variety of situations 

such as interpreting for police 

interviews, attending court cases 

and working with the prison service 

or lawyers. This type of work should 

always entail extensive training and 

rigorous screening. 

interpreting) covers various 

situations including interpreting for 

hospital patients, helping people 

access essential educational 

services or assisting with housing 

issues. 

Most public service interpreters 

choose to be listed on the National 

Register of Public Service 

Interpreters (NRPSI), as well as 

being members of ITI. Sight 

translation and telephone 

interpreting are also useful skills to 

have for work in this arena. 

Liaison (or ad hoc) interpreting is 

commonly used in public service 

interpreting, whereby the interpreter 

renders the speaker’s words into the 

target language a few phrases at a 

time. 

In one-to-one situations, 

whispered interpreting (chuchotage) 

can be used and remote interpreting 

is also sometimes required. This is 

where one or more speakers, who 

are not in the same room as the 

interpreter, communicate with him or 

her via telephone or Skype, for 

example. 

www.iti.org.uk/professionaldevelopment/career-development/ 

how-to-become-an-interpreter 

Health and local government 

interpreting 

(also referred to as community 



What agencies want 

How can you make yourself stand out to an agency? Short of 

turning up at their office with chocolate cake, there are other 

options you can try, says Clare Suttie 

Clare Suttie has 

been running Atlas 

Translations since 

1991 and loves her 

work as much today 

as she did right 

back then in the last 

century, before 

email, websites and 

Ant & Dec were 

invented. She takes 

pleasure in offering 

a personal and high 

quality service to 

each and every 

client, and tracking 

suitable people 

down to work on 

the most unusual 

language requests. 

Follow Atlas on 

Twitter 

@atlastranslate. 

Starting from the very beginning… 

Don’t send a mass email to hundreds 

of agencies. 

You know you hate it when you 

get those mass messages from 

agencies? Many of us feel the same 

way! Especially if your covering letter 

tells us how you’ve always wanted to 

work with Another Company, and is 

copied to 50 others. Try a slower, 

more considered approach. 

Research one company at a time – 

do they cover your language, your 

subjects? What are their rates of 

pay? Look on reputable websites for 

feedback from people who have 

worked for them. 

Phone them for a quick chat and 

cover your questions, briefly and 

politely. You’ll soon gauge their 

interest, and you may get a friendly 

contact. Some freelancers I meet are 

reluctant to pick up the phone – so… 

Make the effort 

Most agencies ask you to fill in an 

application form. It may be a long 

form. You may think the form is 

pointless, and inwardly groan. Let’s 

face it, no one likes filling in forms 

unless it’s to receive your winning 

cheque from the National Lottery. But 

the information you put in will make 

your name pop up during a search. 

So fill in the form fully. Drop someone 

a line and ask them if they can have a 

quick look to make sure everything is 

OK at their end, with nothing missing. 

We all know that anyone can set 

themselves up as a translator or 

interpreter. So please, don’t be cross 

if you are asked for referees, or to do 

a test piece. Translation agencies can 

get a bad press – so surely it’s a 

good thing that they are carrying out 

some quality control? 

‘Communicate. Send an 

update of what you’ve 

been doing. Phone up 

occasionally to say hello – 

not just when you are 

desperate for work’ 

A counter argument is that you 

may have a raft of suitable 

qualifications, but in these modern 

times, it’s not hard to forge 

certificates. 


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If you hear nothing, follow it up 

politely. Hopefully you’ll receive a 

message that you’ve been approved 

for work – hurrah! Find out how 

they’re likely to contact you. 

Save their number in your phone 

so you know it’s them calling. Follow 

them on Twitter and comment on 

anything interesting. Look at their 

blogs. If you’re starting out and keen 

to gain clients, give up your 

weekends and holidays! If you are 

French, don’t take holiday in August! 

Months go by. Not a sniff? 

Communicate. Send them an update 

of what you’ve been doing. Let them 

know about impressive projects, or 

that you’re back at your desk after 

some time off. Do not email every 

day. Phone up occasionally to say 

hello – not just when you are 

desperate for work. Let them know 

about CPD you’ve done, networks 

you’ve joined. The idea is that they 

will remember your name and 

eventually they will put you forward for 

work! You may also strike up a 

rapport with staff – in our office we’re 

mums and dads, graduates and 

linguists, from all different places. We 

like it when the phone rings. 

