HOW TO FIND YOUR SPECIALIZATION (Freelance Translator)

[@Freelanceverse]

Here's a great piece of advice by Chris Durban on how to expand on the tips in the video: "once you've identified some potential niches to specialize in, ask your new friend ChatGPT to identify 30 or 40 document types that need translation in that field, and use that as a starting point for researching who needs and writes them, refining your prompts to get key players, websites, key vocab and the like. For would-be translators who have "no idea on what to translate in" (your target audience here, I think) just *seeing the document types* and thinking about them can often trigger useful connections. And then more prompts to pull in examples in different language, and so on. My thought for the day." Thanks for the valuable contribution, Chris!

[@Tania-xp6fu]

Adrian, comme d’habitude un grand merci du bout du monde pour cette vidéo très instructive et encourageante. Depuis le début, j’applique soigneusement la plupart de tes conseils et je dois dire que tu es un excellent didacticien. Ta contribution au monde de la traduction est immense et pour ma part, toujours très appréciée ! Tania

[@Freelanceverse]

Merci beaucoup pour ces mots gentils, Tania. Cela signifie beaucoup. Grâce à cette chaîne, j'ai découvert que je suis passionnée par l'enseignement et je pourrais envisager d'en faire une seconde carrière à l'avenir :)

[@Tania-xp6fu]

@Freelanceverse C’est amusant ce parallèle : moi je quitte justement 20 ans d’enseignement à des adultes et à des enfants pour maintenant rejoindre l’univers de la traduction, que j’ai eu l’opportunité d’expérimenter à petites doses occasionnelles pendant ma carrière. Je te souhaite beaucoup de succès dans ta nouvelle aventure, Adrian.

[@corrinapearce4365]

Thank you so much for this video. This is exactly the stage I'm at and it really helps to have a strategy for narrowing down what my niche could be. The thing is that I'm interested in many things but whether there is demand for it and therefore a living to be made is the big question. But we have to start somewhere and I'm sure you would say the same.

[@Freelanceverse]

Glad you enjoyed the video!! Exactly, we got to start somwhere. Most likely your specialization will change and adapt over the years anyways

[@Humanpol93]

Hi Adrian, thank you very much for all your freelanceverse content, it's very useful. First of all, how were your beginnings as a freelancer, did you specialise in sports from day one or did you do general translations until you were able to make a living from your speciality? And secondly, what do you think is the most demanded speciality nowadays? I have a degree in Humanities and now I want to do an introductory course in translation because I have no idea, or maybe do a master's degree in translation. I don't know which specialisation yet. According on my degree, I might specialise in Humanities, for example arts, literature, etc. Is that a good Niche? Thank you.

[@sonysony-nx9xh]

Thank you sir love from Pakistan🇵🇰

[@Freelanceverse]

Thank you for watching

[@melr3566]

Another issue is to make direct clients understand that when you say you are a French translator, doesn't mean you can translate FR to ENG... So I think that going to conferences and special fair in France to sell your services is pointless. People would expect English native that can actually translate from French. What's your opinion on this?

[@Freelanceverse]

That's a good point. What you could offer in these markets is copyediting, reviewing services etc. I tend to go to large international fairs where exhibitors from all over are present. But going to trade fairs in your source language is definitely the next step if you really want to go to fairs in order to find new clients :)

[@Freelanceverse]

I definitely wouldnt say its poinless as the first reason for trade fairs should be to study the industry and trend and language used in your target

[@melr3566]

@@Freelanceverse pointless if you go there primarily to get clients I meant 🙂

[@chrisdurban6779]

@@melr3566 Ah, but as Adrian says, at trade fairs your aim really should be to study the industry/trend/players/products/services (at least to start). But here's another tip: attend trade fairs where your target audience (for you that would be [edit] *English-speaking* businesses, right?) are themselves on foreign soil. Why? Because these guys' awareness of language (and of their own language weaknesses...) will be top of mind for them if they are, for example, UK or US exhibitors who are physically present in Paris or Berlin or Rome. A gross overstatement perhaps, but: my experience is that businesspeople don't usually spend a lot of time thinking about language. But if they themselves are "living" in a foreign-language environment for the length of the trade fair, they are often prepared to engage in conversations that they would probably avoid if on their home turf. (I've recounted elsewhere how, years ago, me standing up to ask a question in a plenary session at a bankers' event in London had the Brits on stage smiling condescendingly at my US accent... but led to Belgian, Swiss and French bankers [= my target clientele] clustering around me during the tea break to get my card. So there: happy end. :-))