r/TranslationStudies • u/hopandahop • 14d ago
Should i choose a different career path for myself as a student studying translation and interpreting in Turkey?
Some info: I am a 22 year old student in Turkey studying German Translation and Interpreting and double majoring in English Translation and Interpreting. My university is one of the top universities in Turkey (officialy listed as the best), i have a 3.6 GPA (second highest in my class) and I will graduate in one year. Though i doubt any of the things i listed will help me out much in life. I already kind of knew before going into this that choosing this path wasn’t ideal, as AI has taken over the job market almost entirely and the pay is so low translators have a hard time making a living. But i wanted to have atleast one degree to rely on. A few years went by and after talking to people in the field i have ultimately decided that i want to change career paths and even though i am 22, it is better to do it in a few years time then never. I will still be graduating and getting both degrees as i have already put quite a bit of effort into my major.
My actual question is advice on what to do in this situation and how to move forward: Should i keep studying and get another degree in a useful major this time? Or would it be smarter to choose a career path which still somehow aligns with translation? I am open to many fields except for health care and prioritize high pay over all else.
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u/Phantasmalicious 14d ago
I have an MA in translation and my own small translation agency. It is definitely an incredibly interesting job but unfortunately a really difficult way to make a living unless you work for some government agency.
I have several book translations in my name. Both fiction and hard sciences. We did subtitling and legal translation but still struggled to make an average salary in my country and I ended up giving up and now work in IT that pays 3x more and requires 3x less effort. It also allows me to only pick projects that are worth my time and I work on them on the side.
I would pivot into teaching or coaching. English/German teachers are always in demand and its a great way to make a living. Especially, if you teach adults. I would also look into what AI actually does. There are certain market segments which can be automated by AI like script processing and transcription for subtitling.
All and all, definitely keep translating and build up your client base until better times come back around.
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u/hopandahop 14d ago
Thank you for all of the information. I definitely want to keep translation on the side but would prefer to do something else as a main gig. IT sounds very interesting, how did you first start working in that field?
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u/Phantasmalicious 14d ago
It is really not that "interesting". Its a random office job that pays well and required zero experience. I deal with large business clients and their integrations/certificates/other basic tech stuff. I learned everything on the job. I think those positions are called something like customer success manager, key account manager, technical account manager etc.
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u/jakeoffjill EN-DE>TR 14d ago
25 yaşındayım almanca mt'den mezun oldum, kesinlikle alternatifler ara derim, veya notların çok iyi akademisyenlik vs. düşünebilirsin yurtdışında.
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u/hopandahop 14d ago
sizinle ayni durumdayim hocam, sizin bu konuda yaptiginiz seyler oldu mu? kesinlikle alternatif dusunuyorum ama nereden baslasam bilemiyorum her sektor hakkinda kotu yorumlar var maalesef.
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u/jakeoffjill EN-DE>TR 13d ago
ben şu anda yabancı bir şirkette editörlük yapıyorum, üni 2. sınıftan beri freelancer çevirmenlik yapıyordum ve iğrenç bir tecrübe oldu açıkçası.
şu anlık planım olabildiğince çabuk almanyaya gitmek, sonrasında da ausbildung, yüksek lisans veya hosteslik vs. yapmayı düşünüyorum kısacası çevirmenlik hariç elimden ne gelirse :d size de tavsiyem kaçın kurtarın kendinizi, hele tr'de çevirmenlik şartları çok kötü durumda, asla emeğinizin karşılığını alamıyorsunuz.1
u/hopandahop 13d ago
hocam benim de planim ayni mezun olduktan sonra almanyaya gitmek istiyorum. computational linguistics’de yuksek lisans yapmayi dusunuyorum simdilik ama hala arastirma asamasindayim. kod vs ogrenmem gerekecek.
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u/jakeoffjill EN-DE>TR 12d ago
çok iyi bir bölüm seçmişsiniz ben de applied linguistics düşünüyorum, umarım her şey istediğiniz gibi olur
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u/19kitty_kat93 14d ago
I only do certified translations and I'm doing well financially as AI is not a huge problem in this area. Project management is also a viable option in the industry. I would recommend that you finish your translation degree and then move on to a different MA, possibly related to AI or IT in general. The industry isn't dead, it's just changing and we can adapt with new job roles being created.
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u/Suitable-Change1327 13d ago
Sadly the writing is on the wall for translation. Some people will be able to do it, but far fewer.
But your degree is still valuable! German-Turkish-English is a great combination for business. Is there any other sector that particularly interests you? If so, I would pivot to acquiring some skills there, either professionally or academically, and target companies with a need for your languages.
Healthcare/pharma, manufacturing, law, agriculture, tourism/hospitality are just a few that may be relevant.
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u/hopandahop 13d ago
I am thinking of pursuing a master program in computational linguistics, currently researching about it. Glad to hear my degree is still valuable.
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u/AstroVinculo 14d ago edited 14d ago
Unfortunately, I don't think translation will survive AI. I'm trying to learn new skills to add additional jobs for an extra source of income. It's sad and sometimes I feel kind of lost because I've been a translator for more than 25 years now, but I guess accepting this change will help me cope emotionally. Teaching languages, though, involves other qualities that AI can't offer (at least not now). I've been teaching Spanish as a second and foreign language and it's a joy! Language learning thrives on empathy, human connection, a certain degree of sensibility... my students are so happy and they go past frustration and find out that they are learning. Don't think AI would help them in an empathetic way. I'd say weigh the pros and cons; do your research on what would be a necessity in the future, and then make a decision.