‘Let’s face it, no one likes 

filling in forms. But the 

information you put in will 

make your name pop up 

during a search’ 

Keep in touch 

Don’t forget to update the agency 

if you change any contact details. We 

regularly try to call people on our own 

database only to discover they’ve 

moved, changed email address… 

Looking after our own database is a 

huge job and we also find records that 

are incomplete, where a translator 

hasn’t ticked what subject areas they 

handle, or an interpreter hasn’t ticked 

what types of interpreting they offer. 

This means if we do a search for a 

translator in your subject – you won’t 

come up. And so on. Stay visible. 

Stay friendly. And don’t give up! 

Do consider a tour of the 

companies you want to work with! In 

autumn 2012 we had a visit from a 

Spanish translator who lives in Bilbao. 

She made an appointment to see us, 

came along with her latest CV and we 

sat and talked about working together. 

Since then we have worked with this 

lady and I hope a lasting relationship 

will follow. She was visiting various 

other agencies she either already 

worked with, or wanted to. And she 

was carrying chocolate. 

At Atlas we hold regular supplier 

open days, which are open to all. By 

now you won’t be surprised to hear 

that there was a Bake Off with cake 

aplenty. We also make an effort to get 

out and meet people at ITI groups, 

Language Show Live, and university 

talks. If you see us, please say hello! 

Who knows where it may lead? 

The loveliest and most memorable 

approach I’ve seen? At Christmas we 

received a card filled with homemade 

flags from ‘the marketing department’ 

– the translator’s children! 



The pricing puzzle 

When you’re starting your own business, one of the first 

questions is what to charge for your services. Kari Koonin takes 

a look at how to go about pricing your work 

Kari Koonin has worked 

with languages all her 

working life, starting off 

as an in-house translator 

at an Austrian industrial 

company for 5 years, 

and then in various 

bilingual positions in 

the Netherlands, South 

Africa and the UK. She 

turned freelance 25 years 

ago after the birth of her 

daughter. She translates 

German, Dutch and 

Afrikaans to English, 

specialising in marketing, 

websites, agriculture/ 

horticulture and food. 

Kari is the chair ot the 

ITI Professional 

Development Committee 

and has also taught 

German-English 

Institutional Translation 

at the University of 

Westminster. 

There are two main markets in 

freelance translation: the 

translation agency market and 

the direct client market, where you are 

working with corporate or institutional 

clients directly. How you charge for 

your work in each of these differs 

because of the nature of the market. 

When you’re starting out as a 

freelance translator, the easiest way to 

find work is to register with translation 

agencies. After all, they want what you 

are offering so there is no hard sell 

involved. They can also offer you a 

regular flow of work. But they are the 

middlemen between the end client and 

you, the supplier, so naturally the rate 

you will be paid is lower than if you 

were to work directly for the end client. 

So the gold standard for many 

freelance translators is the direct 

client market. Without the middleman 

taking their cut, you can charge a 

higher rate for your services. Direct 

clients are harder to find, however: if 

you don’t already have contacts 

yourself, it is tricky to market your 

services to companies and winning 

clients can be a slow process. But 

the rewards are great: not only will 

you earn more, but the working 

relationship can be a lot more 

creative and satisfying. 

Rates and Salaries Survey 

When you approach a new client for 

the first time, how do you know what 

to charge? Competition law in the UK 

prohibits organisations such as ITI from 

recommending rates, but rates and 

salaries surveys are published every 

few years. The most recent one, from 

2011, is available to ITI members on 

the ITI website and provides maximum, 

minimum and average rates for a 

range of language pairs, client types, 

services and so on. Rates have not 

changed much since then, so this is a 

very useful starting point. 

Let’s take a look at the pricing 

structures for these two markets 

individually, as they differ quite 

considerably. 

‘When starting out, it’s 

important not to 

undervalue yourself by 

charging a very low rate 

just to attract business’ 


www.iti.org.uk

pricing 

The translation agency 

market 

In this market there is a bandwidth 

of prices which translation agencies 

are prepared to pay, with little 

flexibility to negotiate. 

