In just two years, English to French translator Sébastien became a distinguished Wordsmith because of his dedication to quality. His passion for travel motivated him to join Gengo, where he enjoys the flexibility of working from anywhere in the world. He advocates becoming a preferred translator as it’s the best way to regularly acquire more jobs.

What languages do you speak and what are your experiences with learning them?

French is my mother tongue, but I speak English and Spanish, too. I was born next to Lyon, where I earned a degree in Philosophy. Afterward, I moved around a lot and spent a year in Barcelona. I really love discovering new places where I can practice and improve my language skills.

I discovered Gengo in 2014 and, thanks to this platform, I can continue working even when I’m away from home. I just turn on my RSS feed to pick up jobs whenever I’m free. I have been writing for a living since 2001. I make regular contributions to newspapers, blogs and communication agencies. Translating content on a regular basis is relatively new for me but I do it with great passion. It has become an important part of my daily routine and I didn’t even realize I had translated so many words!

What are your favorite translation tools?

I would recommend Linguee.com, an excellent dictionary that shows how a word is translated on the Internet. I think it’s very useful to help produce an accurate translation. Wikipedia is also a great tool to search for relevant information.

What are your tips to become a Wordsmith?

I usually work with the same clients. I think becoming a preferred translator is critically important to get jobs more easily and on a regular basis because you’re part of a “short list”. I would advise newer translators to always give priority to quality rather than quantity. By doing this, you can save precious time learning the style guide and glossary, and instead build your client base.