Translation & Localization, Translator Interviews
For Rustam, translation was his calling. At the young age of 15, he had decided to turn his passion for learning languages into a career. After 14 years of translating from Russian to English, he’s glad he made the right decision. Rustam is a native speaker of Russian and is fluent in English.
Join us in finding more about Rustam’s life as a translator, the challenges he overcame, and the one thing he would ask all up-and-coming translators to do.
I had an inclination towards learning languages while I was in school. Hence, getting into translation was the natural course and an appropriate decision. To be specific, I decided to become a translator at the age of 15.
After school, I pursued Masters in English Philology from the Faculty of Romance-Germanic Philology of the Bashkir State University. There, I enjoyed studying very much and thought I’d like to do this for a living.
Online platforms help translators in creating visibility and a good portfolio. Another thing I’ve learned over the course of my career is that the international offers a variety of opportunities for translators. Hence, I would have liked to pay attention to the international market. I would not limit myself to Russia.
True. The exposure helps you get more clients, too.
First of all, being multilingual helps me make money 🙂 Of course, this skill comes in handy when I travel. It’s easier to communicate and pick up phrases of the local languages.
Being a freelancer helps me manage my time in a flexible manner. I don’t usually get up early – around nine in the morning. Currently, I am working with many western companies. People there start their day even later. Hence, new orders usually start coming in at around two or three in the afternoon. Until that time, I work on current orders. I finish work around six in the evening.
My work schedule is a little unpredictable – there are days when I’m absolutely free.
Oh, the life of a freelancer 🙂
Well, the best advice I’ve received is singing up for ProZ.com. It’s a great platform for translators who are looking for work and wish to build credibility.
Agreed. It’s a gold mine for translators.
In terms of my career, the biggest challenge has been to maintain good productivity levels. That means managing the need to do a lot of work in a very short time.
Also, I did a bungee jump once, and that was extremely challenging too!
I was surprised that being a translator can be quite profitable and comfortable. I never would have thought so 15 years ago.
I would like to be remembered as someone who contributed to something big – maybe see my name in the credits of some famous movie 🙂
Ah, that would be awesome!
I remember a project wherein I did translations for a car game. Also, I’ve translated texts for the US State Department. That project was interesting, too.
So far, the journey has been really smooth. Everyone on your team is polite and there have never been any delays in my payments. Top-notch!
Thanks, Rustam. We have also enjoyed working with you.
I can’t remember anything particularly funny but I do try to learn from the mistakes of others! 🙂
This phrase is almost impossible to convey in any other language. Also, it is difficult to understand if Russian is not your native language.
Forget about the borders! Try to work with other countries and companies abroad.
Great advice! Thank you so much for your time, Rustam.
Ruju Patel leads the Content and Design Team at Translate By Humans. She has a background in Psychology and Business and former experience as an HR professional. She is a people's person and a pro at drafting contracts, policies, and articles. Her creative edge helps give life to all the written and graphic content produced by the company.
When she's not writing, you'll find her reading with her cats or combining her love for food and culture by traveling around the world!
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Rustam:
You’re welcome! Thanks so much for interviewing me 🙂
Here’s a little about me. I live in the city of Ufa in Russia. Russia has 22 republics and Ufa is the capital city of a republic is called Bashkortostan.
I live in Ufa with my wonderful family that includes a beautiful wife and two lovely children – one is 7 years old and the other is 2 years old. In my leisure time, I love to listen to music, play computer games, and watch movies.
TBH:
Oh, the perfect life 🙂