When starting out, it’s important 

not to undervalue yourself by 

charging a very low rate just to 

attract business. Once you set a rate 

for your services, it is very hard to 

raise it: negotiating a rate increase 

with translation agencies is tricky. A 

very low rate also sends out low 

quality signals. 

Likewise, it can be tempting to 

accept work that is offered to you at 

very low rates simply to gain the 

experience or a foothold in the 

market. Beware of accepting this 

work: such emails may turn out to be 

scams or from unreliable sources. 

Never take on work from an agency 

you don’t know without checking 

them out on a resource such as the 

Proz.com Blue Board (www.proz. 

com/blueboard). 

Rates for UK translation agencies 

are generally quoted per 1000 words 

of the source word count (the text 

being translated). Units in other 

countries may differ: in Germany, 

rates are often quoted per line of 55 

characters, and elsewhere it may be 

by the page. 

Agencies will often ask you to 

agree to a scaled discount for 

translations done in a CAT (Computer 

Aided Translation) tool to reflect any 

repeated text or matches in a 


translation memory: a repetitious text 

is faster to translate with a CAT tool. 

Direct clients 

Charging for your services in the 

direct client market is the same as it 

is for any professional service 

provider. You decide what you want 

to charge and negotiate your fee 

with the client. Your rate per 1000 

words will be irrelevant to the direct 

client: they will want a fixed price for 

the translation, or an hourly rate for 

your services, just as they would 

expect from, say, an accountant or a 

copywriter. Highly specialised 

translators will command higher 

fees, reflecting the investment they 

have made in their training and 

specialist knowledge. 

Working out your hourly rate 

This is based roughly on how 

many words you can translate in an 

hour. The more experienced you 

become, the more words you will 

translate per hour. Bear in mind that 

your hourly rate or target earnings 

should take account of other factors 

such as your cost base, holidays 

etc. There are tools available on the 

internet to help you work out how 

much to charge based on a range of 

factors. Use these in conjunction 

with the rates surveys and feel free 

to ask for guidance on translator 

forums such as the ITI subject and 

language groups: while translators 

tend to be secretive about their own 

rates they are always happy to 

provide ball-park advice. 


interpreting 

Interpreting – a snapshot 

International conference, business and legal interpreter Kirsty 

Heimerl-Moggan explains why interpreting is her perfect job 

Kirsty Heimerl- 

Moggan has 

worked as an 

international 

conference, 

business and legal 

interpreter since 

1994. Her 

interpreting 

experience includes 

G8 and EU 

meetings. She is a 

senior lecturer and 

course leader for 

the MA in 

Conference 

Interpreting at the 

University of Central 

Lancashire and a 

director and 

headtrainer at 

Interp-Right Training 

Consultancy. 

Interpreting has been all I ever wanted 

to do and, in over 20 years in this 

profession, I have never regretted my 

pursuit of my dream. It is one of the 

most exciting professions I can think 

of. No two days are ever the same and 

interpreters travel, meet people from all 

walks of life and are privy to some of 

the most interesting events and 

happenings. 

There are three main categories of 

interpreting work: conference 

interpreting, business interpreting and 

public service interpreting (sometimes 

referred to outside the UK as 

community interpreting). 

Conference interpreters can be 

hired as in-house staff interpreters by 

large international organisations such 

as the UN and EU, or they can be 

freelancers working at international 

events and conferences, as well as at 

political events, European Works 

Councils or trade fairs. 

Business interpreters interpret for 

business people, often at smaller 

meetings or business negotiations. 

They are something of a hybrid form, 

as this work is sometimes undertaken 

by conference interpreters or public 

service interpreters. 

Public service interpreters work 

in a whole array of settings – legal (e.g. 

for the police, courts and the Crown 

Prosecution Service), health (e.g. in 

hospitals and for GPs) and local 

government (e.g. job centres, 

education and housing). 

If your appetite has been whetted, 

your next question might be: How do I 

become an interpreter? 

Conference interpreters are 

expected to have an MA in Interpreting 

(sometimes called an MA in Interpreting 

& Translation, European Masters in 

Interpreting or similar). These are 

offered by many universities in the UK 

and abroad. 

