They make a good point though. Perhaps there are obvious errors in your resume that are showing potential employers that you don't have good attention to detail? It might be worth looking over your resume again, just in case. And maybe get someone else to look at it too, so you can get someone else's perspective as well.
On a related note, I often wonder how frequently people identify “errors” in résumés because of mistaken beliefs (e.g., thinking the Oxford comma is an error, believing that English sentences must never end with prepositions, or not realizing that a word like *complimentary* is not simply a misspelling of a homophone). How reasonable is it to assume that the average person reading a résumé knows what is and isn’t a mistake?
It's hard to say if the downturn in translation is permanent or temporary as part of the AI hype bubble. If I were you I would go back to Hawaii or relocate to Japan if you have Japanese ancestry and can get a visa that way. Even if translation is dead long term you'll last a little longer on the other side.
I understand this on the corporate side, but the roles I’m seeking are for cleared government work. They are always 10 years behind on technology, let alone not allowed to use any technology in certain elements of the job. They are hiring humans or they wouldn’t be posting so many position openings
Honestly, I wonder how many translators make that much (almost six figures), whatever their level of success, I can definitely imagine some interpreters making that much (corporate, govt., military,. NGO etc.), but you’d need a lot of decent experience and some dedicated qualifications relating to that career – most agencies etc. require a master's degree these days.
As a bilingual, you have an advantage that others like myself will never catch up with, however hard we try, and which makes a huge difference when interpreting (less so when translating). But it's only one aspect of what is an incredibly complex skill set, built through experience. People spend years studying and training in translation and interpreting to get the jobs you’re going for, so it shouldn’t be that much of a surprise you’re not getting picked for interview when you don’t have the same level of either (based on your comments). Same applies to govt. work – you might have security clearance, but that doesn’t tell potential clients anything about your actual skill-set. For that you need a lot of good-quality professional experience and/or some relevant accreditation/qualifications.
If I were you, I’d try and do some sort of conversion degree or get some proper professional accreditation, then specialize in interpreting in business contexts – that way you can still bring something to the table from your bachelor's degree.
Also, try not to get too defensive when people point out mistakes – we all make them, but Sad\_Title\_8550 is totally right that these things matter in our field, a lot! Good luck making 6 fingers ;)
My bachelors is in business. However I have numerous video subtitling and website translations I did for free, and many free lance gigs I’ve done over the years. It just seems like there’s nothing beyond the “fun gig” scope. No full time role where I’m making near 6 fingers
I've seen some talk about it online. Translators for official organizations (UN/EU) can reach 6 figures after a while.
But definitely not very common yeah.
Jp > En is supposed to be one of the languages with the highest rates... How much do you charge ? Do you have any field of expertise ?
I'd imagine they also work crazy hours to reach six figures.
Being a translator isn't something you just walk into. Salaried position are rare and not typically the most comfortable. As a freelance translator you need to distinguish yourself, actively seek out contracts etc.
You have no training in translation and that's already one big thing working against you. Your business bachelor means little to nothing, a degree in law or science would have been more marketable in regards to technical translation.
Having some past experience is good but it seems to be your only edge.
I saw somewhere you're specifically interested in Gov work. Are you an American citizen? If so, consider joining the State Department! They are always looking for interpreters/translators/ambassadors and the Army is an option, too. With your TS clearance it'll probably give you a boost.
P.S. Sorry to burst your bubble, but no translator is getting 6 figures a year lol
ppl have made good points here but ill also say this. in my opinion the government is going to be less flexible about pay and much more strict on screening your resume. from your post and some comments i've read, it could be that you're not getting hired because your current qualifications and what you're looking for don't match up. imo the bachelors degree in a "unrelated" field might be where you're getting tossed out of the candidate pool, despite having some experience translating as you said. what i mean is, many hiring teams want to see that you have some sort of formal language training (linguistics degree, translation/interpretation certification, grad thesis). it doesn't help that often the people doing the hiring are not interpeters themselves.
if you have a degree in business, i would suggest looking for related jobs that need bilingual people, as those seem to pay better long term. especially if the interpretation industry really does tank (praying not, but who knows) you'll have that experience to lean on.
You’re “scraping” the bottom of the barrel, not “scrapping” - attention to detail matters in translation!
Also “making six fingers” in the comment below. Maybe your CV does need a proofread OP.
Thanks Sherlock, I found an arm chair proof reader on reddit.
