Adrenaline flowed. Calm and tranquility on the outside. Eyes fixated on the screen. Repeated readings of bid-post.

Then it came. My first ever bid on a freelancing platform for a voice-over was awarded to myself and wasn’t I overjoyed! I completed the job within half an hour and pocketed a neat $25. Brewing with confidence, I bid again, and again; and again. That day, I learned something important – “Freelancing is extremely unpredictable.”

Every freelancer is supposed to know this by heart before he or she decides to pursue it as a primary source of sustenance. A month may yield translation income equal to two or three subsequent months combined, and that is a phenomenon experienced by each newbie translator enthusiast.

The first successful bid of a translator is almost like their first tryst with infatuation. Accordingly, their first major client is undeniably their first love. And like love, finding the first regular client is not easy. Many short-termed affairs, some even based on lies and deceit, come and go without leaving behind memories worth retaining.

My first major client is yet to be found. As my third year in translation passes along, I continue to remain patient and not jump at alluring pseudo-opportunities which end mostly on a negative note. Although I keep getting regular work from agencies – and agencies are not clients per se – I am yet to find my true love. Maybe The OP is my secret match-maker.