If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile yet, go right ahead and create one.
Do yourself a favor and post a searchable resume on Indeed.ca as there are people out there looking for you.
As freelance interpreters and translators, you are likely to be sought after by recruiters who find it more efficient to come to you with specific opportunities that match your skills.
Don’t shy away from listing your rare, ethnic dialects, as a documentary film maker could be out there who needs to have dialogues in your language subtitled in Canada and would really appreciate your help.
Face-to-face interpretation is only one of the things that you can do with your linguistic skills and there are untapped opportunities which you may not be aware of as they are not publicized in the form of job ads.
Social media, once mistrusted and dismissed as a short-lived fad, have changed the rules of the game in communication, by giving everyone a platform and a microphone to be seen and heard.
While Facebook keeps us connected with family and friends across the world, LinkedIn enables users to showcase their professional skills and effectively network with colleagues and employers.
To make the most of a public profile, it is important to be specific in terms of qualifications and experience. If you have legal interpretation experience, specify the fields, such as small claims, traffic, family court, without unveiling assignment details and breaking codes of confidentiality.
French translator, well versed in the mining industry? Play it up and quantify with years of experience or project volume.
Above all, be easily accessible, without compromising your contact information. That is, put your frequently used email account as primary contact, not the one that you created to get store promotions and hardly ever check!
Proudly display education, accreditation and certificates, as they can be used as key words to find you, and expand your network by adding other language professionals and potential employers. This is crucial as LinkedIn does not always allow users to freely contact beyond their network.
Even if you have a full-time job and do not interpret anymore, you will never know when a member of the community would desperately need an interpreter. Be there for them and help them be heard.
By Hiedeh Farmani