1.2 Checking if a Career in Translation is Right for You

A career as a freelance translator has many advantages. You can work remotely from anywhere in the world. What about living in a low cost-of life paradise island while working for top translation companies in New York and making some decent money? This is possible and many other advantages exist for someone working in the translation industry.

Main benefits from a career in translation as a freelancer:

You choose your work schedule
Work from anywhere in the world
Choose who you work for
Work as much (or as little) as you want
Learn new languages
Interact with different cultures
Flexible lifestyle
Decent compensation

This said, there are also challenges:

Demand for translation is inconsistent and difficult to predict
Only top professionals in the industry will make a six-figure salary
Some agencies will default on their payments to freelancer translators
You should be able to keep a financial cushion for those times when business is slow
Need to invest substantial amounts in technology and training
Pressure from the industry to decrease translator rates