The last three decades have seen significant change in how translators, interpreters, and agencies work.
Less formal, part-time translators and interpreters have given way to better trained, full-time professionals, while agencies are morphing into major corporations. Technology and internationalization have given freelancers the tools to work globally, as agencies are going high-tech and controlling a larger share of the market.
Have these movements in our industry created an “us vs. them” mentality? Are agencies and freelancers destined to be at odds with one another?
It’s time to analyze where we are in the present in order to plan for where we could be in the future!
This webinar will analyze the following market trends:
- Technology and globalization have expanded the language services market, changing the landscape for freelancers and agencies alike.
- While individual freelancers can now offer services worldwide, they must compete globally, even if they can’t meet all the market’s needs.
- Agencies exist because of transactions costs and demand for their services; they thrive because they operate cost-effectively.
- Most agencies are small businesses, but a few large LSPs have considerable market share and are relying more and more on technology.
- Agencies and freelancers can successfully coexist, but they need to prepare for change and understand what motivates the other side.
About the presenters
John M. Milan is an ATA-certified translator, economist, writer, and lecturer with over 20 years of experience in language services.
He holds a Master of Science in Microeconomics from the Ohio State University, where he was a Foreign Language and Area Studies fellow. He specialized in Portuguese translation during his graduate.
John served on the Carolina Association of Translators and Interpreters’s Board of Directors for eight years and served as the chapter’s president from 2013-20. He is currently the Treasurer on ATA’s Board of Directors and has been on the finance and audit committee since 2015.
He has been a member of the ATA Finance and Audit Committee since 2015 and is currently serving as the Association’s Treasurer.
Michael Collins has been active in technical translation and localization for over 30 years. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona, majoring in Russian and German, and a master’s degree in Slavic Linguistics from UNC Chapel Hill. He also studied at the university level in Germany and Yugoslavia.
Mike is ATA-certified German>English and Russian>English translator. He is the author of numerous articles and presentations on translation and the translation industry. He currently works as a freelance translator.
He is the past president of Global Translation Systems, Inc. as well as the past president of the Carolina Association of Translators and Interpreters.
Code of Conduct
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