Freelance Experts

Social Media Is the Key to Unlocking Your Personal Brand

kliniger — Wed, 22 Jun 2022 21:02:33 +0000

Social Media Is the Key to Unlocking Your Personal Brand kliniger Wed, 06/22/2022 - 17:02

Blog

Google yourself.
Just hear me out. What kind of results do you get?

Luckily, when I Google myself I’m the first person that pops up, including my Instagram channel, LinkedIn, and personal website. This is because I’ve worked on building my personal brand and online persona for quite some time now.

The last two years have showcased an undeniable need for building your professional digital presence, or as I like to call it, your brand.

Yes, you have a brand!

Through social media, we’ve managed to remain connected despite not seeing each other in person, and it probably brought us closer to people we may not have connected with otherwise. In my experience, social media brought me into a new job, helped me meet new clients, and exposed me to many outside-the-box creative ideas.

The task of managing your own brand on social media can seem daunting. You might be telling yourself, “I’m not a marketer,” “I don’t have anything to say on the subject someone hasn’t already said,” or, “Who’s going to be paying attention to my posts anyway?”

The answer is no one—if you don’t care about the things you’re sharing in the first place. We have a saying in theatre and that is, “It’s always somebody’s first show, and it’s always somebody’s favorite show.”

What you’re sharing might be somebody’s favorite type of content, or it might be the first time they’re being exposed to your unique perspective, and those are reason enough to share.

So I’m here to help you get to the core of what you should be sharing on your own platforms.

“Your work speaks for itself, of course, but being active on social media and participating in relevant conversations online allows you to reinforce your digital professional brand and expand your network.” — Everyonesocial.com

Getting Started:

As you develop your brand, you need to gain a sense of what you want to share on your pages.

Here are some questions to get you started:

How do you make people feel, and how would people describe you?
Who inspires you and why?
Do you have hobbies outside of work? Unique talents or skills?
What values are most important to you, or are there any causes you’re passionate about?
Have any events in your life helped shape you?

It’s important to also know what you DON’T want to share. Some topics might be off-limits, and it’s good to set that boundary as you plan.

Between your answers to the questions above and acknowledging what you are not comfortable sharing, you can build your “Fantastic Four,” the four main categories your content falls under.

What you do for a living
Your values
Who you are outside of work
How you want to make other people feel

Mine might look something like this:

According to HubSpot, “92% of B2B customers are willing to engage with sales reps who have positioned themselves as an industry thought leader. This credibility is often attained by posting regularly to social media.”

If you’re only ever posting about your work, that doesn’t necessarily give your audience a look into your life. Following this simple method will bring about new unique connections and could lead to much more.

Tools for Scheduling Content:

Some of us don’t have time to dedicate to branding ourselves on social media. We’re all busy with work, some of us are parents or caretakers, and some of us are just burnt out. In order to successfully execute the content you want to share, decide how often you want to and feasibly can share. For some of us, it’s three or more times a week; for others, we might be lucky if we share once a week on each platform.

Start by taking an hour each month or maybe 20 minutes each week to dedicate to your posts and scheduling your content. I share my best content when I create a calendar for myself. If you know there’s a special holiday coming up, maybe you’re participating in a fundraiser, or perhaps there’s a big tradeshow you’re attending, these would each be posts worth crafting.

I recommend using a platform like Trello, Notion, or even Google Sheets to plan, and then a free platform, such as Hootsuite, to schedule all of your content for the month so you don’t have to stress!

If you’d like to learn more tips and tricks on how to brand yourself on social media as a thought leader or industry expert, reach out to the ContentLabs team with questions at contentlabs@transperfect.com. We’re happy to share resources or have a conversation on ways to improve your social game.

By Micayla Greco

Freelance Experts

Looking Back on Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2022

kliniger — Mon, 06 Jun 2022 14:52:09 +0000

Looking Back on Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2022 kliniger Mon, 06/06/2022 - 10:52

Blog

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! One of the continuous missions of Vendor Experience is to provide our global community a little peek behind the curtain when it comes to our valued ��ɫ freelancers, and this month, we celebrate our AAPI team members.

It’s been a pleasure to honor and get to know our linguists in and outside of the continental US that choose to work with us every day. To celebrate AAPI Heritage Month, we asked some members of the freelance team to share their advice for other freelancers, as well as cultural sights they encourage others to research or visit one day.

