Lucie Brione, freelance translator
My first degree was in computer science - a bilingual BSc offered jointly by the Université Paris Descartes and the University of Brighton. After graduating, I moved to Manchester to work in the computing industry, and have remained in the area ever since. After 11 years in the profession, globalization meant that jobs like programming tended to be outsourced and moved to places like India and the Philippines. In parallel, from a personal point of view, I was starting to realise that computing was not what I wanted to do for the rest of my working life. Furthermore, in my line of work in the UK, the fact that I could speak French was neither here nor there and this side of me was completely neglected. The trigger to change career was when my employer outsourced our department to another company. A translator friend suggested giving translation a go. I was immediately attracted to this idea because it meant I could combine my technical background with languages and writing, which had always been interests of mine, so I began researching how I could become a translator and looked at which university courses were on offer in the North West. I took voluntary redundancy from my job and started studying for the MA in Translation Studies at the University of Manchester in September 2004.
I found the MA very stimulating intellectually. Going back to be a full-time student for the first time in 11 years was a daunting but tremendously exciting prospect. Don't believe those who tell you students don't do any work; this was one of the most hardworking years of my life, especially when writing the dissertation! But I wouldn't have done it if I hadn't had the desire and motivation to do my best. I'm pleased to say it was all worth it. A postgraduate qualification is a distinct advantage, and very often a requisite, when applying for work in translation.
Since graduating in 2005, I have been a freelance translator, translating from English into French and specialising in IT and telecommunications. I work from home, which in my book is one of the best things about this profession! This can be an isolating feature, but it is also fairly stress-free and of course you haven't got a boss to report to. I can fit work around other activities, or activities around work, whichever is the most prevailing at the time. So one of the main elements of my current position is flexibility. A typical translation commission arrives in the form of an e-mail or a phone call from an agency. We establish and agree the details (deadline, volume, deliverables, rates and payment terms if necessary, etc.). I then produce the translation and send it back to the agency along with an invoice. In due course, I need to keep an eye on whether payments are received and send a reminder if necessary. The length of a job varies between something which needs to be sent back the same day and translations that are several weeks long.
Another aspect of my work is marketing myself to new agencies in order to diversify my client base. This can be a very time-consuming task; it isn't paid but is of course essential to getting clients! Having a website is part of the marketing; you can have a look at mine on www.frenchtechtrans.co.uk. I'll be happy to hear your comments.