Aspiring judge leaves life, job in France for a freelancing career in Japan

Olivia Boissel’s plan was to become a judge. She had earned her Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor at Sciences Po, one of the top public universities in France and was about to take the national judge exam before changing careers.

“I went through the whole process,” says Boissel. “I completed my degrees and I did internships at courts in France.”

While working, however, she realised that she didn’t see herself living in France for the rest of her life and being in a very “French-focused” line of work.

And so she made a bold switch. She turned to her passions, writing and education, enrolled in a Master of Arts Cultural Policy and Management and now she’s in her fifth year of working in Japan.

While she was still studying, Boissel met with two of her best friends from Sciences Po in Thailand. Mathilde (left) was studying in Melbourne, and Margot (middle) in Seoul. Source: Olivia Boissel

The accidental journey into freelancing

Boissel didn’t set out for a career in Japan. 

Then, Covid-19 happened.

“In 2020, I was supposed to go to Japan for an exchange as part of my master’s studies at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies on a Japan Student Services Organisation (JASSO) scholarship, but I couldn’t go due to borders being closed.”

In the hopes of eventually being able to go to Japan, she started freelancing as a way to stay financially afloat without committing to a full-time job.

To her surprise, she enjoyed it. “It was actually really cool to make money online,” laughs Boissel.

“At the time, I was working on various writing and translation jobs. My favourite gig was translating movie scripts for film production companies. The projects were interesting and the pay was good, so I just kept going with it.”

After she finished her studies at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, she had plans to return to France. But, once again, things didn’t go quite as expected.

“It was difficult to fly out during the Covid Omicron wave. And during that time, I started building up more clients in Japan,” she says. “At some point, I thought, ‘Why not just stay and see what happens?’”

Boissel has since worked on many projects. She’s written and translated marketing content for brands such as a major Japanese airline, worked on SEO strategy and content creation for a few start-ups and e-commerce businesses, and even co-wrote a book. 

After getting tired of Tokyo life, she accepted a full-time Marketing Manager position with UWC ISAK Japan, one of her clients. It is an international school located in the mountainous region of Nagano Prefecture.

Later, she was asked to build the school’s Alumni Office from scratch. And even with all that on her plate, she kept up her freelance work on the side.

Of all the projects she’s done, translation remains her favourite. “There’s so much freedom in it and you’re really encouraged to be creative,” she explains.

“When you’re translating film scripts and marketing materials from Japanese to French, you already have a text, a tone of voice shaped by the client and the product. But Japanese and French cultures think so differently. So, you really have to understand both worlds deeply.”

It’s this challenge that excites her most.

“Writing is exciting for me because you’re starting from scratch,” says Boissel. “And translation’s a whole other level. You have something to work with, but you have to be creative because, sometimes, there’s a word limit. It’s kind of like a game.”

Boissel’s freelancing career has many exciting moments, like when she saw her name in the credits of the film “Transamazonia” by Pia Marais. Source: Olivia Boissel

The magic between the words

Boissel is a true polyglot. Apart from learning Japanese, she is fluent in French and English, and knows a bit of Mandarin, Spanish, and Ancient Greek.

She’s put this multilingual skill set to good use by offering translation services between Japanese and English to French, as well as English and French copywriting.

Why so many languages, though? Wouldn’t it be simpler to specialise in just one?

For Boissel, the answer lies in how meaning shifts across linguistic and cultural boundaries.

“A lot gets lost in English,” she says. “Because it’s become such a global language, everyone kind of speaks it, but not really at the same time.”

She gives Singapore as an example. On the streets of this Southeast Asian country, you’ll hear chatter in Malay, Mandarin, Tamil, and English — all mixed together. Even within one group, the way people speak can change from one region to another.

“It’s a completely different English from the American or British English,” Boissel explains. “It becomes a kind of hybrid language, and if you’re not familiar with the context, you can easily miss the meaning.”

Her passion for communication, storytelling, and truly understanding other perspectives drew her to Japanese in particular.

“Japanese feels like a constant exploration of how someone else thinks,” says Boissel. “It’s so deeply tied to the culture, the people, the country. I don’t think I’ll ever fully understand it, and that’s what makes it so fascinating.”

