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When working in the translation field, you will be constantly interacting with new people, learning others’ stories, and, of course, translating effectively so others can communicate. Let’s take a look at a day in the life of a translator, and how the duties of translators in diverse industries differ from each other.

General, Day-to-Day Duties for a Translator

As we know, a translator is mainly responsible for translating text from one language to another, while understanding cultural nuances and contextual meaning. And while this is a translator’s main purpose, other important duties must be performed to meet job responsibilities. Here is a snapshot of a translator’s typical duties during a day on the job, no matter the specific field they’re working in.

Consulting with Clients

A key aspect of a translator’s job is consulting and interacting with clients daily. Whether they’re sending emails, joining a Zoom call, or meeting in person, a translator will regularly communicate with their clients to understand how they can best assist them.

Conducting Research

Depending on the type of project a translator is working on, they may need to engage in additional research. Research can entail diving deeper into a specific culture and understanding cultural references and expressions. This research helps make a translator’s work as accurate as possible.

Managing Different Projects

Translators are often working on more than one project at a time. This requires them to manage their time effectively and stay organized throughout the day. 

Specific Types of Translators and Their Job Responsibilities

With a wide variety of translators working in different fields, individuals in each role hold different responsibilities depending on the given industry and project demands. Here is a snapshot of some of the specific duties required for different types of translators.

Legal Translator

Legal translators have the responsibility of translating legal texts such as contracts, court rulings, patents, and more. This can require them to research specific cases to gain a better understanding of contextual backgrounds and to adhere to legal standards while translating. This type of job also requires translators to have an understanding of the legal system so they can help facilitate communication between all parties involved.

Medical Translator

This role requires translators to reliably translate medical records so patients and other individuals can have complete access to healthcare services. It’s highly important for a medical translator to translate with complete accuracy so patients can receive the best care.

Financial Translator

Financial translators play an integral role in translating financial reports, tax reports, and investment documents for individuals. These translators are also responsible for understanding local financial laws, and how they would apply to certain translations.

The list goes on for the types of translators that exist today, and includes education translators, audiovisual translators, international news translators, and more. Each role comes with its own set of responsibilities and tasks for a given project, but they’re all similar in the sense that translators are consistently researching in their industry to better assist their clients.

Receive Your M.A. in Translation at Kent State University

If you want to be prepared for all the responsibilities of a professional translator, Kent State’s MCLS program offers an M.A. in Translation that will give you the skills and knowledge you need to be successful. This program supplies students with real-life experience and assistance from award-winning professors.

Key aspects of our program include:

• Language concentrations in Arabic, French, German, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish
• Smaller class sizes
• An online program option
• 36 hours of coursework
• Internship opportunities
• A supportive alumni network
• Exposure to different translation industries

Our translation program is designed to give students the necessary tools to flourish in any type of translation career.

Begin Your Career in Translation Today

If a career in translation is appealing to you, apply to Kent State’s M.A. in Translation program to begin your journey.