Alexandra Petruk, 23 years old, hometown — Pavlodar, auditor
About career choice
I moved to China, Dalian City in 2013 after graduating from high school. It is a beautiful city by the sea. I entered a local university and started looking for a part-time job. I considered several options — English teacher for Chinese children, model, translator. I chose a more suitable area because I know Russian and English, plus Chinese.
I found work easily. My grandfather came to China for treatment, I found a clinic and agreed on all organizational issues. After that, representatives of the clinic contacted me and invited me for an interview. I worked there for a while.
About translation business in China
Large companies gladly hiring foreigners with knowledge of the Russian language in translators. Especially companies engaged in shipbuilding, procurement, engineering. Because Russians are the main consumer of goods in cities that are on the border with Russia.
Work schedule of a freelance translator is flexible. When tourists came for treatment, I helped them with organizational cases. I had to make sure they are satisfied and would be unharmed. Also, tourists could ask where to eat, what attractions to see. I was well paid for translations. The maximum salary was 2,000 yuan. If I worked in a more serious company and was in office staff the amount could be more for two or three times.
The main advantage of the profession is the ability to help people who do not know the language.
This profession also has many disadvantages. After translating all day in the evening you start to confuse languages and do not realize with whom and in which language to speak.
About plans
I plan to continue my career in the audit department, obtain international professional certification and move abroad.
Anna Morozyuk, 34 years old, hometown — Nizhny Kuranakh, Chinese and English languages teacher, translator
About career choice
Since childhood, I have had a craving for languages. I planned to continue studying English at the University but got to the faculty of foreign languages: Chinese and English. After the third year, I took academic leave to study in China. During the year of study, I got many language skills.
In 2007, before graduating from University, I set a goal to find a job in China and continue studying Chinese. I wanted to know and do more. I found a job in Guangzhou, where I started my professional career. Later I left the company and started a business with the husband.
About translation business in China
In China, translators hired by small and large companies: everyone who wants to be understood, and everyone who cares about their business.
The working conditions of all interpreters are different. I work not just as a translator, but also as an agent for orders support: I search for manufacturers in China, communicate with them, check the quality of goods, control shipments, organize delivery from China. Working conditions depend on several factors: the size of the order, the type of goods, the frequency of orders.
I have been working for myself many years, I am the head of own company, so for me there is no concept of working day, weekends and holidays. I work always and everywhere, but I try to remind myself to relax, to pay attention to family and health. When I started working on my own, I worked about 15-20 days a month. Usually the working day lasted up to 12 hours, and sometimes longer.
A translator can earn $1,000 or more per month. All depends on his skills and experience.
Ten years ago finding a job was easy. Now there a big competition between freelancers and companies. I have no idea how the newcomers survive. Work in companies also not a guarantee that tomorrow you will have a client. I think many people return home because of the lack of customers, knowledge and experience.
About plans
We plan to expand and develop in parallel in other industries.
Natalia Xing, 27 years old, hometown — Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, professional guide
About career choice
At the age of 16, after graduating from high school, I decided to study in China. I studied Chinese for two years, then entered the undergraduate and graduate programs in Dalian. I lived in China for ten years and worked as a translator for a while.
About translation business in China
I worked for a large Russian wind tunnel company.
My job was to accompany the engineer to the factories, translate the drawings, search for new factories. In the beginning it was difficult, because I had to memorize a lot of new vocabulary. But after a few months it got easier and my level of Chinese improved.
Wages depended on the degree of employment. For example, when an engineer arrived in China, we had to work almost every day — we visited factories on weekdays, and on weekends we flew to other cities for negotiations.
In small towns low opportunities for professional development of Russian-speaking translators. Better to plan relocation to larger cities — Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou.
Beginners without experience find difficult to find a job as a translator. I found almost all vacancies through friends and acquaintances.
About plans
Now I live in Montenegro and work as a guide for Chinese tourists. The plans to develop as a professional.
