The good, the bad…and translation samples. How jumping over hurdles can help your translation business

Translation samples are often the last stumbling block standing on the way between translators and clients, but is this a necessary step on a translator’s recruitment process? We will discuss what are these ultimate challenges for professional translators and which benefits can they offer to both parts.

If you are a translator, you sure have heard many stories –some of them are authentic, myth-like tales– around the translation samples as the main resource of recruiting translators. Yeah, that’s it. If you’re aiming for a translation job, not even the best resume or the most elegant CV can save you from undergoing this challenging experience; and, to be honest, it happens on a daily basis.

Translation samples are the last hurdle to jump over before reaching your desired job –whether if it’s a freelance or an in-house job. Basically, they are usually short samples of text (around 200–500 words), similar to the text typology that translators will deal with once the job is assigned to them, so the client may take a peek at the quality of the translation and judge whether it meets their expectations.

So far so good, right? You may also think this is a logical step, since this is the only way for the client to have an accurate preview of the translator’s skills. However, where there’s smoke, there’s fire. These samples are often full of translation challenges, intricate word games and cultural differences that may make translators feel as if they were back at college finals.

Here are some of the main features that translators must know about the translation samples and must have a clear picture of them before getting started:

Time is golden…or not?

One of the main questions that many translators have is whether these translation samples should be paid or not. This is always a really controversial issue, since the answer differs among translators and outsourcers. In fact, many professionals, translators’ associations and universities often support the idea of paid translation samples in favor of free sample tests, since this translation sample test involves a time investment from the translator and, after all, giving away a part of your working time is a sacrifice that many professionals choose not to take.

On the other hand, outsourcers usually argue that this translation sample test is not considered as “work”, but just as a mean of evaluation of the translation services; and some others directly don’t even negotiate the possibility of paying for it. Nevertheless, there are also some outsourcers that are willing to pay for the translation sample test. This attitude speaks for itself and should be valued positively by the translator, since this small investment from the outsourcer denotes that they would usually seek for quality over quantity in our services, and that can only count for the better!

In my personal point of view, there are many factors to look at and the decision to do the translation sample test or not, as translation itself, is not an exact science. The length of the translation test and the required deadline are two of the key aspects worth considering, since this decision might determine how much time and energy translators will devote to their “actual work”.

What sort of difficulties can translators expect in a translation sample test?

According to the warning signs I’ve been dropping in previous paragraphs, translation sample tests might be hard, challenging tasks that often push the translator’s skills to the limit. Of course not all of them are this hard, since it depends on the type of project and the quality level that the outsourcer expects for this sort of translation, but outsourcers usually look for efficient translators able to ensure the maximum quality within the minimum possible time in order to separate the wheat from the chaff, so you’d better be prepared for it!

Sometimes the main hardships of the test might depend on the language pair and the text typologies, since some typologies are more prone to one or more registers than other typologies and some languages might be more susceptible to the use of puzzling word-games with no direct equivalent in the target language. Whatever difficulties that may arise in their translations, two key things are for sure: the translator must be an expert in the language pair (at least an expert in understanding what the message in the source language says –and in understanding what it doesn’t say explicitly- and also an expert at reproducing those messages with all their features in the target language –preferably their mother tongue), and must also know the particularities and special features of the text typology, since this element will determine most of the strategies that translators make use of in their translations.

Creativity also puts in a modest contribution to the quality of our translation and often gives a sight of what we’re capable to offer, but the topmost important factor in a translation sample test is beyond any doubt correctness. In my opinion, typographic and style correctness are the key to success in any translation sample test. Don’t forget this test speaks more about the translator’s skills than the best resume!

Good alternatives to the translation sample test and other ways to trust in a translator’s services

Even though a translation sample test is always the best option to ensure the quality of a translator’s services, there are professionals that choose not to undergo this test for different reasons. Therefore, let’s drop some alternatives of what can translators do in order to show what they are capable of!

The first and the most recommendable alternative way of proving that your services are up to the costumer’s expectations is to display some samples of your previous, important projects or get some positive feedback from clients or co-workers that you’ve worked with. This option is available in many famous translation platforms and translators themselves may actually offer to show some of their previous works to the outsourcer or client. This way, translators may prove that they worked in important projects and they also show a potential outcome of their services, so let’s say this is also a pretty good marketing tool for translators.

And last, but not least, another downright important alternative for translators is to have a defined marketing strategy and a strong presence in social media, such as LinkedIn or translation platforms, since even though it may not save you from performing a translation sample, it is a good way for the outsourcer to get a hint of your proven expertise and your reputation in the translation field.

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