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18 tips for working with translation companies

02
Jul, 2025
Mari Smith

In a previous blog article I discussed how we work with freelance translators. Today, I would like to share a few tips for anyone hoping to do freelance work for a translation company. Read on to find out what makes the perfect freelancer, from the point of view of our project managers.

1. Find a company that’s the right fit for you

Pick out specific translation companies that you would like to work for. Look at their websites and social media profiles to see whether they would be a good fit for you, for example based on the areas they specialise in. Contacting them via email is perfectly fine, but you should always add a personal touch. Take the time to find out the name of the person you should contact and address your email to them. Write a couple of sentences about why you would like to collaborate with that translation company in particular. Just as if you were applying for an in-house job, you should attach a personalised cover letter and a carefully prepared CV. 

2. Have a little patience

A translation company won’t be willing to try out an untested translator on a large job straight away – it’s too risky. So you’re likely to start off with a number of smaller jobs. Once you’ve shown that you’re reliable and capable, you can hope to receive an increased stream of work. But as translation companies can rarely predict how busy they will be at any given time, they are usually unable to guarantee you a particular quantity of work.

3. React quickly

Project managers are generally pressed for time. Even if it interrupts your workflow, you should check your emails regularly (roughly on an hourly basis) and be available to answer the phone. Set up an automated out-of-office reply if you’ll be unable to check your emails for even a few hours. If you work with a translation company regularly, please also let them know any dates when you’ll be on holiday or otherwise unavailable. 

4. Communicate clearly

Avoid long emails and unnecessary phone calls. “I can complete the translation by 12:00pm on Tuesday”, or “Unfortunately I don’t have any availability today or tomorrow”, is all the information the project manager needs. Constructive suggestions, such as pushing back a delivery deadline by a few hours, can also be helpful.

Choose the most appropriate method of communication – as a rule, keeping to emails makes life easier for the project manager. But when you need an urgent reply before you can start a job, or when you have a more complicated question, it’s best to give them a call. 

5. Be reliable

Only take on jobs that you can handle – in terms of what you’ll be translating and how long it should take. You should look through the job carefully before you start and make sure to leave some extra time to allow for any unforeseen circumstances.

6. Deliver on time

Project managers have to be able to rely on freelancers adhering to the agreed deadlines, as late deliveries may have a domino effect and disrupt the entire project workflow.

But if there is an unexpected delay, you should contact the project manager as soon as possible. They will work with you to find a solution.

7. Read the brief

Before you start the translation, take the time to read through the brief. Make sure to use the terminology databases and translation memories provided. If in doubt, ask for a written list of all the requirements. 

8. Be flexible

When a project manager sends retroactive changes that need to be worked into the source text, or a deadline is shifted, or the customer requests changes to the translation after it’s been delivered, bear in mind: the project manager is just a link in the chain. Work with them to find a solution that will make the customer happy. If the additional work is more than you’re willing or able to provide at no additional cost, discuss this with the project manager. Most importantly, always keep in mind that a happy customer is good news not just for the translation company but ultimately for you too, since you’re more likely to receive work from them again in the future.

9. Treat the translation company as a customer

The project manager – and therefore the translation company – is your customer. Being customer-oriented means, for example, measuring the length of a job according to the customer’s preference (per word/per line, source text/target text). If a good customer requests a small additional service as a one-off, such as translating an extra sentence after you’ve already delivered a job, you should be accommodating. If a translation company uses an online portal, don’t insist on delivering via email. Part of customer service is complying with the customer’s wishes as far as possible and financially viable.

10. Keep up to date with technology

Stay on top of the latest developments related to the tools you use. Of course, project managers will be able to help you solve the odd technical issue. But they’re no replacement for your software provider’s support line.

11. Ask questions

We’ve never yet had a customer who wasn’t willing to answer queries about the source text. On the contrary, asking questions shows that you’ve read the text thoroughly and critically – which is an essential step towards producing a good translation. 

12. Be proactive

If you’re missing information that would help you with the job, let the project manager know. For example, they may not have seen that the penultimate paragraph of your text refers to an image, but they will certainly be happy to request the image from the customer. And spelling errors that you notice in the source text, or any other errors you come across in the course of your research, should also be communicated to the project manager. In the end, we’re all working together to achieve the same thing: a good translation and a satisfied customer.

13. Don’t deliver unfinished work

The translation company expects to receive final, fully translated texts from you. Before you deliver, you should have carried out a spell check and cleared up any questions with the relevant project manager. 

Feel free to add written comments, e.g. indicating the source you used for a particular piece of terminology – this will be a great help for the reviser who checks the translation.

14. Be open to feedback

When you receive feedback from the translation company, take it on board. Constructive criticism helps you to keep honing your skills – and praise is of course always welcome! Don’t give feedback on the feedback, unless you find an error in the corrections. Going back and forth is time-consuming for everyone involved without creating any additional benefit.

15. Answer queries immediately

The revisor may have questions about your translation. As they’re usually working to a tight deadline, they’ll be grateful for a prompt reply.

16. Stay in touch

If you used to do regular work for a translation company but haven’t heard anything from them in a while, get in touch. Maybe the project manager you had contact with has left the company, or simply doesn’t have your name quite so fresh in their mind any more. Of course, you shouldn’t overdo it. But a short email (not a phone call or a weekly mailing campaign) can’t hurt.

17. Make time for a personal connection

If you’re on the phone with your contact at the translation company and notice that they’re in a talkative mood, take the opportunity for a quick chat. This makes the working day a little more enjoyable for everyone, and might also make the project manager more likely to think of you the next time they have a job to allocate.

18. Invoice promptly

Submit the invoice for your work as promptly as possible to help streamline things for the project manager. If you do a lot of smaller jobs for a company, it may make sense to send a collective monthly invoice. It’s best to discuss this with the project manager.

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