1Marta Stelmaszak

www.wantwords.co.uk

5 1/2 LESSONS ON WORKING AS A FREELANCE TRANSLATOR

STUDENT CASE STUDYI don’t know of any testimonials more comprehensive than students’ case studies. That’s why I asked David Miralles Perez of Circa Lingua (a great translator and interpreter specialising in law, economy, business and marketing) to tell you something about her time at the sixth edition of the course in January 2014.

First, David, we’d like to know how your situation looked like before taking part in the School. How did you see your business? What were your biggest problems? How did you feel in the translation industry?

“Before joining the Business School for Translators, I had just finished my degree in translation and interpreting in Spain and decided to spend a year in France to teach Spanish and think about my career as a freelancer.I thought about making the most of that year to learn everything about the industry and what is behind of being a freelancer. Of course, at university, we learn everything related to translation and

interpreting. However, they don’t really teach us

essential things such as what is involved in the translation process from the very beginning when you receive an assignment up to the post-purchase phase. I was convinced that after that year I wanted to become a freelance translator, so learning what running

a business is was one of my main problems.

That is why I decided to join the Business School for Translation.

2Marta Stelmaszak

www.wantwords.co.uk

Let’s move on to the moment you found the School course. Where did you first read or hear about it? What were your first thoughts? What made you interested in it?

I followed Marta on Twitter and also read her blog, so I was aware that she was running this course. What I did before choosing the Business School for Translators was to jot down everything that I needed to learn by the end of that year. I went through the explanations of each lesson that Marta provides on her website, and I realised that it covered most of the topics I had to work on.Also, I read some of the comments of former students and all of them said something positive about it, so I just couldn’t resist!

What hesitations did you have about taking part in the School?

As I was working full-time, I was scared of not having enough time to do the course. However, it turn out that it was very easy to combine both. You can watch every lesson as many times as you want in case that you miss one of them. You can also work on your homework at your own pace during the week after each class, which makes things much easier. Also, I had to think about the investment of taking the course. I was surprise to know that everything that we did during the course can be applied later on in your career as well. So, I have now realised that it’s been an investment for life.

What changes have you noticed in your business, in terms of your mind set, but also clients?

In terms of mind set, of course it changed the way I saw business in general. For me, the Business School for Translators opened the door to the business world. Now I know that translators are more than just that, we are also business owners and have to act accordingly. After the course, I started to notice that things were under control and that I have this control over my business. This helped me to develop my business and in a couple of months I started to work as a freelance translator full time.In terms of clients, they started to notice that something had changed and they trusted me more.

3Marta Stelmaszak

www.wantwords.co.uk

I started to work especially with direct clients and they all were and still are very happy with my services and the customer experience.

What specific feature did you like best about the School?

I like how the contents were structured. It was like a story, from an introduction of the basic concepts to the most specific ones. Thanks to that, you can organise your business from the inside. Also, the homework that we do during the course can be also applied directly to your business and makes your realise what you need to work on.I also enjoy the 30 minute consultation with Marta at the very end of the course. You can focus on the aspects that worry you the most and Marta’s answers helped me a lot.

How have you benefited from it?

As I was starting to develop my business when I started with the course, I followed every single step recommended in the course. I could say that it served as the foundation of my business.Thanks to it, I created my business plan and develop a marketing strategy for my business. I learnt how to contact with both direct clients and translation agencies, and they noticed it and made some important contacts. The Business School for Translators boosted my business and help me to

work on what I like the most in a full time basis.

Would you recommend the School course? If so, why?

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the School, especially if you are starting in the industry and if you want to work as a freelancer. If you think you are a bit lost and don’t really

know how to start your career as a freelancer, the School is the perfect choice for you, as you

will learn from the basics everything you need to know to become a successful translator.

4Marta Stelmaszak

www.wantwords.co.uk

Is there anything else you’d like to add here?

I would like to say thanks to Marta again for the course and all her valuable pieces of advice. Now I am sure that I made the correct choice by joining the School.

Now, thinking of your current situation, some 3 months after the end of the School course. How do you see your business? What are your biggest challenges now? How do you feel in the translation industry?

Now I’ve got a well defined business. I know the clients that I want to work with and how to target them. I managed to develop a client portfolio and they are all happy with the services I provide. I can make a living out of my own business, which is something that before joining the School was a goal in my life. Recently I moved to the UK, so I am now developing a client portfolio here and expand my business. I am very happy with all the progress that I have done in just one year and want to keep on the right track.I am also developing my services portfolio and diversifying my business to provide extra services to my clients and specialising even more in my fields of expertise. I’m happy with my situation in the industry, but of course, you always have to aim at more, for both our businesses and the clients that trust us.

Thank you, David, for sharing your story. I sincerely hope your career will continue growing as successfully as in the last few months.

If after reading David’s story you’re interested in joining the course, book here. In case of any questions, drop me a line.

Marta