4 Great Benefits of Being A Translator For My Life

This post was most recently updated on January 18th, 2022

[A collaboration post with Day Translations – all thoughts are my own.]

In 2013, I was accepted as a student at a public university in Bali and chose to major in English Literature. Actually, I never thought about becoming a translator in my first year of college. But I like to read and visit the campus library when I need a quiet atmosphere. There are many several reference books on translating that I often read for assignments.

In my third year, I got into the subject of translation and became interested in translating some texts myself with the help of an offline dictionary. Unknowingly I also translated English subtitles and many of my friends asked why I could read and interpret them so fast. After that, I started getting serious about the world of translation because it was fun. I also chose film translation as my thesis material in 2015.

Before graduating in 2017, I received an offer from a senior to translate a book. It was my first experience translating a book and it meant a lot. I started receiving some clients from outside since joining several translation forums like TranslatorsCafe and Proz.

For more than 5 years, I have received many benefits of being a translator. Besides being able to speak two languages, I also became a more positive person and met many people from various continents. It’s also one of my motivations to start a blog in 2021. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made because it gave me the opportunity to meet Day Translations, a professional translation service, and interpreting solutions.

So, as the first post of my blogmas 2021 challenge, let me share with you the great benefits of being a translator for my life. Hope this can be a motivational post for those people who graduated with a linguistic degree and pick translator as their chosen career.

You never stop learning

Every language has its own unique, culture, and origin. By being a translator, I realize that I always find something new: words, phrases, idioms, slang every day. I never stop learning. With this, I’m keeping myself a step ahead of everyone else in getting to know something different and new.

Independent working schedule

One of the benefits of being a translator that I love soo much is the freedom of working. My working schedule is flexible, which means I can work at my own pace and comfort. As a freelance, I can work from home, which makes it possible to avoid a 9 to 5 schedule where you must stay at the office.

Although working in a company will present more organized behavior, it still gives me the freedom of taking my own time and working as I please. This independent working schedule is also a benefit for your clients since you can provide assistance over the phone or translate documents online during late hours.

After starting my blog, I need to balance my work as a freelance translator and content creator. I usually take 6-8 translation projects every month; depending on the volume of the projects. But recently I decided to take fewer projects because my blog is starting to grow even more. This is the benefit I get as a translator: I’m the one who decides my working schedule, so I won’t end up burning out myself.

It’s an interesting life

Many of the jobs do not offer such flexibility to choose between working as a freelancer or as an employee.

Working in a company can be fulfilling because you are not working alone and can get constant support from other members to stay motivated. But if you’re one of those people who prefer to enjoy freedom, then you can choose the lifestyle of a freelance translator.

Being a translator is an interesting life. I can complete the projects at my own convenience. I can work at any moment of my time without the formalities of a company. I can enjoy a cup of coffee while working and watching Netflix on my break. I get the luxury of working wherever I want. Spend my days in a lounge chair on the beach or in a bustling cafe – it’s all up to me.

Opportunity to communicate with a variety of people

When I was in college, I wasn’t yet brave and confident in speaking English. After meeting face-to-face with native speakers, I forced myself and ventured to practice in the field. I signed up on staff for the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union event in Bali. I was placed in the lobby of a hotel to welcome and inform foreign guests and VIPs of the order of events for more than 10 days. It was a very amazing experience and the starting point for my courage to make friends with foreigners.

After graduating, I was able to work in a foreign company and become an assistant manager. I started to act as a bridge between Russian and Indonesian – two entities belonging to totally different languages and backgrounds yet wanting to have a connection for various purposes. Whether it marketing or just for simple communication.

For example, it is difficult for a Russian person to communicate in Indonesian if they don’t have any common language between them. Therefore, the translator is required to link them together for better communication and understanding.

Translators might have to spend long hours engaged in intense conversations or in working through complicated texts, but the benefits can also be many. Are you a freelancer? If yes, what benefits do you get from being a freelancer? Let me know below!

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