Translation agency manager to translator
A translation agency manager already meets 68% of what the translator role asks for. The move turns on 6 required skills not yet in the profile.
42/ 100
1 How much of what a translator is expected to do is already part of a translation agency manager’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the translator role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A translator role treats 18 of its required skills as things a translation agency manager already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- apply grammar and spelling rules
- comprehend the material to be translated
- consult information sources
- develop a translation strategy
- follow an ethical code of conduct for translation activities
- follow translation quality standards
What stands in the way is 6 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 38 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A translator role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a translation agency manager background worth leading with.
- already held translate different types of texts communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held comprehend the material to be translated communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held adapt text culturally communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held identify new words information skills
- already held perform sworn translations communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held follow an ethical code of conduct for translation activities communication, collaboration and creativity
All 38 carried skills, including the 18 the translator role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 22 missing skills fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn revise translation works required
- still to learn translate tags required
- still to learn translate texts required
- still to learn update language skills required
- optional, not held make abstracts optional
- optional, not held work with authors optional
- optional, not held make surtitles optional
- optional, not held translate spoken language optional
- optional, not held type texts from audio sources optional
- optional, not held write research proposals optional
- optional, not held write scientific publications optional
- still to learn use dictionaries required
- optional, not held keep up with language evolution optional
- optional, not held develop terminology databases optional
- still to learn information confidentiality required
- optional, not held literature optional
- optional, not held types of literature genres optional
- optional, not held follow work schedule optional
- optional, not held perform project management optional
- optional, not held use translation memory software optional
- optional, not held use word processing software optional
1 further area in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a translator role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 information confidentiality study this
- 02 revise translation works practise this
- 03 translate tags practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 38 skills that carry over
- already held apply grammar and spelling rules skill
- already held comprehend the material to be translated skill
- already held consult information sources skill
- already held develop a translation strategy skill
- already held follow an ethical code of conduct for translation activities skill
- already held follow translation quality standards skill
- already held grammar knowledge
- already held maintain updated professional knowledge skill
- already held master language rules skill
- already held observe confidentiality skill
- already held office software knowledge
- already held preserve original text skill
- already held proofread text skill
- already held provide written content skill
- already held review translation works skill
- already held speak different languages skill
- already held spelling knowledge
- already held translate different types of texts skill
- already held adapt text culturally skill
- already held analyse text before translation skill
- already held coach employees skill
- already held conduct scholarly research skill
- already held court interpreting knowledge
- already held create subtitles skill
- already held decode handwritten texts skill
- already held develop technical glossaries skill
- already held identify new words skill
- already held improve translated texts skill
- already held linguistics knowledge
- already held perform sworn translations skill
- already held postediting knowledge
- already held semantics knowledge
- already held technical terminology knowledge
- already held transcreation knowledge
- already held translate language concepts skill
- already held unseen translation knowledge
- already held use computer-aided translation skill
- already held use consulting techniques skill
The 1 learning area not shown above
- optional, not held scientific research methodology optional
16 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held keep up with language evolution optional
- optional, not held make abstracts optional
- optional, not held work with authors optional
- optional, not held develop terminology databases optional
- optional, not held make surtitles optional
- optional, not held follow work schedule optional
- optional, not held literature optional
- optional, not held perform project management optional
- optional, not held scientific research methodology optional
- optional, not held translate spoken language optional
- optional, not held type texts from audio sources optional
- optional, not held types of literature genres optional
- optional, not held use translation memory software optional
- optional, not held use word processing software optional
- optional, not held write research proposals optional
- optional, not held write scientific publications optional
13 held skills the translator role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role assess quality of services skill
- not needed by the target role assume responsibility for the management of a business skill
- not needed by the target role build business relationships skill
- not needed by the target role customer relationship management knowledge
- not needed by the target role lead a team skill
- not needed by the target role liaise with colleagues skill
- not needed by the target role manage budgets skill
- not needed by the target role musical genres knowledge
- not needed by the target role negotiate service with providers skill
- not needed by the target role negotiate settlements skill
- not needed by the target role project management knowledge
- not needed by the target role quality standards knowledge
- not needed by the target role write work-related reports skill
4 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn information confidentiality required
- optional, not held literature optional
- optional, not held scientific research methodology optional
- optional, not held types of literature genres optional
Common questions about this move
Can a translation agency manager become a translator?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. A translation agency manager already covers 68% of what a translator is expected to do: 38 skills carry over, 18 of which the translator role treats as required.
What skills does a translation agency manager need to become a translator?
6 required skills are missing, plus 16 optional ones. They fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is information confidentiality.
How hard is the move from translation agency manager to translator?
Its learning distance is 42 out of 100, which is the moderate band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.