18 The Linguist Vol/54 No/6 2015
STARTING OUT
Aurélie Geldof-Eke found an unpaid internship
in an attempt to move gradually into freelance
translation. But can working for free really pay off ?
C
hanging your career to become a translator and entering
the world of freelance work can be challenging. Most
of the translators I have met so far have been happy to
share their knowledge and tips, but the competition is fierce
nonetheless. There are workshops to help you get started, but if
you have to take an unpaid day off work and pay for travel costs to
attend, the expense can be prohibitive.
When I made the decision, about 12 months ago, to move
entirely into freelance work, I realised that I would need to enter
the world of translation gradually, keeping my job as support staff
in a school while building up my experience and contacts. I started
by passing a third of the Diploma in Translation and volunteering
as a translator with Oxfam France. Then, in the summer, I took a
bigger step towards setting myself up as a translator when I was
accepted as an intern in a local translation agency.
It took five attempts, by emails and phone over a three-month
period, to secure the internship. I had focused on one agency
because I thought that would be more effective than sending a
blanket email to lots of companies. There are only two agencies
I could commute to – one close to my home in Norfolk and the
other a train ride away, requiring a travel budget. I chose to
contact Integro Languages after a careful analysis of their website,
which conveys the idea of a professional, friendly, energetic and
hard-working team specialising in international business, insurance
markets and creative media. For me, the fact that it was a small
team was a bonus.
Following an intense induction day, I started my five-week
placement in July. I may have sacrificed a lazy summer in France
visiting family during the school holiday, but the experience was
worth it. Integro is a team of four lovely people who are not
translators but work with a network of freelance translators and
proofreaders. I spent most of my induction with Managing Director
Tom and Project Manager Mel, who explained the main projects
and areas Integro work in, and how they keep a record of the
projects. I also assisted Tom with an intriguing subtitling project.
The first week started with me shadowing Mel and familiarising
myself with the database and the daily work that the project
THE INTERN
