We have a new opportunity for a German-speaking Account Manager to join our Birmingham, UK office to handle translation projects for a diverse range of clients from quotation stage to final invoicing. We are looking for an Account Manager with fluent German to native standard. Extensive client and supplier liaison is required as is proofreading of smaller projects. As an account manager you would also be responsible for increasing your client portfolio, so an aptitude for sales and developing customer relations is essential.

A graduate in translation studies, modern languages or similar, the successful candidate should be a fluent German speaker and have outstanding written and spoken English. You should share our passion for language and delivering a high quality service.

Key attributes for this post are: organisational skills, a desire to exceed client expectations, a keen eye for detail, adaptability and a high level of IT skills. You should have a professional attitude, be self motivated and able to work equally well unsupervised or as part of a team. Experience in a similar role is desirable but not essential.

Whilst your administrative and organisational skills are of paramount importance, your attitude and approach are of equal value. We are looking for a hardworking and conscientious individual with a positive outlook and cheerful personality; someone who is calm under pressure and who strives to deliver the best possible service to their clients.

If you wish to apply for this position, please email your CV and a covering letter to Jasmin Schneider, Operations Manager no later than 27th February 2012.

Jasmin Schneider

The Translation People

Concorde House

Trinity Park

Birmingham, B37 7UQ

Tel: 0044 121 635 5065

jasmin.schneider@thetranslationpeople.com

www.thetranslationpeople.com

The Translation People are recruiting a German-speaking Account Manager is a post from: The Translation People - Blog

A bear-hug from the Governor of Massachusetts was the last thing businessman Steve Wilde expected when he announced his company was expanding into the US and opening a Boston office.

Governor Deval Patrick’s friendly, if unorthodox gesture, came as Steve, Managing Director of Manchester-based The Translation People, attended a formal function during a visit to the city to formalise the new business venture.

Steve said: “It was certainly a surprise, especially as it was at a reception in the historic State House in front of hundreds of guests. But it sums up what a warm reception the Bostonians gave us throughout the trip.”

It also demonstrates that businesses in Boston are eager to welcome investment from the UK and deal with North West firms.

“It’s only a week since we opened the Boston office and launched the dedicated website, but already we are receiving genuine enquiries,” said Steve.

The Translation People provides business-to-business translation, foreign language typesetting and interpreting services through a global network of linguists. Since its acquisition in 2007 and subsequent rebrand in 2008, the company has enjoyed year-on-year growth and now, as well as its headquarters in Manchester, it has offices in Glasgow, Birmingham, London, Bonn, Paris and now Boston, with clients in 32 countries worldwide.

Steve is already planning a return visit to Boston in a few weeks to follow up the contacts he has made.

“There is such synergy between Boston and the UK,” said Steve. “We decided to have a presence in the city after winning contracts with two new major US clients. We have a strong reputation in the UK and aim to build on that.”

During the trip, organised by Liverpool Chamber of Trade and Commerce, Steve met a number of small and medium size companies ready to expand their businesses globally but needing expert help in setting up and managing non-English language websites.

“We have a particular expertise in this area,” said Steve. “We have our own dedicated sites in German, French and Dutch and I believe there is an extensive pool of potential new clients for us in the Boston and New England area as well as the rest of the States.”

The Translation People opens office in Boston, US – and celebrates with a hug! is a post from: The Translation People - Blog

After spending two months with The Translation People’s Birmingham team, the time has come to say goodbye and to have a look back at what I’ve learnt.

As a second year student of a Bachelor in Translation Studies (English and French) at the Ruprecht-Karls-University in Heidelberg Germany, I wanted to gain insight into the translation industry outside of university and to use the skills I’ve acquired in a professional context. Consequently, I was delighted to be offered a work placement in The Translation People’s Birmingham office.

During my work placement, I was given the opportunity to complete a huge variety of tasks. These included proofreading translations, preparing texts for freelance translators, formatting and quality-checking of translations, creating and populating Translation Memories, and translating blog articles, parts of the new website, and other internal documents into German.