Halong Bay, Vietnam, Southeast Asia

Linguist Name: Ngan

Ngan’s message is to come to Vietnam!
Sounds like a food lover’s dream…

“Vietnam is a friendly country, where everyone treats each other like family. Therefore, you can see smiles everywhere, even for guests. Vietnamese food is well-known in the world, with so many dishes to choose from. You can eat everything in Vietnam for a surprising price. Although all places people call home have their challenges, they are always worth the visit!”

Fun facts about Ngan:

While Ngan’s youthful appearance causes people to assume she is younger than she is, she is a veteran freelance expert with 9+ years of quality translation experience.
Ngan also has many years of experience working on ��ɫ’s apparel, beauty and marketing accounts, so we are sure she has picked up many amazing cosmetic tips and tricks!

Advice from Ngan to her fellow freelance experts:

Be careful and considerate with your timing, and you will be able to maintain quality!

Linguist Name: Areum

Chosen pronouns: She/her/hers

Did you know? Areum provides some historical insight:

“Some of you may know “the Korean age.” In South Korea, when a baby is born, they are considered one year old. Come New Year's Day, they gain another year. This means a baby born in December would be considered to be two years old in just a few weeks. However, this system may be removed in the future since it has been declared as part of the presidential pledge by the president-elect.”

Fun fact about Areum:

“I am pretty much a game player. What I am recently playing is Pokémon Arceus and Diablo II.”

Areum is all business when it comes to providing quality services to ��ɫ’s valued clients.

Aretha Franklin once sang, “R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me.”
Areum has a similar message when it comes to her advice to other freelance experts:

“It is very important to accept other’s opinions with respect. This kind of attitude leads us to perform well within the community in the future.”

In the linguistic community, there will always be discussions that do not necessarily lead to agreement. As long as people communicate with respect, the ��ɫ team can continue to break down barriers and build greater understanding between others.

Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, Bangkok, Thailand

Linguist Name: Shanwit

Shanwit’s thought on the Taiwanese language:

“Thai is one of the world's most difficult languages, and it is romantic and beautiful.”

Shanwit’s tried-and-true advice to their fellow freelance experts:

“Work hard, play harder with things you love.”

In all things, ��ɫ believes in balance. We hope all of our freelancers continue to manage their mostly work-from-home schedules with respect to their bandwidth and wellness needs.

Seoraksan National Park, South Korea

Linguist Name: Lee

Lee appreciates there are many different ways to experience Korea, including:

Fun facts about Lee:

Lee used to work as an industrial designer.
- ��ɫ appreciates many of our linguists have diverse and fascinating job histories.
Lee used to work from London.
- Another cool place to live and experience.
Lee is adding French to his repertoire.
- Many of our linguists enjoy continuing their education as a way to test for more project opportunities or as a fun hobby.

Lee thoughtfully took the time to share that they felt safe at home in Korea during the initial onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Life is not always as dramatic as K-dramas, thank goodness! ��ɫ is proud to be able to contribute to our employees’ financial security by remaining an open and operational connection point between our clients and our amazing freelance experts.

Linguist Name: Jindaporn (Jenny)

Jenny’s thought on the Taiwanese language:

“Thai language can be considered simple or easy for learners at a beginner level. However, when you go to the higher level, it can be considered one of the most complicated languages in the world. But don't give up!”

We love this message from Jenny. Just like language, projects or life can be tough, but having a preserving spirit is essential in making it to the next chapter.

Fun facts about Jenny:

"Two years ago, I realized that not only a big translation job could keep me up all night but also a newborn.”
- ��ɫ understands there are many working parents who are part of our freelance family. We truly salute you for never compromising quality, and still managing to show up for your own personal family unit.
“We had a lot of celebrations (religious, traditional, and just fun) at many Thai temples in Washington, DC, area such as Songkran and Visakha Bucha day.”

Jenny’s kind advice to her fellow freelance experts:

“You all are doing a great job. Also, never compromise the quality of the work no matter how rush the job is.”

A learning moment based on Jenny’s real-life experience:

“In the US, people like to compliment my English accent when we first meet. Like, ‘Wow, your English is so great. Where did you learn your English?’ Though getting tired of it, I still appreciate it and consider that a compliment.”

We are sure many of our team members have similar stories or experiences. This is actually an example of a microaggression. While obviously not ill-intentioned, we hope by bringing visibility we can decrease instances like this for our global community.

