Working as an Italian translator may sound like a dream job, but at times it can be pretty hard going. Not having a conventional boss means that I don’t have somebody hanging over me churning out deadlines, but it also means that I have to constantly strive to motivate myself and manage my own time effectively in order to keep my regular clients happy and keep those pounds rolling in. 
Being a native English speaker, I work translating Italian into English. The job is so diverse. One day I might be translating subtitles for an Italian movie or documentary, and the next I’ll be working on localization and translation services for a corporate website, or an Italian medical conference. But it’s more than that. With regular clients requiring a linguist on short notice, I’ll have many different jobs on the go on any given day.
Here’s a breakdown of a typical day and how I’ll typically try to structure things to get all of my translations done as quickly, accurately and economically as possible.
Italian to English Translation Services
7am – Wake up time, starting the way right with a nice, full breakfast and a large to keep my energy up. I also drop my son off at school during this time.
8.45am – Log into the Transcription City translations for (file transfer protocol) site to check the work I have in. I’ll also check my emails to confirm any long turnaround or urgent translations so I can prioritize.
9am – Typically, subtitle translations will require short deadlines so I’ll work on these first. I work with an Italian .srt file, translating lobe by line, then run the English translated .srt alongside the Italian video, editing timings as needed. Subtitle translations are incredibly intensive to work on due to the need for incredibly accurate timings, so it’s also good to do these first thing for the best finished file.
10.30am – Time for a much needed tea break and a well deserved custard cream.
10.45am – Back to work. First I’ll check my mail inbox to confirm any urgent work in. If there’s nothing, I’ll take the opportunity to work on something with a more relaxed, longer deadline. Usually this will include a document translation of some sort, possibly a website translation or PowerPoint medical translation.
12pm – Lunch time
1pm – Usual email checks followed by transcript translation. The majority of the work I take on for Transcription City Translations is video translations or audio translations. Italian transcription of a video is completed by a native Italian speaker. Then I am forwarded the Italian transcript written using the standard time codes template. I work through the document, translating written Italian that is included, using the video or audio alongside to help with context and localization.
3pm – briefly check emails for updates on work for tomorrow. I’ll also update my minutes, rates and job names into my monthly invoice that i send on the last friday of the month, so that nothing gets forgotten.
4pm – Time to finish up for the day now, to pick up my son from school, make dinner and later do the bedtime routine and relax on the sofa.
9pm – Before switching my phone off for the night I will briefly check my emails for any important updates on tomorrow’s workload.
10.30pm That’s it for me. Night night, don’t let the bedbugs bite! Xx
If you are interested in any of our translation services or transcription services why not get in touch today? Were are available seven days a week and always happy to help.
