I often see amateur J-E translators looking to go pro. There's a number of hurdles:
-There are barely any mentor figures in the industry
-There's no such thing as "entry-level" translation jobs/internships that check/correct work and offer detailed feedback and training
-There are barely any mentor figures in the industry
-There's no such thing as "entry-level" translation jobs/internships that check/correct work and offer detailed feedback and training
"Just fan-translate some things for experience!"
-Fan TLs have no meaningful feedback mechanisms re: work quality, so "experience" is a relative term
-You can never be sure whether a client will like your work or frown upon it; drawbacks outweigh the near-nonexistent benefits
-Fan TLs have no meaningful feedback mechanisms re: work quality, so "experience" is a relative term
-You can never be sure whether a client will like your work or frown upon it; drawbacks outweigh the near-nonexistent benefits
"Go live in Japan for a few years!"
-JET programs focus on English, not Japanese proficiency
-Not a realistic option for people w/kids and people in committed relationships
-Study-abroad programs only work when you're 1) college age, and 2) able to afford living abroad for years
-JET programs focus on English, not Japanese proficiency
-Not a realistic option for people w/kids and people in committed relationships
-Study-abroad programs only work when you're 1) college age, and 2) able to afford living abroad for years
Where does that leave an amateur? The pragmatic answer is: Translation agencies. There are a number of TL agencies out there, and their market is growing every year as more game companies outsource their translations instead of keeping a large TL staff in-house.
Agencies are flexible entities that can adapt to the size and scope of any project, big or small. They keep a ready database of translators best suited to different game series and genres.
More to the point: They tend to give prospective translators tests, usually with feedback.
More to the point: They tend to give prospective translators tests, usually with feedback.
Sometimes agencies care about your credentials going in, but in my experience, certifications like JLPT N1 matter far less than that agency's test.
Agency tests are a metric of whether your work would be presentable to a client in their (admittedly often subjective) view.
Agency tests are a metric of whether your work would be presentable to a client in their (admittedly often subjective) view.
But it's unfair to ask an amateur translator to just dive in head-first and risk their work being seen as sub-par and undesirable, thus closing a door to them.
That's something I've been thinking about for a while, before finally working out a potential solution.
That's something I've been thinking about for a while, before finally working out a potential solution.
I've devised a mock Japanese-to-English media translation proficiency test.
If you are an amateur J-E translator looking to gauge if you're ready to go pro, DM me.
The test takes an estimated 2-3 hours, and I will grade it and offer feedback when I have the free time for it.
If you are an amateur J-E translator looking to gauge if you're ready to go pro, DM me.
The test takes an estimated 2-3 hours, and I will grade it and offer feedback when I have the free time for it.
Addendum: If you DM me, please make sure your DMs are open, or I won't be able to respond to you.
FAQ:
What's the time limit? -> There is none. Send it back in a month if you want.
Do I need special tools for this? -> It's an Excel file, so Excel, Gdocs, etc., should all work fine.
What if I'm not amateur? -> It's open to anyone who wants to take it, regardless of background.
What's the time limit? -> There is none. Send it back in a month if you want.
Do I need special tools for this? -> It's an Excel file, so Excel, Gdocs, etc., should all work fine.
What if I'm not amateur? -> It's open to anyone who wants to take it, regardless of background.
