I’m studying languages — how can I get into translating for a non-profit organisation?

You don’t usually have to be a professional translator (i.e. a member of the Institute of Linguistics) to be a translator for a non-profit organisation but you do need the ability to produce professional-quality translation. You should have near-native fluency in the language you are translating from and to, with an excellent understanding of different writing styles. For example, if you are translating a newspaper article, the text you produce should conform to the norms of journalistic English.

French, German and Spanish are probably less useful than languages like Portuguese (which is less widely spoken than Spanish) and, as with translation work in general, the least common languages are the most marketable. Russian and Arabic are probably the most sought-after for working with non-profit organisations, as are unusual languages like Thai.

To get experience, there are lots of organisations seeking volunteer translators because professional translation services can be very expensive. Organisations like Friends of the Earth may also pay you flat rates per page, which are lower than commercial rates but will cover your expenses, providing you are required to make a daily commitment.

Contact organisations with an international focus (check out our directory for details) directly to find out about opportunities and be prepared to undertake a test-translation. Badly translated documents can potentially be disastrous for any organisation, so they will need to ensure that you are as good as you say you are. You could also offer to revise the text on any websites that you come across that have been poorly translated, which may lead to further work.

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