There is no specific university 

training for business interpreters, who 

tend to have trained as conference 

and/or public service interpreters. 

Public service interpreters generally 

obtain the Diploma in Public Service 

Interpreting (DPSI), an MA in Public 

Service Interpreting (offered by some 

universities) or a similar qualification 

from abroad. 

I recommend that you do what I did 

and train to undertake as many types of 

interpreting as possible. As my father 

once told me: ‘Interpreting is the perfect 

job for you: you are nosy, you like 

listening in to other people’s 

conversations and you love talking – 

and now you are paid for doing it!’ 


www.iti.org.uk

Professional networking 

opportunities 

ITI’s Regional Groups, and Subject and Language Networks, can 

connect you with freelance colleagues across the profession 

ITI’s Regional Groups, Subject and Language Networks 

form the beating heart of our organisation, bringing 

members across the profession together both face to face 

and in virtual reality. 

ITI Members at social and 

professional Network and 

Regional events around the 

country 

Freelance translation and interpreting can sometimes be 

a bit of a lonely affair for those operating as sole traders or 

working from home, so to help our members stay in touch/ 

share in the community of practice/feel part of a larger 

professional family, ITI has a wide range of networking 

groups operating on many different levels: from geographical 

regional groups that meet periodically for social and 

professional events, to subject and language e-groups 

offering support with terminological queries or professional 

challenges on a day-to-day real-time basis. 

As a member, you can join as many of these networks as 

you like, allowing you to get to know your peers and the 

profession in a relaxed and friendly environment through a 

variety of media and forms of connectivity. 

Please note: Membership of one of our Network or 

Regional Groups does not constitute membership of ITI. 



Finding your niche 

opportunities 

Specialisation can help individuals stand out in a crowded 

marketplace. But how do you identify and develop specific 

subject areas? Arantza Elosua has some advice 

Arantza Elosua 

(MITI, MSc, MA) is 

an English and 

Catalan into 

Spanish translator, 

interpreter and 

teacher managing 

www. 

thespanishlinguist. 

com. She is based 

in Glasgow and has 

been freelance in 

the UK since 2004. 

You can find her on 

LinkedIn and on 

Twitter: 

@ArantzaElosua 

and Linkedin. 

On occasion, I speak to 

postgraduate students in 

Translation Studies about their 

career prospects once they complete 

their master’s degrees. They are all 

bilingual or multilingual, and come from 

a variety of countries and walks of life. 

They are all future professional 

translators or interpreters who will find 

their gap to fill. And yet, they can’t 

help but wonder what will happen 

once they enter the working world. 

When we cover ‘specialisation’, there 

is usually a collective sigh and a ‘rabbit 

in headlights’ fearful look in their eyes. 

I think we can all relate to the fear of 

the unknown when making important 

professional decisions which seem 

irreversible, even if they hardly ever are. 

In fact, it was not so many years 

ago that I had the same concerns. 

However specialised I was, it had never 

occurred to me before that I had to 

let potential and existing clients know 

what I could do best and what made 

me different from another translator 

with apparently the same qualities. 

At the time I was working for several 

translation companies as well as for a 

handful of direct clients and was more 

of a ‘generalist’. One day I would be 

translating medical books and leaflets 

for the NHS and the next I would be 

working on luxury hotel brochures. I did 

not see it as a problem, as the work 

was coming in and that was all that 

mattered. However, I had a clear idea 

of which texts I enjoyed the most – the 

ones I feel privileged to translate – and 

this remains the same today. So one 

day, I decided to work only with direct 

clients and to specialise only in the 

subjects that were a perfect fit for me. 

‘Try to focus on solid longterm 

specialisations that 

will not fade once they are 

out of fashion or be 

affected by the ups and 

downs in the ecconomy’ 

Specialising has helped me develop 

my career while finding my ‘niche’. By 

attracting new customers and their 

referrals, I can maintain my rates at a 

certain level and develop a good, loyal 

working relationship with clients. 

Specialisation starts to work once 


www.iti.org.uk

specialisation 

you become a client’s first port of 

call when they need your specialised 

professional services and they know 

their message will be delivered perfectly 

in translation, regardless of any 

technicalities. It is a win-win situation for 

everyone: the translator, the client and, 

ultimately, the audience. 

