My life as a Project Manager

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My life as a Project Manager

Mercedes Vallina


Before I was a Project Manager…• 5 year BA in English Language and Linguistics at the University of Oviedo

• One year at Sheffield University in the English Language and Literature Department • MA in Bilingual Translation

• A three month Project Management Internship

• Two years as Project Manager


Why did I want to be involved in translations?

I have always been fascinated by languages: learning them, practising them, teaching them…

I wanted to live in London and work in an international company with offices around the world (last December my company sent me to New York to work there for a week!)

I always loved books and wanted my ideal job to be related to literature (in its many forms…)


After my BA, how do I get the job?

An internship is a good way to startApply to as many agencies as possible (directly or via recruitment websites) Good CV and presentation emailFollow up with a quick call (if no answer in one week)Fast answer to emails with clear and concise answers to questions Good phone and face-to-face manners: show determination, energy and be a good listener, your CV will do the rest.


Once you are in…

How does the translation business work?


My company is a medium size translation agency…

IT Department

Production Department

Operations Department

Sales Department

Accounting Department

Marketing Department


This is my place inside the translation business

Klemen PerkoSlovenian

Jan EggumNorwegian

Sabine PiensDutch

Eric XuMandarin

Kate StaniforthLate Rooms

MeTranslateMedia


My main clients are…Advertising Legal Financial Technical

Retailers


Kate sends the source text

I send a quote back with a price and a

turnaround

Kate confirms the project

I send the source text to Sandra, a

German translator

Sandra, translates it and

sends it back to the me

I send the source text and the translation to Otmar,

a German translator

Otmar sends the revised translation back

to the me

I review the translation and send it back to

Kate

We have a happy client with a German translation


Other kind of projects I deal with… Interpreting Transcription Subtitling

Voice over Typesetting Transcreation / Google Ads


Main skills to be a Project Manager

Love for languages Stay calm when under pressure Communication and organization skills Attention to detail Knowledge about the translation process Basic IT knowledge


The worst about my job: STRESSCommunication problems with translators Too many jobs to manage

Long hours Translators miss deadlines


The best about my jobMy colleagues (fun and young environment) Involvement in cool projects

Company growth Dealing with people from all over the world on a day-to-day basis

My life as a Project Manager

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