With English, however, she felt that connection wasn’t as strong, that it didn’t reflect culture in the same way when spoken by a non native speaker.

That said, mastering multiple languages is not without its challenges. “French has gendered grammar, which English and Japanese don’t. But Japanese has its own complexities,” she says.

“The grammar is complicated, and on top of that, you have different levels of politeness and formality. Also, boys and girls sometimes use different words when they speak.”

Confusing? Yes. But Boissel finds joy in speaking with other bilingual and trilingual speakers who speak the same languages as her: “There are some words you cannot express in one language, so you need to replace them with another, which is very interesting.”

No boss, no rules …no stability?

Freelancing comes with many advantages: the freedom to choose your projects, set your own schedule, and be your own boss.

For Boissel, these are some of the most rewarding aspects of the job. “I get to collaborate on a variety of projects with different clients, and I have the flexibility to decide when and how I work,” she says.

However, the freelance lifestyle isn’t without its challenges, the most obvious being not having the same kind of team environment or the stability of a full-time job and paycheck.

Still, if you’re interested in freelancing, especially in a foreign country, Boissel has a few tips:

1. Find your people

“When you’re freelancing, most of your opportunities come from your network,” says Boissel. “That’s something that’s very important. It’s sad, but it’s very true.”

But this doesn’t mean introverts should not go into freelancing.

“Interestingly, a lot of translators and writers are introverts,” she says. “And right now is such a good time to be a freelancer. There are so many great resources out there, and a lot of them come from introverts who’ve made it work.”

For Boissel, podcasts helped. “Listening to people who’ve been through the ups and downs of freelancing made me feel more prepared.”

That’s why her biggest piece of advice is to connect with other freelancers. “We all deal with the same struggles, and it helps so much to know you’re not doing it alone.”

2. Opportunity is everywhere

Boissel’s other tip is to start building your network as early as possible — and do it everywhere you go.

“You never know who might lead you to your next opportunity. It could be your dog sitter, a family member, your teacher’s friend, or even your neighbour’s babysitter. That’s why it’s so important to talk to everyone about what you do and what your skills are.”

Building visibility online is important too. “If you can, create a website. If not, just start being active on social media,” she advises. “But keep it professional. Avoid posting anything that could be seen as inappropriate.”

3. Keep learning to stay ahead

In freelancing, staying competitive means always learning something new. That’s why Boissel took a sustainability certification with the French Society of Translators.

The course focused on translating environmental science content, an industry she was eager to explore.

But there was more to it than just adding a skill to her CV. “Sustainability is a domain where I don’t really have a network yet, so I have to build it. That’s why I did the certification.”

UWC ISAK Japan alumni and school founder at the 10th anniversary alumni reunion Boissel helped organise in August 2024. Source: Olivia Boissel

‘I really think freelancing is the future of work’

Boissel just went back to full-time work for an education agency that supports students wishing to pursue higher education abroad: StudyIn. Even if it means she’s pausing her freelance business, she doesn’t regret it one bit.

“The goal was to learn as much as possible, and I did achieve that, which I’m happy about,” she says.

“I’m excited to work in a team again and help more Japanese people fulfil their dreams of a quality higher education abroad. Studying abroad in Japan changed my life for the better and I hope to pay it forward as more students access these opportunities and grow beyond what they thought possible.”

She’s optimistic about how freelancing, entrepreneurship and remote work will shape the future of jobs.

“Freelancing and entrepreneurship allow people to follow what they truly want to do. Along the way, opportunities come up that are likely to be closer to your interests and the skills you choose to develop.”

In her case, her freelance experience led her to two full-time jobs matching her aspirations in her passion field: Education.

For others, freelancing is a lifelong game. “Whatever your situation, entrepreneurship allows you to create a space for your aspirations that does not yet exist, or not in the way you want, or you simply don’t see it yet.”

And business success, she notes, isn’t always about being the most skilled. “From what I’ve seen, entrepreneurs who succeed aren’t necessarily the best (to launch a service we all have to be among the very top at our craft anyway) but instead the ones who keep going,” she says.

So her last piece of advice would be: “Keep at it and do not give up. If that’s really the lifestyle you want, know that the ups and downs are part of the journey. Don’t give up!”