There is no shame in being a 

‘generalist’, and it is fine not to wish, 

for any reason, to narrow one’s fields of 

expertise or job opportunities. However, 

if you haven’t yet specialised because 

you don’t know where to start and 

it seems a daunting prospect, what 

follows is a step-by-step guide to help 

you identify your potential. 

Your background 

This is perhaps the single most 

relevant factor when determining 

your obvious areas of expertise. Most 

translators who struggle to find their 

best skills come from a linguistic 

background that might seem too broad. 

If you are not very experienced and 

come from a more general background, 

you have a solid language base, but 

need to work harder on identifying your 

market, which will one day provide your 

source of income. 

On the other hand, if your studies, 

training or professional experience are 

related to a more specific sector, such 

as medicine, law, engineering, finance, 

chemistry, or any other technical 

subject, you are one of the lucky few 

with a built-in glossary! Focus on 

these abilities and keep refreshing your 

language skills. 

Your experience 

Specialising does not mean that you 

will never translate a more general text 

again. With this in mind, try to focus on 

your past professional experience and 

all the projects that you have worked 

on or the places your life has taken 

you. You will be surprised to discover 

how many specific things you have 

learnt through work, hobbies, or even 

by living abroad in a different culture 

for some time. Everything counts and 

perhaps a couple of things will stick out 

more than others. How to know if it is 

specialisation or too general? Well, if 

your friends or ordinary people outside 

the industry are not following your 

conversation, this probably means it is 

specific enough. 

Many translators join the profession 

after a spell doing something different 

but complementary, such as teaching, 

working in-house, being on parental 

leave or relocating abroad. Translators 

are curious by nature and are always 

learning through translation research. 

Make the most of this, and work 

towards consolidating your strengths in 

a more formal and recognised manner. 

Your passions 

If you have a hobby, this could well 

become an asset. Generally, liking 

something is not enough per se. 

However, if you attend trade shows, 

webinars, courses or conferences, or 

read magazines, books, blogs and 

newsletters, and are moving with 

the industry and always learning, the 

hobby suddenly becomes part of your 

Continuing Professional Development. 

Perhaps your passion will one day 

become additional income but not your 

main source of work, due to it being 

too ‘niche’. On the plus side, there 

might be less competition and you 

could become a point of reference in 

your field, if you work towards it and 

keep clients happy while joining relevant 

groups or professional organisations. 



specialisation 

Your business plan 

A business plan is not only for your 

business. If you are keen to do what it 

takes to become a specialist, you need 

to demonstrate (to yourself and others) 

your commitment. Make an honest 

projection including essential factors 

such as how much time and money 

you can dedicate to this, your shortand 

long-term goals, what you want 

to get out of specialising, etc. You can 

also join ITI’s subject networks and any 

other relevant professional networks (on 

LinkedIn, for example). 

You can probably afford to develop 

your more specific hobbies when you 

are more established with a steadier 

income. Any quiet spells, like maternity 

leave, gradual early retirement, a mild 

illness, a gap year or a life change could 

be used as valuable time to follow your 

vocation and add another string to your 

bow. When doing your research, bear 

in mind factors such as your location 

and your languages’ most obvious 

industries (Japanese and German, for 

example, are linked to the electronic 

and motor industries). 

Try to focus on solid long-term 

specialisations that will not fade once 

they are out of fashion or be affected 

by the ups and downs in the economy. 

Purely from a business perspective, if 

you have a vision and you can see or 

believe that a sector is going to grow 

rapidly in the future, perhaps you could 

enjoy first-mover advantage. 

Standing out from the crowd 

Specialisation has become more 

important than ever before, as we live 

in a fast-paced world where almost 

anything can be found at the click of 

a mouse. Potential clients need to be 

able to find us and understand exactly 

what we do and what we can offer 

them. We are all unique and we all do 

things differently. We need to stand out 

from the crowd and have a clear unique 

selling point, which may well be the 

specialisations we choose. Therefore, 

it is paramount that we make time to 

consider our options. Some translators 

will find their specialisations easily, 

due to their professional background, 

academic qualifications or personal 

interests, while others will struggle, 

either with finding one or with narrowing 

them down to avoid being misjudged 

as a ‘Jack of all trades’. There is 

no right or wrong way to go and 

translators should pick what suits their 

careers and personal circumstances. 