I also took part in the recruitment of new freelance translators. I viewed CVs, conducted telephone interviews, selected appropriate test translations for each translator, assessed completed German test translations, checked references and finally, concluded contracts. Leading other applicants through The Translation People’s ISO 9001 certified recruitment process has taught me which qualities translation agencies look for in new freelancers – something that will be very important to me if I intend to work as a freelance translator myself.

I also had the chance to work with the latest translation software such as Trados Studio 2009 and so I could consolidate my knowledge in the use of CAT-Tools. These are becoming more and more important to professional translators and so it was very helpful towards my future career, to learn more about TagEditor, Translator’s Workbench and WinAlign.

I thoroughly enjoyed the two months in the Birmingham office as my work was very varied. On top of it, all Account Managers were very friendly and eager to explain all details of their work to me. I felt welcomed as a part of the team from the very first day. During my work placement I saw how a translation agency really works and gained some first experiences in project management, a career option I’ve never considered before but which is a diverse and interesting field.

I would like to thank all The Translation People for the two great months I’ve spent with them at the Birmingham office; I really enjoyed my time and learnt a lot!

Vanessa Wagenblast

Time to say Goodbye is a post from: The Translation People - Blog

• Documents are submitted via the system rather than by email or ftp
• Translators can either work within the system or offline
• Reviewers can be set up to check and edit the translations in the system
• Final delivery of files is completed through the system
• Maintenance and Management of Translation Memories

The main benefits of this system (and others like it) are that the translation workflow can be regulated and customised, ensuring optimum productivity. Because of this, Globalsight’s benefits are particularly evident if there are pre-defined steps that must always be followed when a translation project is commissioned. For example, if there is a preferred translator in place for a particular client, then automated email notifications can be set up so that the translator is immediately notified once the project has been submitted by the client. This can be extremely useful if the client is in a different time zone to the translation agency and translator: the agency sets up automatic notifications for the preferred translator, ensuring the translator can start work as quickly as possible by logging into the system as soon as the notification has been received. The agency will also set up a process to automatically prepare the files for translation (for example if they are in a non standard format) and analyse them against the Translation Memory, which is also contained within the system.

The system also enables client reviewers, such as employees, to log onto the system and check the translation in Globalsight’s review facility, without the need for specialist tools or software packages. This is especially useful for translations in non-standard formats which would normally require the software to be installed on the reviewer’s machine. In the same way as outlined above, once the translator has finished his or her work, an automatic email notification is generated for the reviewer, ensuring that there are no delays in progressing to this stage. The system can either be set up so that the reviewer can edit the translation directly or make suggestions for the translator which he or she can then accept or reject. The system then updates the corresponding Translation Memory with the final translation and this is stored within Globalsight. This process ensures that there are no duplicate versions of the translation and the Translation Memory, which will remain in the system to be used on future projects.

Globalsight also offers the possibility of tracking the status of projects and monitoring what stages have been completed, so the client contact who has placed the project can see how the translation is progressing and if any translators/reviewers need a gentle nudge to ensure the deadline is met.

Globalsight is the latest in a wide range of CAT tools available to our team to ensure your project is produced and managed efficiently.

Globalsight is a post from: The Translation People - Blog

Click here to view the embedded video.

BRAZIL:

Overview

• Used to be seen as the weak link in the BRICs – no longer
• Held up well in the downturn compared with previous crises
• Benefiting from Asian demand for its food and mineral exports
• Further boost from large new deep-sea oil fields to come on stream.

Risks

• Currency appreciation hits manufacturing
• Recent success breeds policy hubris

Strengths

• Market Opportunities – huge, diversified economy
• Political stability
• Low legal risks – keen to encourage foreign investment

Weaknesses

• Infrastructure – increasingly inadequate, investment limited by budget constraints
• Financing – equity market underdeveloped, long-term financing hard to obtain
• Taxation – complex and costly system

RUSSIA

Overview

• A worthy BRIC? Only by weight, not growth performance
• Hard-hit by global downturn, but now recovering robustly
• Structural constraints mean growth will not return to pre-2008 rates.
• Modernisation agenda requires FDI

Problems

• Over-reliant on oil and gas
• Dire demographics

Strengths

• Market Opportunities – large, relatively wealthy middle-class
• Labour force – good skill levels, despite some deterioration

