Course curriculum

  • 1

    Introduction

  • 2

    Pre-Game

    • Day one: Resume, Photo and Specializations

    • Day two: Your website

    • Which Languages Should You Translate Into?

    • Extras for your Resume
  • 3

    Setting Up Your Accounts

    • Freelance websites (1 hour max per website)

    • Signing up for Upwork: a Walk-through

    • Translation Websites 1: A Proz.com Walk-through

    • Translation Websites 2 (1 hour max per website)

    • Translation agencies (1 hour max per agency)

    • How do Kudoz Points Help?

    • Update: Not sure how to start? Here are the first 5 steps I recommend

    • A bit more in depth about Translation Tests
  • 4

    Starting Strategy

    • Pricing

    • Working for Free

    • Some Strategies for Starting Out

    • Sample Application Letter

    • 3 Strategies for Sales Emails
  • 5

    Marketing

    • Active Marketing

    • Passive Marketing

    • Some General Marketing Strategies

    • Using LinkedIn for Marketing

    • Job alerts

    • Another way to Find Clients?

    • Update: An easy way to apply to agencies that are currently hiring

    • From my Channel: Where to find Translation jobs
  • 6

    Getting Paid: What to do after you are assigned a job

    • Getting Paid

    • Invoices

    • Invoice Template

    • Not Getting Paid - My Personal Example
  • 7

    Tips and Tricks

    • Tips

    • Tips 1 - OCR (optical character recognition)

      FREE PREVIEW

    • Tips 1b - OCR walkthrough

    • Tips 2 - Time Management

    • Tips 3 - Shares, Commissions, Rush jobs

    • Tips 4 - Apps I Recommend

    • Tips 5 - Your Support System

    • Tips 6 - CAT Tools

    • More on CAT Tools

    • Medium Article: CAT SCAM - How CAT Tools are being used by Agencies to cheat Translators

    • Tips 7 - Glossary and Translation Tips

    • Tips 7b - More Translation Tips

    • Tips 8 - 80-20 Rule

    • Tips 9 - Book Recommendations

    • Tips - Use the Sample Text to Stand out

    • Bonus - How to Find Good Translation Companies

    • Bonus - Going through Freelancer Emails

    • Bonus - How to be an Unsuccessful Freelance Translator

    • Bonus - What are other Translators Quoting?

    • Get a Freelance Translator Certification!

      FREE PREVIEW

    • Linkedin Sales Navigator

    • Where you can get Translation Experience (also for your portfolio and reviews)

    • For the Long-Term: Specialize Specialize Specialize
  • 8

    Closing Remarks

  • 9

    COVID-19 Update

    • COVID-19 Update

    • Webinars

    • Webinars 2

    • Linkedin

    • Webinars (Extra)

Join over 4,000 students and counting!

See what Other Students have to say about the Course here below

Awesome course!

Alex Smirnow

The best translators course I've experienced so far. Although, I'm not a novice translator, I already can see that this course would have been an immense support when I had started out. As a professional translator I've learned a lot of those "tiny" details that make the big picture, ones that I've been missing while learning all by myself. Really useful links, useful hints and tips.

The course gave me everything I was expecting and something else

Thyara Costa

I just got hired for a freelance transcription for an enterprise with pretty bad reviews. I'm gonna take as a first experience because, probably, it's being for free, and that's ok for a first job. Anyways, now I feel confident and with enough market/professional knowledge to get through this conscious scamming and hope the coming steps gonna be fair.

just what the doctor ordered!

Daniel Steve Villarreal

Robert's course is just what the doctor ordered! ...  First-rate course, and I recommend it unhesitatingly for both novice and non-novice (I just made that word up!) alike.

Robert, thank you so much for putting this course together, it is an amazing work!

Angela Roveda

I've been trying to become a professional translator for a while, but I didn't know where to start. Now, I feel like I have a chance competing with other professionals and actually make a living out of it. Robert, thank you so much for putting this course together, it is an amazing work!

Débora Branco

Hello Robert, I took your course between June/July and today just delivered my first real assignment :)

Soledad Ortiz Cejas

"It was exactly what I was looking for because before the course I had a lot of information but no idea of how to get it organized. I feel more confident now. Muchas gracias. :D"

Yes, best online course I've taken.

Laura Ellen Pitson

The exact info I needed, delivered clearly and at the right pace to absorb it. Robert knows exactly what he's talking about, he's thought it all through and it shows. Thanks Robert

Mariana Perez Diaz

I feel more confident now with all of these tools. It is hard to start doing something you feel capable for without any guidance. Thanks for this course!

Patrícia Caixeirinho

I have studied translation and worked on it at a firm in the past, but have stopped translating professionally for another job. Since translation is my real passion, I am trying to figure out a way to start translating again. Learning some the tricks of the trade of doing it as a freelancer is just what I need right now. I believe this course is a great tool to help me start translating again at a professional capacity.

Marcus Vinicius de Almeida Lins Santos

It's a great course. I think its more practical style gives it efficiency. It helped me going straight to some things that I think will be useful in my career.

Who is the instructor?

Originally from Switzerland 🇨🇭, Robert serves as Treasurer for the Carolina Association of Translators and Interpreters (CATI), is a member of the board for the Swiss Association of Charlotte, and has written books on Freelance Translation.

He has been a featured speaker at an ATA-sponsored conference, as well as the New Zealand Society of Translators and Interpreters Conference.

He worked in banking, market research, and received a Master’s degree (M.P.A.) from Cornell University in Finance. After this, he worked as a Freelance Translator and gradually set up his own Translation Agency, Lugano Translations.

Have questions?? Email me at: Course[AT]Luganotranslations[DOT]com

You can also add me on Linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/rgebhardt