626 words, 3-minute read time
Dull traditional work life has never called my name. Ever since I realized that my journey may not follow the conventional path, guilt has been lingering in the back of my mind. Telling people that I see myself as an entrepreneur has stirred skepticism and laughter. Believe me, I have heard it all. “Are you really wasting five years of Translation studies at ETIB to become an entrepreneur and build brands that might not even succeed?” Who said that one career cancels the other out?
The following post, however, is pure human brainpower. No robots allowed on this blog!
As an aspiring entrepreneur who is currently enrolled in an e-commerce program alongside my Translation major, one thing has caught me off guard: I found way too many similarities, let alone notions and lessons! I came across this one research that has shown many parallels between translators and entrepreneurs, and it has inspired me for to write this post and reflect on my own experience. The list goes on, but here are some common traits that left me in a state of immense happiness. Meet my two worlds merged together!
1- Understanding your audience and their expectations
In both realms, you are required to understand your audience, and that is the primordial step to success. What are their needs? Which persona are they drawn to? What content should you deliver based on your audience’s socio-cultural background? You have to ask yourself a myriad of questions to effectively deliver content that meets your audience’s expectations.
2- Blending copywriting with marketing
If you had told me a few years ago that a Translation major would deepen my understanding of marketing and creative strategies, I would have broken into laughter. The most fascinating courses I took in university were localization, media translation, and copywriting. They taught me to transcreate slogans, storytell through words and style, seamlessly juggle concepts and creativity, craft compelling messages that resonate with the audience, adapt my writing style according to multicultural awareness, etc.
3- Owning the “freelance mindset”
Entrepreneurship and Translation (if you decide to work as a freelance translator) demand an unwavering business mindset. In both fields, you are exposed to pricing, client acquisition, and personal branding that broaden your negotiation and communication skills. You are also supposed to be agile, to adapt to changes and take risks; independence demands resilience and responsibility. Needless to say, you are building a brand in both cases, one is about goods and the other is a service.
4- Crossing creativity’s borders
Translation has nurtured the seeds of creativity that I never knew I had. By learning to transcreate slogans and aesthetically translate marketing content, my creativity has sparked miles. Persuasion is not about what you say, but rather how you say it. This is a skill that I would have never picked up had I not been a Translation student. My major pushed me to conquer superficiality by forcing me to get out of the box. The creative thinking I harvested as a translator is the fuel that makes my entrepreneurial journey easier.
Becoming an entrepreneur does not preclude me from also being a translator. Creativity is the bridge that connects my two worlds together. The brand I am building and pouring my heart into (keep an eye out!) would not be coming together as smoothly if Translation were not my major. If I had to sum up the steady relationship between being a translator and an aspiring entrepreneur in two words only, I would confidently raise my voice and say: Words Sell.
Can you imagine how many times words have either breathed life into industries and businesses or completely sealed their fate?
Best of luck in your journey! Hope it will be an inspiration to people.
Thank you Myriam! Best of luck in your journey as well!
I loved it !! This message could be the answer for everyone ignoring what Translation is ✨️ Wish you a successful journey ❤️
Thank you Sandra. I hope more people get to know and understand how far Translation can take them!
I love how you just proved to everyone that majoring in Translation doesn’t necessarily mean working in it. The skills we are learning from it truly open so many opportunities for us! Love this.
The skills we gain are honestly very versatile!
This is such an insightful piece! I love how you’ve connected translation and entrepreneurship, especially the focus on creativity, audience understanding, and the freelance mindset. It’s inspiring to see how your two passions complement each other so well. Wishing you all the best with your brand—looking forward to seeing it come to life!
These two passions really complement each other so well! Thank you for your support! 🙂
There is no such thing as wasted years at university. This is a great well written piece about succeeding in using what you learnt and implementing it outside the box!
I agree, there’s no such thing as lost years. Knowledge is knowledge!
Thank you for confirming that translation opens many doors! Just because you are a translation graduate doesn’t mean you are only limited to translation. The choices are endless.
Exactly! Which door are you opting for?
Teaching really piques my interest! Not sure if I should take that risk though…
If you’re passionate about teaching, do it!
Balancing a Translation major with entrepreneurship highlights how skills like audience understanding, creativity, and communication can overlap. Both fields enhance each other, with words serving as the key to building successful brands and businesses
Your comment sums up the post perfectly!
Who would’ve thought that translation could be a path to so many creative destinations, let alone entrepreneurship. It’s a very challenging yet rewarding task, and the way you explained it so passionately in your article. Great job Rebecca! Can’t wait to see what you will offer to the world!
I’m happy you felt the passion through the post!
Thank you for sharing! I really enjoyed this piece, and it makes me even more eager to learn about copywriting. Excited to see all the things you’ll achieve in the future!
I’m excited to see how far you’ll go with your copywriting journey!
I loved how you showed that there is more to translation. You gave us a new perspective on the matter, and it’s great to see how well creativity and translation can be connected with entrepreneurship.
I’m happy you found this post eye-opening!
Translators build bridges, and you built a quite unconventional one! I am sure your journey, fueled by your passion, will take you places! I wish you nothing but the absolute best!!
It’s fascinating to see how you connected translation to the world of entrepreneurship. Can’t wait to see how far you’ll go in your journey. Encouraging you from the sidelines!
Your encouragement means a lot!
It’s truly rewarding to see how the courses you mentioned have broadened your horizons and deepened your understanding of both marketing and creative thinking. That transformation you described – from laughter to genuine fascination – is exactly what makes this field so exciting. Localization, media translation, and copywriting go far beyond mere word-for-word translation; they involve reimagining the message for different audiences. The skills you’ve developed are not only essential in translation but also highly valuable across all areas of global communication.
I believe those are the courses that further ignited my passion for entrepreneurship! As you so perfectly put it, translation is a versatile and solid tool that carves countless paths. The skills gained through translation studies form essential pillars of global communication.
A very well-thought post. Nice read!
Glad you liked the post!
A very interesting read. I never thought there would be so many connections between translation and entrepreneurship.
It’s mind-blowing! Isn’t it?
Your passion shines through every word you write. This article is such a motivation for each one of us! Can’t wait to see what you’ll achieve. Keep going!
Thank you! Your kind words fuel my motivation!
Loved the article! Such an inspiration
Thank you!
I can see the great Entrepreneur-Translator you will become! With such a passion, you will definitely succeed and make it. I think it’s amazing how someone can write content for their own (future) brand and lead the marketing strategies, it gives a personal touch. Such a versatile work Rebecca.
Thank you JP for you encouraging words and support. I agree, one’s personal touch matters. My translation major helps me put my creative vision to life and into words!
Inspiring and thoughtful! So are you going to be in charge of the content writing aspect?
Most definitely! I can’t wait to put my creativity to work!
Loved how you connected translation with entrepreneurship. You inspired every translator with this article.
I’m happy it inspired you!
This is such a wonderful and inspiring read! I value how you broke down the false distinction between translation and entrepreneurship, it’s not only encouraging but also quite instructive. The way you linked audience comprehension, creative copywriting, freelancing, and creativity demonstrates how closely related these two disciplines may be. « Words sell » is a significant takeaway, and this essay shows that. Good Job, Rebecca!
Thank you for your interest! Translation and Entrepreneurship really go hand in hand.
This is such an inspiring blog post! I love how you connect Translation and Entrepreneurship, especially the role of creativity and audience understanding. Can’t wait to see the brand you’re building!
I am glad you found the insights valuable!
And…stay tuned!