Weaknesses

• Corruption and poor rule of law
• Low government effectiveness – weak institutions
• Lack of competition – concentration of economic power in massive conglomerates

INDIA AND CHINA

Overview

• India and China will be the two fastest growing major emerging markets over the next decade
• The continental sized nature of both economies means that they have decoupled from developed markets to some extent
• China has become an outsourcing story in manufacturing and an increasingly important global source of demand for a range of products
• India has become an outsourcing story in services and is playing catch up with China as a major global economic player

The opportunities are similar:

• High income and population growth, along with rapid urbanisation, are creating sales opportunities for consumer groups
• Economic liberalisation is further opening up potential new revenue sources for both domestic and foreign companies
• Infrastructure remains inadequate and, along with industrial development, will continue to provide a market for commercial groups
• The continental sized nature of both economies means they are offering a diversified market
• A relatively abundant labour force and improving supply chains are making it easier to outsource operations from both countries.

The risks differ:

India

• Coalition politics will prevent rapid progress on economic reforms
• Poor public finances will prevent much-needed public infrastructure investment
• The legal system often works better in theory than in practice

China

• The government’s desire to maintain control means big bang reforms are unlikely
• Reversals in economic policy remain possible
• The legal system remains opaque and favours state or local enterprises

A long term risk factor in both relates to demographics and income disparities, which have socio-economic and political implications.

For further information on the BRIC economies, please do not hesitate to contact Adele Baig at UKTI (Adele@uktiyh.org.uk) who will pass your details on to the relevant country specialist.

Source: Aidan Manktelow, Kilbinder Dosanjh (Economist Intelligence Unit). For more information, visit www.ukti.gov.uk

The BRIC economies is a post from: The Translation People - Blog

The Client Portal offers a user friendly interface with quick and easy access to all of your projects. The main features of the portal are as follows:

• Updating of client contact details
• Managing account security settings
• Requesting quotes and uploading files
• Tracking quotes (both current and past), viewing/approving or declining them
• Tracking projects and monitoring their status
• Retrieving translations and uploading reviewed files
• Communicating with your Account Manager through the Message board

Whilst we are still more than happy to receive communications and project requests by email, we feel it is important to allow clients who want a secure platform for submitting documents (which are sometimes larger than permitted by email) and who want to have visibility on the status of their projects around the clock. Moreover, through fully trained Crystal Reports specialists, we are able to create customised reports detailing a wide variety of information about client quotes, projects and invoices. For more information on our client portal, please contact Jasmin Schneider, our operations manager, on 0121 635 5065 or jasmin.schneider@thetranslationpeople.com.

Launch of Translation People’s Client Portal is a post from: The Translation People - Blog

The Translation People’s business in Germany has seen dramatic expansion this year with client numbers in the first 4 months of 2011 up by more than 80% compared with the same period last year.

The Translation People director, David Nichols commented “we have experienced a strong build up of business in Germany in specialised sectors such as medical, pharmaceutical, transport and engineering where the need for precision in translation and tight delivery turn round times is critical. Many of our customers are vying for important export business and find that multilingual presentations and literature in their customers’ languages help considerably in winning export contracts. With the continuing weakness of Sterling against the Euro, our clients also find our prices very competitive compared with those of other European suppliers.”

The German economy overall has rebounded strongly from recession and some forecasters now expect a period of sustained growth lasting up to 10 years. Germany recently announced a record export performance enabling it to retain the coveted number 2 position amongst world exporting nations, just behind China.

The Translation People’s operation in Bonn is headed up by German national Patrick Hobus, who has extensive knowledge and years of experience in the translation industry in Germany. Patrick, in his role as German business development manager, enjoys support from a highly qualified team including project manager Denise Sauer who moved from her home town near Frankfurt to join The Translation People last year and native Bavarian Jasmin Schneider, who oversees the company’s operations.

Commenting on the location of the new office, Jasmin Schneider said “Bonn is ideal for us as it benefits from the proximity of airports in Cologne/Bonn, Düsseldorf and Frankfurt and also from excellent direct rail links with German and European cities. Situated on the banks of the Rhine, it is famous for being the birthplace of Beethoven and the seat of the Federal Government for 5 decades but it has now transformed itself into a thriving cultural and business city, home to such well known companies as Deutsche Telekom, Deutsche Post, DHL and Postbank.”

