Real translators tell their story

The journey of Meredith towards becoming a subtitler

This is the first of a series called “Real translators tell their story” in which I will feature some translators telling their story of how they got started in translation, the difficulties they’ve faced and how they’ve overcome them.

We start today with the story of Meredith, who started her journey as a translator and moved towards subtitling, where she is now using her language skills and her training for a job she loves.

“Upon my return to the U.S. after spending some years in Colombia, I decided that putting my Spanish skills to use would be a good way to earn extra income. In a metropolitan city like Chicago, where bilingual native  Spanish  speakers are abundant, I figured the competition for interpreters and translators would be fierce.

As I began to apply for freelance jobs with translation and interpreting agencies, it slowly dawned  on me that seasoned  interpreters would get priority for assignments, while the preference for native Spanish speakers seemed to be in high demand. I wasn’t getting assignments at the rate I was hoping to get. Even after getting medical interpretation training, I found it difficult to get consistent offers for assignments in the field.

Also, I was coming from Colombia where the language combination from Spanish to English was more sought out in the market. In the U.S. on the other hand, English to Spanish was much more sought out. That was another small challenge I would have to get overcome to by honing in on my Spanish skill set.

The search for finding my niche in what felt like such an oversaturated field that I felt so passionately about was an unexpected challenge. Nevertheless, I knew there was something out there for me.

One day, I was listening to the podcast, “Globally Speaking” a podcast designed to create awareness to language professionals and how they can improve their skills in the foreign market place. The announcers spoke about Netflix and how there was a growing demand for quality subtitlers with the company.

My interest peaked immediately, as I was at the brink of giving up the search for assignments in translation and interpretation.  In order to become a subtitler with Netflix, previous experience would be required, as there is a very challenging entrance exam to pass in order to be considered for the position. I started browsing websites and corresponding with friends that were working in post production and film companies in Spain and around Europe about training opportunities in subtitling.

I finally came across GoSub TV, an organization that offers intensive online courses in the art of subtitling and closed captions. After asking a lot of questions, I finally decided to sign up for the course.

The course ended up being self-paced, yet very intensive and hands on. My instructor was fantastic as she was very patient and quick in answering all my concerns and inquiries. I was able to complete the course and start paid training jobs roughly a week after I received my certificate.

It was one of the best decisions I’ve made and ended up landing a job with a small closed caption company in Chicago. I couldn’t be happier on this journey as a subtitler and I love the work that I do. I definitely Iook forward to more opportunities in the industry for the future.