In many service areas, buyers assume that experience
and skill are correlated, i.e., the greater the experience, the higher the level of
performance. While this may be true for some professions, this does not
necessarily apply to translation. Granted, experience hones certain areas of
knowledge, but it does not necessarily attest to professional knowledge of the
translation field. Thus, translation purchasers should not avoid newer
professionals while the latter should not discount themselves.
Translation buyers, specifically because they are
buying a service blindly the first time, seek indications
that the individual is proficient. One of these indicators is experience. Experienced freelancers are likely more skilled at the complementary
tasks. These processes include QA, customer communication and time assessment.
Experienced translators have learned their typical errors they make in their first drafts
and the cost of not catching them before delivery, the need to ask questions
and the actual time required to complete the translation. Beginning translators
often lack this knowledge and, thus, often misjudge deadlines and are less efficient in their time use. In
practice, these issues will most likely be invisible to the translation buyer.
By contrast, since translation quality is highly
correlated with the knowledge of the subject area, new translators may suffer
from no actual disadvantage as compared to experienced ones. If a new
translator has years of experience in the subject area, e.g., having worked previously as a
broker, doctor or lawyer, the resulting translation will sound professional. In a
certain sense, translation is merely an evolution in the use of that
knowledge. On the other hand, some translators with years of experience in a
given specialty not only do not improve but actually become convinced that
their erroneous phrasing and terminology are correct and relevant. The fact that “no customer has ever complained” is
irrelevant. Thus, it is impossible to accurately assess the extent of experience by only looking at the actual translation .
For translation purchasers, this means that actual
experience should not be the only deciding factor in choosing the freelancer.
While it is true that survival in a field indicates a certain level of competency, it does
not imply excellence. A newbie with sufficient background and a professional
approach may provide an equal or better result. Furthermore, as most newcomers
are younger and have fewer customers, they often are more capable of meeting
tighter deadlines. Therefore, those seeking a professional translator should also
consider other factors beyond experience.
Translators with little or no experience need to put
their personal (and natural) insecurity aside and approach the business
in a professional manner. These newcomers should take on any project for which
they are competent with outward confidence and charge professional rates. It is
important to remember the difficulty of raising rates once they are established.
That approach is key to success in translation. Nobody trusts doubt and
discounts. At the same time, they should take into account a lack of experience
by avoiding tight schedules and even seeking outside help in the QA process.
Later projects from these customers will more than compensate for any initial
income loss. If you make an error, remember that experienced translators also
make them and learn from them. Furthermore, the manner in which you relate to
and fix the error can create customer loyalty. Clients can be quite forgiving.
New translators should pick their project carefully but hit a home run with
their results.
Thus, translation experience is only one factor among many in determining the skill of a potential service provider. Subject
knowledge and professional approach are equally important. Purchasers should
not avoid relative newcomers to the profession nor should new translators sell
themselves short. In practice, experience does not necessarily equal skill.
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