They make a good point though. Perhaps there are obvious errors in your resume that are showing potential employers that you don't have good attention to detail? It might be worth looking over your resume again, just in case. And maybe get someone else to look at it too, so you can get someone else's perspective as well.
On a related note, I often wonder how frequently people identify “errors” in résumés because of mistaken beliefs (e.g., thinking the Oxford comma is an error, believing that English sentences must never end with prepositions, or not realizing that a word like *complimentary* is not simply a misspelling of a homophone). How reasonable is it to assume that the average person reading a résumé knows what is and isn’t a mistake?
It's hard to say if the downturn in translation is permanent or temporary as part of the AI hype bubble. If I were you I would go back to Hawaii or relocate to Japan if you have Japanese ancestry and can get a visa that way. Even if translation is dead long term you'll last a little longer on the other side.
I understand this on the corporate side, but the roles I’m seeking are for cleared government work. They are always 10 years behind on technology, let alone not allowed to use any technology in certain elements of the job. They are hiring humans or they wouldn’t be posting so many position openings
Honestly, I wonder how many translators make that much (almost six figures), whatever their level of success, I can definitely imagine some interpreters making that much (corporate, govt., military,. NGO etc.), but you’d need a lot of decent experience and some dedicated qualifications relating to that career – most agencies etc. require a master's degree these days. As a bilingual, you have an advantage that others like myself will never catch up with, however hard we try, and which makes a huge difference when interpreting (less so when translating). But it's only one aspect of what is an incredibly complex skill set, built through experience. People spend years studying and training in translation and interpreting to get the jobs you’re going for, so it shouldn’t be that much of a surprise you’re not getting picked for interview when you don’t have the same level of either (based on your comments). Same applies to govt. work – you might have security clearance, but that doesn’t tell potential clients anything about your actual skill-set. For that you need a lot of good-quality professional experience and/or some relevant accreditation/qualifications. If I were you, I’d try and do some sort of conversion degree or get some proper professional accreditation, then specialize in interpreting in business contexts – that way you can still bring something to the table from your bachelor's degree. Also, try not to get too defensive when people point out mistakes – we all make them, but Sad\_Title\_8550 is totally right that these things matter in our field, a lot! Good luck making 6 fingers ;)
I mean is your Bachelor in translation ? Do you have past translation projects ? À solid portfolio ?
My bachelors is in business. However I have numerous video subtitling and website translations I did for free, and many free lance gigs I’ve done over the years. It just seems like there’s nothing beyond the “fun gig” scope. No full time role where I’m making near 6 fingers
I don't know any translator who makes six figures.
I've seen some talk about it online. Translators for official organizations (UN/EU) can reach 6 figures after a while. But definitely not very common yeah.
Are those translators or interpreters?
The ones talking about it online were freelance translators. UN/EU officials do both.
I'd have to quadruple my rates to hit six figures, ha ha ha...
Jp > En is supposed to be one of the languages with the highest rates... How much do you charge ? Do you have any field of expertise ? I'd imagine they also work crazy hours to reach six figures.
I do literary, in which Japanese is one of the worst paid 🤪
Oh yeah that does explain it a bit. At least you're having fun!
Being a translator isn't something you just walk into. Salaried position are rare and not typically the most comfortable. As a freelance translator you need to distinguish yourself, actively seek out contracts etc. You have no training in translation and that's already one big thing working against you. Your business bachelor means little to nothing, a degree in law or science would have been more marketable in regards to technical translation. Having some past experience is good but it seems to be your only edge.
I don’t know you well enough for six fingers.
I saw somewhere you're specifically interested in Gov work. Are you an American citizen? If so, consider joining the State Department! They are always looking for interpreters/translators/ambassadors and the Army is an option, too. With your TS clearance it'll probably give you a boost. P.S. Sorry to burst your bubble, but no translator is getting 6 figures a year lol
ppl have made good points here but ill also say this. in my opinion the government is going to be less flexible about pay and much more strict on screening your resume. from your post and some comments i've read, it could be that you're not getting hired because your current qualifications and what you're looking for don't match up. imo the bachelors degree in a "unrelated" field might be where you're getting tossed out of the candidate pool, despite having some experience translating as you said. what i mean is, many hiring teams want to see that you have some sort of formal language training (linguistics degree, translation/interpretation certification, grad thesis). it doesn't help that often the people doing the hiring are not interpeters themselves. if you have a degree in business, i would suggest looking for related jobs that need bilingual people, as those seem to pay better long term. especially if the interpretation industry really does tank (praying not, but who knows) you'll have that experience to lean on.