The Translation People take part in the Language Show Live Scotland
Last weekend the Language Show Live Scotland was held over two days at the SECC in Glasgow. “The event for people passionate about languages”[1], the show provided a forum where exhibitors and visitors alike could celebrate all that languages bring from both a cultural and a commercial point of view. There were Language Taster Classes, Career Talks and even live Cultural Performances. In addition, there was an extensive programme of seminars, talks and workshops, and on Saturday March 12th the Branch Manager of our Glasgow office participated in a seminar entitled “Working with Languages: Vendors’ and Agencies’ Perspective”.
The seminar was coordinated through the Scottish Network of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting, of which The Translation People are corporate members, and the session saw two translators and interpreters and two translation agencies shed light on the current state of the translation industry in Scotland. They spoke about their experiences so far and their daily work, for the benefit of all those looking to pursue a career with languages.
As the speakers took their positions the room was full, with every seat taken and people standing at the back of the room and sitting in the aisles. Clearly this topic was relevant to many of the day’s visitors. The first to present was Miranda Stewart, a highly experienced conference interpreter who described the different kinds of interpreting she had undertaken, followed by Norma Tait who spoke about issues facing freelance translators. Next to the podium was Ricardo Mateus, a Recruitment & Training Manager dealing mainly with the recruitment of interpreters to fulfill a public service contract.
Our Glasgow Branch Manager Sam Bennett was last to speak. With almost 19 years’ industry experience Sam spoke knowledgably about expectations from clients and translators alike, and was able to highlight areas where individual translators could make their profiles stand out from the crowd. She focused on the barriers that new translators have to break through to be noticed by Account Managers, explaining to the audience that getting accepted onto an agency database was not the end of the journey, but rather the first step on a new road. Finally, Sam explored the two-way effort required to make best use of any opportunity and suggestions were given such as updating the Vendor Manager with any relevant information, being responsive and making best use of technology. The emphasis on seeing the translator as an individual was particularly well received, a point repeated time and again by the linguists who spoke to Sam after the presentation.
Having the opportunity to take part in this event and be surrounded by so many linguists with the same passion for languages was a fantastic experience, and cements The Translation People’s position as an experienced, knowledgeable and respectable Language Service Provider. The Translation People are always happy to take part in events like the Language Show Live, where we can share our expertise and learn from our peers in the industry.
[1] Language Show Live (2016) Retrieved March 18 2016, from https://twitter.com/languageshow?lang=en-gb
