There are three main reasons why translation work is often so appealing to ESL/EFL teachers:
1. It can be done from home
2. It can be done outside of core teaching hours
3. It generally pays well

To work as a translator you will need access to a computer. In many cases - though by no means all - you will also need experience or qualifications in the field of translation. Concentrating your search for work on a particular area (cookery books, novels, wedding certificates, etc) will greatly increase your chances of finding work.
Most translation work is issued through translation agencies. You may be asked to do a test translation before you are given your first assignment.

If you are about to depart for an overseas teaching job, don't forget to take a good bilingual dictionary and thesaurus with you. Such items are not always easy to come by in more remote countries.

So what are the steps to finding translation work?

1. Up-date your 'translation' CV/Resume
Most agencies will need reassuring that you have done similar translation work before.

2. Register with as many translation agencies as you can.
Agency owners might consider this ethically questionable, but it is certain to increase your chances of finding work.

3. Advertise on noticeboards. Eg,
- Embassies
- Universities
- Schools
- Churches
- Supermarkets
- Bookshops
- Bakeries

4. Get some business cards printed
Card-printing machines at many major airports and train stations will - for little more than the price of a cappuccino - do it for you. Qualifications, if they're relevant, should be mentioned. Some cultures pay more attention to letters after names than others, but even in the least discerning countries, the abbreviations BA, BEd, MA, PhD etc count for something. So do words like 'EXPERT', 'PROFESSIONAL' and QUALITY. Use these words judiciously, but include them all the same.
An effective business card might look something like this:

	Internet Guide for Translators By Simon Collin ORDER NOW!
	A Practical Guide for Translators Geoffrey Samuelsson-Browns By Elaine A Clark ORDER NOW!