It is important to identify what we 

enjoy and/or are good at, but it is even 

more important to identify what we are 

uncomfortable with or dislike doing. 

Of course we always ask to see the 

document before we start a translation, 

but we need to ask ourselves two 

further questions. The first question is 

whether we feel competent enough to 

execute a seamless translation without 

having to look up every other word in 

the dictionary. This will let us inform 

the customer whether we accept the 

job or not. The second question we 

need to ask ourselves is perhaps more 

profound and it is whether we truly 

want to do it and see ourselves working 

in that particular area in the long term. 

As freelancers, we make all our own 

business decisions, so only we are 

able to answer that question and act 

accordingly. This has to be the ultimate 

pleasure of being freelance: choosing 

the direction we want our business and 

our lives to go in, starting today. 


www.iti.org.uk

ITI 

How SUFT can kickstart 

your career 

Five of our past students give a verdict on what passing the 

course has meant for them 

Since its beginnings in 2014, ITI’s 

Setting Up as a Freelance 

Translator (SUFT) course has 

set over 100 students on the road to 

success. Some have already worked 

as translators and are looking for 

advice on how to go freelance or 

boost their business; others – and 

these are the majority – are industry 

professionals looking to harness their 

language skills for a career change. 

SUFT, with its easy-to-access format 

of live webinars, practical activities 

and online Q&A sessions, provides 

an invaluable toolkit specially 

designed to help new translators 

launch themselves in today’s industry. 

‘Self-promotion is key. 

SUFT is designed to give 

you the self-belief you 

need to launch your 

freelance career’ 

Delivered over eight weeks, the 

course covers the practical aspects 

of running a business, from 

identifying your customers and 

pricing your services to writing a 

business plan. But it goes much 

further than that, with individual 

support for every student to help 

them identify the unique strengths 

and experience that will help them 

stand out in the market – and 

ultimately get work. With the help of 

the eight tutors, students prepare a 

freelance-focused CV, learn how to 

build their online presence, and 

receive advice on how to start 

building their experience. 

“As a freelancer you need a lot of 

skills, particularly soft skills,” says 

Ann Brooks, Professional 

Development Officer at ITI, who 

designed the course. “Self-promotion 

is key. SUFT attracts a lot of very 

highly qualified people, but in many 

cases they are lacking in self-belief. 

The tutors have a wealth of 

experience, and most have made the 

move to freelancing themselves in 

the last ten years, so they have a 

really sharp understanding of what it 

takes to succeed. They’re very 

different in their approaches; the idea 

is that amongst them there will be 

someone you really relate to, so you 

know that you can achieve your plan 

from wherever you are now.” 

So how effective is SUFT in 

helping new translators to launch 

their careers? We caught up with five 

of the students from the SUFT class 

of September 2015, one year on… 




Maria Roussou, 

Freelance Translator, English and Spanish to Greek. 

What made you do the SUFT course? 

I had already been a part-time freelance translator for almost ten years and I loved 

it. When my second child was ready to start nursery I was more than ready to 

pursue my dream of being a full-time translator. I didn’t know anything on how to 

start my own business, and the SUFT course was the answer. 

How has your first year been? 

After the SUFT course I immediately started developing my business: I found a 

business name, I had a logo designed, I had my own website developed, I ordered 

business cards. My biggest achievement was passing my ITI exam and becoming 

a Qualified Member of ITI. Then I started sending out CVs and replying to 

applications. Now that Translate MoRe is up and running, I have a permanent 

collaboration with big translation and subtitling agencies. I also volunteer for 

Translators without Borders as a member of the Greek Rapid Response Team, 

translating material concerning the refugee crisis. 

How has the SUFT course helped so far? 

The SUFT course has given me everything I needed to know on how to start and 

how to keep going. I also made valuable friends and colleagues: I even had a 

lovely collaboration with a fellow student on a translation project. 

Would you recommend the SUFT course? 

SUFT has everything you need to learn on how to start working as a freelance 

translator. The tutors are very experienced and very keen to help. You come out of 

the course a lot wiser, with all the confidence you need to start. 

Contact Maria at www.translatemore.com, or email maria@translatemore.com. 

