Readers: The article below is a J>E translation of Jun Shoji’s interview for the Switching Tracks series and is intended both to showcase her skill as a translator and as part of a pilot to explore offering more bi-texts on the JLD blog. Please enjoy!
Jun Shoji is a professional translator with thirteen years of experience. From 2008 to 2014, Shoji lived in New York State, USA, where she began her translation career in 2012 at a contemporary art studio. She has been working independently as a freelance translator since 2018. Her work covers a wide range of fields, including literature, business documents, marketing materials, and environmental reports.
Email: info@nanaha-tr.site
ATA Directory: https://www.atanet.org/member-directory/jun-shoji/
How did you first get started in translation/interpreting (T/I)?
I first began working as a translator in New York in 2012, where I was located at that time, when I was hired at the studio of a Japanese contemporary artist in Long Island City. My job there mainly involved translating various internal documents related to art production at the studio. While the tasks were fairly straight forward, and I had not originally aspired to become a translator (I was an art student!), I was happy with the position as I was interested in the studio itself, since it was highly regarded in the art industry. The open position at the studio just happened to be for a translator.
I worked at the art studio for a little over two years until my return to Japan in 2014.
After moving back, I carefully considered the financial side and my long-term prospects, and as a result, I decided to focus on pursuing a career as a translator rather than remaining in the art industry.
Do you currently work in-house (IH) or freelance (FL)?
Yes. I am now in my seventh year as a freelance translator, having started in 2018. Before that, I worked as an in-house translator for just over two years in New York and another two years in Japan, for a total of about four years.
When did you switch from IH to FL? What was it like making the switch?
I initially registered with a translation platform as a temporary measure after leaving my full-time job, and began taking on projects there. What I thought would be a stopgap quickly gained momentum, and I have continued ever since.
In retrospect, although I did not feel ready to go freelance and was even considering taking another in-house position, I was actually more prepared than I realized: I had just enough savings to cover a year of living expenses, and about four years of professional translation experience to draw on.
What has been the biggest benefit of making the switch?
While I enjoy meeting and interacting with people in my personal life, when it comes to work, I prefer to approach tasks independently. So, the independence of freelancing is what I value most.
What has been the biggest drawback to making the switch?
That is definitely financial instability. To be honest, I felt anxious for more than six months, even after I had started getting work. I have fully adjusted now, so it no longer worries me.
You need to be the kind of person who can cope with financial instability: being able to maintain that mindset is one essential trait for freelancing.
What advice can you give to people who want to make the switch?
If you are considering switching to freelance, I recommend starting now, even if you are currently working as an in-house translator, as I was able to receive work steadily and earlier than I had expected. Trying it out can also help you determine whether freelancing is a good fit for you.
Editor: audra lincoln
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