If your New Year’s resolution is a new job in the translation industry, we’ve got you covered. Every job search is full of unknowns: What’s out there? How long will it take? And how many rejections is normal? Whether you want to go slow and steady or fast and furious, make sure you have a plan — and manage your expectations — before you dive in.
Not to get too philosophical, but it can’t hurt to articulate exactly why you’re looking for a new job. Are you trying to break into the translation industry from another field? Do you want to switch roles? Need a raise, or better benefits? Maybe you’re planning a move. Whatever the reason, once you figure out exactly why you’re looking — and distinguish your needs from your wants — it’ll be much easier to know when you’ve found the right fit.
Like many things in life, the answer is: It depends. If you’re relatively content in your current job, you may feel less urgency in getting out of dodge, compared to a situation in which you’ve been without work for a while and bills are piling up.
But desperate times don’t call for desperate measures — they call for effective measures. Instead of just blasting your resume everywhere and anywhere and waiting to see what sticks, try making a schedule for yourself with achievable targets. For instance, you might want to participate in one networking event a month; find three relevant job postings per week, and apply to one job each week.
Landing the job of your dreams may take a bit more work than just sending off your resume and interviewing, but the good news is that the effort you put in during the job hunt will serve you well in the long term. When you find a job you like, but notice required (or even preferred) skills or experience you don’t yet have, do what you can to make up the difference! Webinars, virtual meetups, and other tutorials can give you the introduction or basic foundation that might make you someone’s top candidate.
Good luck!