BY FRANCISCO LANDAZÁBAL

We do know that communication is needed everywhere. Translation and interpreting has everything to do with communication and the way in which we achieve a higher exposure in the social media and in the Web, but the real visibility is related to the passion applied to the daily job we do. A translator´s journey is nothing but boring because each time we are close to a new project or to the customer´s needs and expectations, we achieve part of our full potential as communicators. Being visible in a translator’s network is easier when we show our real human face with professionalism, taking detailed care of each part of every new project for which we assure that the result will be close to perfection.

A good business record, based in accurate time calculation to finish an assignment and in the kindness to explain the scope of our work and what the customer could expect from us as a value proposal, is very important to get loyalty and repeated commission of work. We face a challenge every time a project is published in a translator’s network that we are free to accept or reject, but the effects of our work and visibility are seen far beyond the time in which we deliver a job. The personal branding is an ability to depict what makes us better than most as professionals, but it is extremely important to be truthful as well when giving to others our portrait in the personal branding we create in the digital media to reach a bigger audience day by day.

For obvious reasons, people use to give the best of them in the profile´s photo of a social or professional network like LinkedIn trying to connect with other´s expectations, but the truth moment is when someone reach you to know more and to see what you are good in! There is a moment where only you and your work can talk for you. Therefore, personal branding is not just a matter of marketing, but a real effort to be better every day to support your statements.

A freelancer translator, should see himself/herself as an entrepreneur and behave like that, when delivering a product/service with the highest quality standards, on time. The positive effect of your work could take some time to become you a renowned translator, but it will finally happen when you gather the comments and experience of your satisfied customers. So, for me, personal branding is something that will evolve naturally if you do your best for your peers and your customers, because you will be a trustful person for everyone. I like to share with people not only what I know and my skills but sometimes my thoughts about life and the world as it is now. My faith in human beings is easy to catch in my feelings about what I think is coming for mankind, no matter how ugly reality is sometimes seen. We don´t need to be like rock stars in the social media to develop a professional career in translation and language services, we better try to market ourselves in a simple and direct way. This is my honest and direct message to those who are looking for highly skilled communicators: Look for human beings not for machines. 

For so long, I have not been very smart doing that personal branding and perhaps I has kept me away from important opportunities. Having a networking breakfast for example, is such a nice and useful thing, to know new people and get friends that will be easier to become clients in future. That´s a new goal to achieve, to have a stronger presence in professional and social networks for this new career as a translator. I think that giving something for free is a good idea, but that shouldn´t be done with new customers. It is better to get loyalty from existing ones by giving something extra, free of charge, to them. But the most admired thing you could do for a customer is to assume a new assignment in a tight schedule and doing a great job on time. That´s something risky and very demanding in terms of your time, but will be worthwhile. On top of that, your earning for such and effort will be more fun to spend!

My advice to everyone involved in a translation career who wants to enhance his/her presence and impact in the marketplace is to learn a new language, I mean a third and a fourth one because if you have a real linguistic talent, that should be natural for you. During your coming assignments you could start to promote a new language pair that is fantastic to demonstrate. For instance, I have some studies in German, French and a little Italian. French is very easy for me to understand and to speak and that is a purpose I have for the mid-term and something challenging and exciting as well, to start soon. 

Profile Link http://www.modlingua.com/interns/453-francisco-landazabal.html