[MMM]

A safe place to start might be at a larger translation company. I did a lot of proofreading first (and still do some now) but translating pays better. I was doing a lot of J to E proofreading that had been done by a native Japanese speaker, so most clients want a native English speaker to make sure it makes sense.

If you are studying, you need to take a lot of Japanese, obviously, but also a lot of English classes. Take a variety, from technical writing to creative writing. You have to love English as much as you love Japanese for it to work.

How many hours I work varies on what I have (I am double-booked now, and come to JF for breaks...) so now is very busy. Knowing your own pace is important, and comes with practice. I was asked to do a gigantic project that I really wanted to do (a series of books) but when I heard the pace that they wanted them at, I knew that it would be impossible for me, and didn't end up doing it. Being able to keep to a deadline is the key to being asked to do work a second time.

A lot of the translators I know do it part time to supplement their income. They might be a stay-at-home mom or have a spouse who works full time, so they do it for the extra cash.