During AAPI Heritage Month, VE did not only focus on personal histories; we researched causes and campaigns that enrich and honor the AAPI community. It’s easy to support these efforts by:

Sharing through social media
Donating financially or volunteering to support amazing projects
Planning a visit to culturally significant areas

We found these related resources particularly interesting:

Every year, ��ɫ has been able to consistently offer more work, be more tech advanced, and connect with more clients. We boast to our current and potential client base that the freelancers we collaborate with are well-rounded individuals who bring their best selves to the table. We also encourage you to bring your best linguistic friends if they are interested in starting their journey with ��ɫ today. We hope you enjoyed this feature and we look forward to more linguist highlights in the future!

By Vendor Experience

Freelance Experts

Utilize Your Resources – How to Remain a Strong Freelance Contender in 2022!

kliniger — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 22:43:38 +0000

Utilize Your Resources – How to Remain a Strong Freelance Contender in 2022! kliniger Mon, 02/07/2022 - 17:43

Blog

We are officially into a new year! To our new freelance experts, welcome. We can’t wait to watch our partnership with you develop. And to our veterans, thank you for your many years of continued collaboration!

What are the four things we look forward to in ’22?

1.   More Collaboration
2.   More Tech Updates
3.   More Client Expansion
4.   More Growth

Creating an environment for all four is easily achieved as ��ɫ expands its network of freelance experts. As a company, we continue to encourage practices that will keep linguists relevant in their partnership with us. Our advice is to always prioritize developing and maintaining multiple relationships with project managers, vendor managers, internal linguists, and, of course, each other! Make sure your commitment to quality is visible in your everyday attitude and the work you provide. Finally, use the provided educational tools, resources, and constantly evolving tech to ensure you remain on the road to success alongside ��ɫ.

As the year progresses and some of our amazing websites receive a face lift, we want to remind you that staying in the loop on the latest updates is essential to having a fruitful working relationship with the company. Here’s a snapshot of online resources that should all of our experts should remain familiar with.

Freelance Expert Resources Available to You:

��ɫ’s Hub

The Expert Learning Center

It’s not all modules, and links; enjoy revisiting content made with vendors in mind, and often with linguists’ personal contributions.

Our Six Most Popular Posts:

5 Steps to Get More Freelance Work

Improving the Machine Translation Post-Editing Workflow

Thank you to our Freelance Family!
Our Freelance Community Weighs In: Benefits, Challenges, and Pitfalls of Working from Home

Cinco de Mayo: A Cultural Deep Dive

“Bee” the Quality They Want to See!

Last year, in lieu of coming together in person, Vendor Experience (VE) focused on how linguists were celebrating life’s special moments within their personal communities, and on sharing technical information our experts wanted to know. Here are a few recent blog posts that reflect that:

The Latest in Blog Posts:

Diwali – A Small Snapshot

Revamped Expert Onboarding Training!

What's Up with Double Upload on PD?

Living as an Ally - June Is Over, Pride Is Not

Thank you for remaining steadfast throughout all of the recent challenges. Having an amazing global community to partner with continues to be a badge of pride ��ɫ wears when discussing its quality with clients. Simply put, we have the best linguists in the world! Stay tuned for blog posts on holiday travel as an expert, cybersecurity best practices, and more. VE’s goal remains providing content that informs, educates, and relates to our current global community.

As always, if you’re interested in submitting a blog idea, contact us via email at VE_GetInvolved@transperfect.com. If you’re a prospective client, don’t wait another year before getting a quote! A member of our sales team would be happy to create the right service package for you. Lastly, the more the merrier, so if you’re a linguist and looking to start the year by making power moves and working on power accounts, start your journey with us today!

Happy 2022!

Freelance Experts

How to Take Time Away from Work as a Freelancer

jbyrd — Wed, 24 Nov 2021 16:30:32 +0000

How to Take Time Away from Work as a Freelancer jbyrd Wed, 11/24/2021 - 11:30

Blog

People who are self-employed or work freelance are often afraid of taking a holiday. But there are ways to take time away without losing work.

Having a lack of work/life balance is not only unhealthy, it’s also unnecessary. Balancing time between being the most productive worker and taking time off is possible. Here’s how.