Judith McInally, 

Freelance Translator and Interpreter, Spanish to English. 


While on a career break after working as a research chemist in the pharmaceutical 

industry for many years, I spent some time working with an NGO in a shanty town 

area of Lima and so my translation career began. After returning to the UK, 

I continued doing translation work for various international development 

organisations. Eventually I decided to make the switch to working as a full-time 

translator and studied for an MA in Translation Studies. After completing the 

course I realised I needed a more industry-focused approach, and the SUFT 

course was exactly what I was looking for. 


Since completing the course I have been able to apply the tutors’ general and 

personal advice and have concentrated on building up contacts with agencies, 

drawing on my experience to specialise in both pharmaceuticals and international 

development. This is an ongoing project and I’m still working towards the targets I 

set myself in the business plan I developed as part of the course. 


www.iti.org.uk



The SUFT course highlighted the need for a structured approach to a translation 

business and was particularly helpful on the design of an industry-specific CV and 

LinkedIn profile and tips for making contact with clients. The advice on chasing late 

payments was also helpful to have, although fortunately I haven’t had to put this 

into practice yet! 


I would recommend the SUFT course to anyone looking to make a career change 

into freelance translation. It’s full of practical advice on how to take your existing 

skills and experience and use them as the assets they are. 

You can contact Judith via LinkedIn, or email judith.mcinally@btinternet.com. 

Lucy Findlay, 

Freelance Interpreter and Translator, Italian to English 


The world of freelancing seemed very daunting. I’d already been working as a 

Public Service interpreter for a few years and I’d started doing some translating for 

an Italian company, but it paid really badly and I was fairly pessimistic about my 

career choice. Doing SUFT helped me work out how to identify and approach new 

clients and how to make my business more profitable. 


I now have a steady flow of work and in the last financial year I earned more than I 

had foreseen in my business plan. 


The SUFT course was crucial to helping me get started. I had a lot of fears, above 

all CV writing and creating an on-line presence, and was avoiding applying for jobs. 

The tutors guided us through each process and gave us personal feedback on our 

CVs and online profiles. It increased my confidence no end. I’ve also done a lot of 

voluntary work, something we were advised to do to overcome the 

“no-experience” barrier. This has been incredibly enriching and has given me hours 

of valuable interpreting experience. A colleague and I are now targeting the Italian/ 

English market, offering interpreting and translation services through our 

partnership, Mother Tongue Translators. I am working on moving away from 

agencies and am investing in going out to “meet the client” – something SUFT 

gave me the confidence to do. 


If anyone is considering doing this course, consider no longer! It’s a no brainer – 

the small investment you make in the course fees will have a huge return. 

Contact Lucy at www.mothertongue-translators.com 




Fiona Snook, 

Freelance Translator, Japanese to English 


I had already worked for ten years as an in-house translator for an engineering 

company. I decided to go freelance, attracted by the flexibility of working from home 

to fit in with family life. I knew nothing about running a business, so I enrolled on the 

SUFT course hoping to find out more about the business and marketing side. 


After a slow start, I’ve had a successful first year. I was in the fortunate position of 

having a fairly unusual language pair and a specialism thanks to my in-house job, 

and I passed the ITI exam at the same time as doing the SUFT course. Most of 

the agencies I work for now contacted me after finding my details on the ITI 

website. The plan of working part-time to fit around my family is working out well. 

Recently I have had to turn down a few jobs when I’ve been too busy. 


For me, the most useful parts of SUFT were the sessions dealing with the practical 

aspects of running a translation business, like Andrew Leigh’s seminar about due 

diligence and contracts, and Lucas Vogt’s advice about pricing and invoicing. It 

was great to get CV feedback from Gillian Hargreaves, and the exercise of writing 

a business plan was extremely helpful. 

What’s next? 

I am happy working with agencies for now. Once my children start school, I want 

to expand and possibly move towards direct clients. I am looking out for CPD 

opportunities to enhance my skills. 


Yes, absolutely. The advice from the experienced tutors is immensely valuable, and 

the course provides a friendly environment to ask questions and share ideas with 

other newcomers. 