For further information and advice on doing business in Germany, please do not hesitate to call us on +49 228 304 14016

The Translation People open office in Germany is a post from: The Translation People - Blog

When the management team first discussed the process to gain ISO certification there was a genuine sense that we could improve the way we operate and gain some quantifiable evidence that the service we provide to our clients was as good as our perception.

There were some fears at the outset that gaining certification would be difficult, longwinded and entail endless amounts of documentation but we hoped the result would be worthwhile. We chose BSI, who advised us on the process and they were optimistic that whilst there were many documents to write and much evidence to be gathered, the fact that we were well organized meant we should expect to achieve certification within approx 9 months.

Due to the sterling efforts of our Operations Manager, Jasmin Schneider, who adopted the role of Quality Manager, and our Glasgow Branch Manager, Sam Bennett who trained and qualified as a QA Auditor, work commenced quickly after the initial meeting with BSI.

Mapping out procedures and work instructions for the Quality Management System was a fairly major task but was completed in 3 months. The next stage of implementing any changes to the current way of working and then gathering data through audits and measuring KPIs took rather longer.

When BSI came back to do their external audit in November the auditor was extremely complimentary about the standard of our system and the evidence which clearly showed that the system was working. Basically all issues resulting from the data are reviewed at every monthly management meeting and if required corrective actions are decided on and put in place.

It really works! As one example we have flushed things out that we were unaware of previously and we felt that we had so few complaints before that everything was fine. Sometimes complaints do not surface unless you seek them out. Practically every survey response yielded 10/10 so we improved the system of gaining client feedback and targeted a much higher response level. We also logged all internally raised issues with suppliers as complaints so that they would be investigated and included in the monthly review.

Jasmin actually said “All these perfect 10/10 responses with no suggestions of what we could do better are nice but they don’t help us!”

The result is that now, despite previous excellent customer retention, a very low level of complaints and highly motivated staff we can, with clear evidence, say that we have still reduced complaints, very significantly increased feedback, improved our service, grown our business and our staff are as motivated as ever!

To any business genuinely seeking to improve its performance ISO certification is definitely not just a tick in a box!

ISO 9001 is a post from: The Translation People - Blog

This internship was an opportunity to strengthen my translation and communication skills, along with being introduced to project management. I developed my competences in these areas by proofreading various translations, formatting documents, translating blog articles from the company website, establishing purchase orders for clients and conducting telephone recruitment interviews.

All of the Account Managers were very happy to explain every aspect of their profession to me and they really made me feel like a part of the team. I was really lucky to have the opportunity to work as a professional, using the latest software in translation and project management such as SDL Trados 2009 and Worx.

This professional experience enabled me to see how varied and challenging the work of an Accounts Manager can be, with a constant flow of new projects coming in everyday, each from different clients located all around the world. These clients were requesting translations which were all based in very different areas, such as: marketing, advertising, law and science. As a result of my internship, I am now considering project management as a future career, an option that I had not had in mind before.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with The Translation People as the team were always supportive, helpful and patient when it came to answering my questions. I would recommend The Translation People to anyone who is considering translation or account management as a future profession, as it is a brilliant way to benefit from real professional training and to develop the essential skills required to work in this area.

Sophie Gibrat

Sophie completes her internship with the Translation People is a post from: The Translation People - Blog

Therefore, The Translation People were happy to attend the “Careers in Translation and Interpreting” event at the University of Birmingham, 21st February 2011. The purpose of this event was to give students an idea of the different opportunities the translation industry has to offer.

In view of the interesting guest speakers with different backgrounds, the careers day was very diverse and informative. Being a graduate from Aston University, Birmingham Account Manager Denise Sauer was invited to give a speech about her career path and her daily role in project management. Also, she gave students useful tips on how to enhance their CVs for future applications.

The Translation People would like to thank The University of Birmingham for the invitation and look forward to future career events.

The Translation People at the “Careers in Translation and Interpreting” Event at the University of Birmingham is a post from: The Translation People - Blog