Why You Need Time Away from Work as a Freelancer

Taking a vacation can:

Improve your physical and mental health
Reduce stress
Help you sleep better
Put you in a better mood
Contribute to good blood pressure and cholesterol

Traveling gives you the opportunity to put aside your daily to-do list and explore new places. Whether you’re in another country or exploring your own backyard, there are always new adventures and experiences to be had.

According to Forbes, taking time off is central to a person’s well-being. It can even increase efficiency and output upon returning to work, and you might also notice feeling more present and motivated in terms of work commitments.

Further, getting out of the office can reignite your capacity for educational development. When you allow your brain to completely relax, it’s more open to knowledge and new concepts. For example, you may be more motivated to explore education websites, such the Expert Learning Center, which is specifically designed to help linguists learn more, grow more, and earn more!

How to Take Time Away

Now that you’re ready to confirm your time off, here’s a game plan for going on holiday and retaining your clients while you’re away:

1) Prep before your holiday

What’s the busiest season for the clients you work with most? Retaining your primary clients and accounts is more feasible if you avoid taking a holiday during that time.

Save additional funds for the vacation. Take an extra project or two a day—as long as you’re still leaving enough time for best practices. Project managers will appreciate you going the extra mile before your holiday and remember it.

Clear out all of your administrative tasks that build up. Submit invoices, reorganize style guides, and make sure you’ve completed your most time-sensitive projects.

Next, it’s time to give your notice.

2) Communicate

Communicating to project managers and team leads that you’re going on holiday is a big part of planning ahead. We recommend at least a two weeks’ notice so your clients can prepare themselves to manage without you.

Also, if you’re visiting nearby, it gives them an opportunity to invite you to their office and meet in-person.

Make sure that in your request, you include the dates you’ll be out of office and how you can be reached in case of emergency, or who to reach out to instead.

At ��ɫ, one of our most valuable relationships is our collaboration with freelancers. Providing us with a heads up means we know not to interrupt your holiday with emails, voicemails, and our impromptu meetings. We want you to have a fun, balanced vacation!

3) Suggest coverage in your ��ɫ Network

Trusting your freelance peer with an account you work on benefits everyone. Your existing relationship solidifies your place as client favorite, which will not change while you take a holiday. By leaving the client and their workload in capable hands, you’re increasing resources for the client and for their company.

When you return, the client may notice faster turnaround times as there’s two dedicated quality freelancers working on that account. This instills confidence and leads to even more work. Not to mention your trust has fostered good will between you and your colleague. Everyone wins!

At ��ɫ, your freelance colleagues are some of the strongest, most valuable resources for you to rely on. Ask an existing and qualified ��ɫ freelancer to be available for work while you’re gone. Then, introduce your project managers and team leads to them before you leave.

4) Crafting an out-of-office message

The final piece of the puzzle is crafting an effective out-of-office auto-generated reply. Here are some tips to help you create one:

Any good communication starts with a greeting, such as a pleasant “Hello!”
Keep it short, sweet, and professional. Grammarly and Indeed both note being too friendly or revealing too much information within an OOO message is a “don’t.”
Include the specific dates or time period you will be unavailable.
Determine whether you’ll be replying to emails during your holiday or if you have a colleague covering emergency requests while you’re out.
Ask yourself if the message is appropriate for every audience.
Finish with a simple “Thank you.” Good manners never go out of style!

Enjoy Your Vacation!

By completing this checklist, you should feel confident taking time away from work while also maintaining important working relationships.

Now it’s time to focus on relaxation and wellness.

And if you happen to meet other linguists in your travels, make sure to tell them about ��ɫ and how they can get started on their own unique journey.

By ��ɫ Vendor Experience Team

Freelance Experts

Meddev

How Gender Inclusion Impacts Translations

jbyrd — Wed, 16 Jun 2021 12:35:07 +0000

How Gender Inclusion Impacts Translations jbyrd Wed, 06/16/2021 - 08:35

Blog

Words have the power to be a force for inclusion.

Translations allow individuals access to medical information, legal protections, entertainment, and so much more.

If our goal in translation is to include and access a wider audience, then it is critical that we think of the impact of words on the LGBTQIA+ community.

The Importance of Inclusion

So why is it important to consider gender in language?

Imagine if you were writing something for a large, diverse audience. You want to be inclusive so you can relate to everyone on some level. Take this opportunity to practice inclusion. To do that, you need to be careful and cognizant of the fact that each language utilizes gender differently.

