3 Things Language Experts Can Do Today to Stay in Demand

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Focus On These 3 Points And You Will Thrive as a Language Expert

August 12, 2026

Aleksandar Scekic

Asking The Expert

Alright, let's keep this short and to the point. If you work in language, you have (very likely) heard some version of the warning: AI is coming for translation, and the work is drying up. Not true! Traditional translation is thinner than it was five years ago, yes, but the total spend on multilingual work is rising, not falling. That means the work is changing shape, and it is moving toward the judgment and cultural depth that experienced language experts already have.

We put this to two people who know the field from the inside at a recent OneForma community session: Jonas Ryberg, who built his career in translation and localization, and Laia Gimeno, a quality manager on our team in Barcelona. The most useful part of the conversation was the practical one: the concrete things you can start doing this week to stay in demand as the field shifts. Here are the three that stood out.

1. Learn How The Technology Works by Doing The Work

The good news comes first: most of what these new roles require, you already have. Attention to detail, cultural and linguistic judgment, the research instinct, the ability to decide whether a word truly fits... those transfer directly. What is often missing is not skill but familiarity with how the systems actually behave.

The fastest way to close that gap is not to read about the technology. It is to work with it.

"Most of the skills AI companies need for this kind of work already exist in experienced translators. So my first piece of advice is simple: learn how it works by doing the work itself. Use these tools, yes, but really understand them by doing the actual work. Learn on the job."

Reviewing real output teaches you where a system is strong, where it quietly fails, and how to spot the difference. Basically, knowledge you cannot get from the outside. Every project you take on is also a lesson in the thing that now pays.

2. Build Evidence, Not Just Experience

Years in the field matter, but on their own they are hard to prove to someone who has never worked with you. The experts getting picked for the best projects are the ones who can show what they have done, not just describe it.

"When you apply for something, you need proof. Not just that you have experience... actual evidence of the work you've done."

Treat your track record as something you build on purpose. A profile that lists completed projects, the domains you have worked in, and the certificates of completion you have earned gives whoever is matching people to work a real signal to act on. A thin profile does not get filtered out; it simply does not get surfaced for the opportunities that would suit you best. The fix is entirely in your hands.

3. Go deep in one domain

For years, general language skill was enough. That era is closing. As Jonas put it, the work has moved from general, to domain-specific, to specialized content across many languages at once and the people in demand are the ones who own a subject. In short - be an expert!

Laia sees the same pattern from the quality side, and she is specific about where the value concentrates.

"The more specialized the content is, especially in areas that are highly innovative or regulated, the more human expertise it needs. So pick a domain, keep up with everything moving around it, and you become genuinely valuable."

Legal, medical, finance, engineering, a technical craft you have spent years inside... depth in a regulated or fast-moving field is exactly what a general model cannot fake. Remember, you do not need to know everything. You need to know one thing better than almost anyone, and keep it current.

The Shortcut: Do All Three at Once

Here is what ties the list together. You do not have to chase these three separately. Active participation in the OneForma community delivers all of them in one place. You learn how the work behaves by doing it, you build a visible record as you go, and you find the specialized projects that let you go deep in your field. The learning pathways, the guilds, and live project work are built for exactly this!

The field is changing in a direction that rewards the people who know their craft best and that could not describe you more precisely.

Our advice? Explore what is open in the OneForma community and find a project that fits what you know.

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