Contact Fiona at www.fionasnooktranslation.com or email f_snook@sky.com. 


www.iti.org.uk


Life after SUFT: 

Insights from our ‘Best newcomer – freelancing award winner 

Claire Turner 

Why did you decide to 

embark on a freelance 

career? 

Having worked as a solicitor in 

private practice and then in-house 

for many years, I wanted a change 

of career that would enable me to 

work for myself and utilise my 

German language skills. I felt that 

working as a freelance translator 

and legal consultant would be a 

good way to do this. 

What do you see as the 

biggest challenges of 

freelancing? 

After many years in full-time, paid 

employment it is challenging not to 

know how much work you will be 

doing or money you will be earning 

on a month-to-month basis. One of 

the reasons I wanted to have two 

income streams to my business was 

so that one could subsidise the 

other if necessary. I also realised 

that I would need to incur some 

costs in order to set up the 

translation side of my business (for 

studying, exam costs and 

networking events) and that it could 

take some time to recoup these. 

Doing part-time legal work has 

made this less of a risk financially – 

but has also presented some 

challenges at times, in terms of 

juggling the two elements. 

And the biggest rewards? 

I have relished the freedom and 

flexibility that comes with working for 

myself. It has also been great to take 

my career in a new direction and 

make contacts in a new sector. I 

have also been able to travel abroad 

to conferences and events, which 

has been fun. Passing the Diploma in 

Translation exams and then winning 

the ITI Best Newcomer award in the 

same month confirmed that my 

decision to change direction was the 

right one for me. 

Why did you decide to take 

the SUFT course? 

I wanted to put myself in the best 

possible position to launch my 

translation business. I had never 

worked as a translator or run my own 

business and knew that new skills 

would be needed for this. I was 

attracted to the online course as it 

gave me the flexibility I needed to fit 

around my consultancy commitments 

and was much more cost and time 

effective than travelling to London to 

attend courses in person (I am based 

in Devon). I also felt that the range of 

topics covered was broad enough to 

ensure that I would not miss anything 

key in my business planning. 

Claire Turner is a 

German-English 

translator and 

qualified solicitor. 

She holds a IoL 

Diploma in 

Translation and has 

been an ITI Career 

Affiliate since 2016. 

Through her 

translation 

business, CTLC 

Translations (www. 

ctlc.co.uk), Claire 

offers translations 

and proofreading of 

legal documentation. 

She also works as 

a legal consultant. 

Claire recently won 

‘Best newcomer - 

freelancing’ award 

at the ITI Awards. 




What are the most important 

learning points you have 

taken from SUFT? 

The course confirmed the 

importance of offering a 

specialisation and I had an obvious 

one in the area of legal documents. I 

also realised that a large number of 

skills that I had developed in the 

course of my legal career were 

equally applicable to the field of 

translation – for example, attention 

to detail, time management and a 

professional, customer-focused 

attitude are all essential to the work 

of a translator. The course confirmed 

that my plan to develop new 

contacts through networking, both 

online and in person, rather than 

simply sending emails to agencies, 

was a sensible one. 

legal translators who have not 

worked as lawyers. All the work I 

have had to date has been related 

to my specialisation. 

What’s next, after winning 

ITI’s Award Best Newcomer? 

I will continue to grow the 

translation side of my business and 

develop my network of contacts. I 

will be attending the German 

Network Anglophoner Tag in Chester 

in September and then travelling to 

Hannover to attend the BDÜ 

specialist legal translation and 

interpreting conference in October. I 

am also going to be working on 

improving my Italian with a view to 

offering a second language in years 

to come. 

What sort of assignments do 

you typically find yourself 

taking on? 

I launched my translation 

business in February and so far I 

have undertaken a mixture of 

translation and proofreading of a 

wide range of documents in the 

legal field, working with both 

agencies and direct clients. 

Do you see specialisation as 

an advantage? 

Yes, I think that my experience of 

working as a solicitor has been a 

significant advantage both in terms 

of attracting good clients and 

delivering high-quality translations. 

The fact that I continue to undertake 

legal work helps keep me up to date 

in my specialist field and perhaps 

helps me compare favourably to 


www.iti.org.uk

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Please note that Student membership is 

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How to apply 

Please register at www.iti.org.uk/membership/ 

apply and we will send you an application pack. 



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