Capital News: July 2016

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July was a busy month at Capital Translations. Clients could well be clearing their desks ready for the holidays, but things show no sign of slowing down in August.


Key projects
I started working for a new fast food market leader in Spain, translating online content for them, and continued working on course content for a higher education institute in the Netherlands.

I also took on a new direct client in the IT sector (cloud solutions).

Statistics
Words translated: 47,916
Words proofread/edited: 11,750

My workload in July 2016 comprised more Spanish and less German than usual:

French: 2,278 (5%)
German: 7,655 (15%)
Spanish: 19,142 (39%)
Dutch: 20,181 (41%)

Professional development
2016-07-29 09.33.10This month, I joined the Chartered Institute of Linguists. Having been a member of ITI for three years, it was worth assessing the value that membership of an additional professional institution with similar interests would bring. Yet, as the name suggests, the CIOL encompasses not just translators, but the broader category of linguists, and arguably enjoys greater recognition outside of the profession given its chartered status (although ITI is currently – and quite rightly – pursuing chartered status). Many other professional translators are members of both of the UK’s respected professional associations for translation, so they clearly see merit in this.

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to visit the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) head office in London. ITI’s Spanish Network arranged a guided tour of the building, taking in the assembly chamber (watched over by the interpreting booths), a presentation of the institution’s work and a discussion with the head of the Spanish translation section. One of the most interesting aspects was that the foyer is adorned with gifts from member states of the organisation, including model ships and naval artefacts. We also toured the building’s vast resource library and had lunch in the restaurant on the top floor, offering fantastic views over Westminister (albeit spoilt by the rain).


Looking ahead
August looks set to be a quieter month, with no major events planned, although we do have an ITI Cymru Wales social at the National Eisteddfod in Abergavenny on Saturday the 6th.

I am currently updating my notes as a tutor in ITI’s Setting Up as a Freelance Translator course. My module covers building an online professional presence and marketing your services. In order to validate the advice I give to students, I am running a survey on which platforms professional translators find most useful in attracting clients. If you are a freelance translator, you can help train the next generation by completing the survey here (only five questions).

Planning will also continue as a programme committee member for the Elia Together 2017 conference in Berlin and an organising committee member for the ITI Conference 2017 here in Cardiff.