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Are you an established translator or interpreter looking to take your business to the next level? You’re the reason we’re here!

Next Level supports translators and interpreters with five or more years of experience as they seek to achieve their business goals. We provide information for both freelancers and company owners to use in all aspects of their careers, from improving their privacy protections to planning for retirement.

Statements of fact or opinion are the responsibility of the authors alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of the members of ATA.

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Expanding Your Freelance Business, or Turning it Into an Agency

By Next Level | November 27, 2024
Expanding Your Freelance Business, or Turning it Into an Agency

This post is a reblog, originally published on Training for Translators. It has been republished here with permission from the author. From the Next Level team: For a different perspective on whether or not to start an agency, see “Should You Start a Translation Agency?” by Sara Maria Hasbun. Lots of freelancers wonder about whether it’s a good idea to expand your freelance business, or even turn it into an agency! Particularly if you’re in a situation where: Clients ask you for referrals to translators in other language pairs Clients need more work than you can do by their deadline…

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Get More Done as a Freelance Translator – How to Plan Your Work and Become More Productive

By Next Level | March 15, 2023
Get More Done as a Freelance Translator How to Plan Your Work and Become More Productive

This post is a reblog, originally published on Marketing Tips for Translators. It is republished with permission of the author. Scheduling and planning are fundamentally important things to consider if you hope to build an effective freelance career. In any field, time management is of the utmost importance. If you are a freelance translator, your productivity – and therefore your…

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Should You Start a Translation Agency?

By Next Level | February 15, 2023
Should You Start a Translation Agency

You have been freelancing as a translator for a few years now, and you have settled into a good rhythm. You have some steady clients and are feeling confident in your abilities. You start to wonder: should I be starting my own translation agency? Is that the next step? You might notice colleagues going this route: incorporating as a business,…

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8 COVID-Era Online Language Practice Sites

By Next Level | January 25, 2023
8-COVID-Era-Online-Language-Practice-Sites

This post is a reblog, originally published on Carlie Sitzman’s blog. It is republished with permission of the author. As they venture off into unknown realms of the internet, some language learners may become overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of offerings out there. What works? What doesn’t? Where am I likely to run into personages with dubious motives? This week,…

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Translator Profile: ATA Past President Ted Wozniak

By Next Level | January 11, 2023
ATA Translator Profile Ted Wozniak

Many of you know Ted Wozniak quite well from his many years of dedicated service to ATA…but did you know he essentially worked undercover as a liaison officer for the US Army in Germany? I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Ted, and I enjoyed hearing about his colorful professional life as much as I valued his advice for…

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Shiny Object Syndrome

By Next Level | December 21, 2022
Shiny Object Syndrome

This post is a reblog, originally published in the Tool Box Journal Newsletter, Issue 22-11-342 on November 23, 2022. It is reposted with permission from the author. Imagine you’re building a house. You’ve poured cement for the basement, you spent weeks constructing the walls, and just as you’re starting to work on the roof… you decide to remodel a shiny…

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Mentoring: Get As Much As You Give

By Next Level | November 23, 2022
Mentoring Get As Much As You Give

From the Next Level team: Do you remember the first few years of your career in the language industry? Was it smooth sailing, or did you sometimes wish for someone who could give you advice and point you in a new direction? If you’ve ever wanted or had someone to help you find your footing, consider doing the same for…

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In Praise of Touch Typing

By Next Level | November 9, 2022
In Praise of Touch Typing

The summer before I entered fourth grade, I was invited to join a special summer program at a local community college. I had the opportunity to choose two classes from a range of offerings and, for reasons I no longer remember, I chose drama and touch typing. The drama class never did me much good; I learned mainly that I…

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ATA63 Conference Preview: Business Practices Education at ATA63

By Next Level | October 6, 2022
ATA 63rd Annual Conference

About a week from the time this post appears, the ATA 63rd Annual Conference will be in full swing. Like always, attendees will have opportunities to network with colleagues and potential clients, browse in the Exhibit Hall, exchange dictionaries, exercise, meet candidates for the Board of Directors, and of course, learn as much as they can in just three days.…

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3 Ways to Use Testimonials When You Have NDAs

By Next Level | September 21, 2022
3 Ways to Use Testimonials if You Have NDAs

This post is a reblog, originally published on Madalena Sánchez Zampaulo’s blog. It is reposted with permission from the author. Testimonials are a great way to enrich your online marketing. Customers often read product reviews and testimonials before they make an important purchase. I heard someone say recently that other people’s words are 15 times more valuable than our own when…

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Courting the Sandman

By Next Level | August 31, 2022
Courting the Sandman

MIRELLA lay still in her bed, though she felt every muscle twitching. She had tried tossing but could not get comfortable. Lying on her back, she scooted up to rest her head on the pillow. She had read somewhere that in colonial times, they used to sleep almost sitting up. The standby light on the computer stared at her accusingly.…

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