Let’s start with freelancers. Why would someone want to work as a freelancer rather than an in-house translator? One of the main attractions to being a freelancer is the ability to be your own boss. You can decline the jobs that you don’t like while accepting the ones you do. You are able to set your own rates and your own hours. You have more flexibility to arrange your schedule around your needs versus regular employees who are expected to work a scheduled amount of time each day. In general, freelancers have the potential to make more money than in-house translators as well, so it is a very attractive path for many.

So why would someone not want to be a freelancer? The freedom sounds like it would be enough, not to mention the potential amount of money that you can make. One of the main reasons that some people prefer working in-house over freelance is because of the variance in the work. The frequency of work that you receive is not always guaranteed even if you have repeat clients. You are reliant on people offering you work rather than just having a steady stream of guaranteed work. Also, you need to be able to market yourself and compete with other freelancers for work. If you are unable to set yourself apart from the other translators out there, then you will have difficulty finding work because you will just be blending in and not showing off your skills.

What makes working in-house so great then? One of the biggest draws to working in-house is having structure. If you are hired as a translator or interpreter for a company, you will only have to worry about the work that they give you. You will have a schedule for your work hours, you will have a team to work with, you will have a steady salary, and you will have company benefits. You might even receive training that will help you improve your skills or work better in the company. There will also be opportunities to use new technology or receive benefits that you would have otherwise have had to pay for on your own if you were a freelancer.

The downside of working in-house though is the fact that you are working for a company and have to play by their rules. You have to make sure that you conform to their company culture and values, so that could mean that you lose a lot of your individuality and uniqueness. The translation or interpretation styles that you had in the past might not work at the company anymore. You also have no ability to choose the work you do. If your employer gives you the same kind of work over and over again, then you have no choice but to do it.

Of course, when we are working with such new technology and subject matter, we will encounter things that we have never seen before. How do we handle the challenge of facing new things? We simply have to dive in headfirst to gather all of the information that we can, using our network of trusted resources as well as our own ability to practice and test different technologies or methods out. We keep open communication with all of our stakeholders: you never know where the next tip or trend is going to come from.

We also are always working to expand our network of linguists across the globe, both to make sure that we can cover any request relevant to new trends, and to open new channels of information exchange. Of course, one great way to keep abreast of new trends is always to research and never be afraid to address challenges. Another way is by getting the perspective of younger people who might have new, unconventional ideas, which is why we always keep in touch with the new generation of translation, interpretation, and localization students.

Modern translation and interpretation providers operate very differently than those of the past, and we can assume that they will continue to evolve and change. To stay current or even ahead of the curve, we must work hard to remain updated with today’s trends, which means we are always thinking ahead, learning, and growing. We focus on the future and accomplish things today that will set us up for success tomorrow. We rely on our hard-working staff, our network of various relationships, our technologies, and our information-gathering strategies to keep us energized and to help us stay a dynamic translation and interpretation company! Every day is interesting for us at work because no two days are the same at Monterey Language Services!

If you consider yourself to be the most social and opinionated person, check this out. Here are easy steps to win:

• Click on the link below:
Monterey Language Services Tech Marathon
• Start a question about Technology
• Invite as many friends as possible
• Keep your thread alive
(i.e. have your friends join, give feedback, and have fun!)
• The longest thread will win
• Price is $100 in cash

The marathon starts immediately. The deadline is April 18th, Friday, 12 pm PDT. The winner will be announced at 5 pm on Monterey Language Services Facebook.

Everyone can chat about future technology. Are you ready for this challenge?

Monterey Language Services strives to provide the highest quality of translation and interpretation services. Please feel free to contact us for a quote.