2.1 Meet some translators

Translators can end up doing a wide range of tasks, from translating poetry to bulk jobs post-editing technical manuals, to give two extreme examples. The roles are also varied, and many translation graduates start in the industry as project managers, before moving on to working as translators either in-house or freelance. There are also roles in terminology and quality management, which translators can take on alongside translation or in addition to it.

To give you a flavour of what it’s like to be a translator, we’ve assembled some accounts from a range of professionals. As you read through them, make a note of the sorts of tasks they do, and look out for any common elements that they mention in their accounts of their professional practice.