Some languages, like English, demonstrate gender through pronouns (e.g., “he,” “she,” or “they”). Others, like Turkish, do not (e.g., “o”).

In other languages, the endings of nouns or adjectives change depending on the gender of the speaker or person being referred to. This is where challenges arise.

Addressing Groups in English

In English, when writing for an uncertain audience, it has become best practice to write “his or her” to avoid using the masculine singular so women feel included. If you think about it, you’ve most likely written something to the effect of “his or her backpack.”

However, this phrasing excludes non-binary/gender non-conforming individuals who may not use these pronouns.

Since Shakespearean times, using the singular “they” has been an appropriate alternative when the gender of the hypothetical person is unclear. In fact, most English style guides now agree that this common usage is appropriate and grammatically sound. So instead of “his or her backpack,” it’s “their backpack.”

Inclusivity in All Languages

When translating between languages, it’s important to keep the text as true to the source as is reasonable (or as is practical for a client).

For instance, when addressing a large audience in Japan, one would use a neutral greeting. Rather than using “ladies and gentlemen,” which unnecessarily genders the language, you would say “esteemed guests,” or a simple “welcome” would convey the same meaning.

This subtle change ensures all members of the audience feel included.

When translating into a language that uses gendered nouns when referring to others, like French, it is often best to depersonalize the text using collective nouns. For example, “l’employé/l'employée” becomes “le personnel.”

Inclusive Language in Healthcare

Gender inclusion is particularly critical in medical settings. A 2017 NPR poll reported that 22% of transgender Americans said they had avoided doctors or healthcare for fear of being discriminated against. In the translation industry, we must be mindful and consult with our clients to ensure the language used in informed consent forms, or clinical trial agreements, is as inclusive as possible.

For example, it may seem appropriate to use feminine endings in German when addressing participants in a clinical trial for an intrauterine device (IUD) or to use masculine ones for a testicular cancer drug, but doing so makes the assumption that none of the participants are transgender or non-binary.

Choosing Inclusion

At ��ɫ, we work to be inclusive in our translation process.

As an organization, linguist, or proofreader, you have the opportunity to question gendered assumptions in your documents and, in doing so, widen your audience in the process.

Take the opportunity to discuss inclusion with others working on your documents – it will widen your audience and give everyone a chance to take the same approach.

To learn more, work with us as a freelance linguist or reach out to us about our translations process.

By Tabitha Ashura, Advocate, ��ɫ

Freelance Experts

Global Business

Training & E‑Learning

5 Steps to Get More Freelance Work

jbyrd — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 18:38:57 +0000

5 Steps to Get More Freelance Work jbyrd Wed, 04/21/2021 - 14:38

Blog

Freelancers can align themselves as the most logical choice for a myriad of jobs, specialized projects, and clients by adding a few practical steps into their work routines.

From the first step to the last, they can tackle any perceived obstacles to acquire and maintain the work they are passionate about and dedicated to.

Here are five steps to help you maintain your current workload as a freelancer and get more work when you’re ready.

1) Create a Strong Introduction

Using an introductory email is a great way to make an impactful first impression. Professionals are more likely to work with or recommend individuals who leave a first impression of strength and confidence. If you think of yourself as a brand that desires subscribers, then an intro email is crucial. According to Knowledge Base, “Welcome emails have some of the highest open rates of 50%, on average.”

Learn more about introduction recommendations on the Hub.

Now, it’s time to consider how successful introductions translate into multiple connection points.

2) Maintain Multiple Connections

It is essential to have several connections at a time because business mirrors life; It’s never stagnant, and all roads to success are not from one source.

When a freelancer has several contact points, they know when project managers are online, and they know where their pillars of support are. These pillars of support enable freelancers to find:

New and ongoing projects
Project support and assistance
Payment-related resources

Understanding who to contact, and when and how, prevents project issues from causing delays and minimizes confusion. Knowing who can help with tech support or a payment issue is the difference between resolving a problem simply or it getting bogged down in time wasted and misunderstandings.

3) Educate Yourself

A high-quality freelancer understands their field continuously changes, so they constantly adapt. They proactively educate themselves to stay on top of industry trends, potential challenges, and other relevant information that will benefit them in their work.

Freelancers can educate themselves by communicating with fellow freelancers and attending industry-specific events, such as webinars and conferences. They can also use the companies they partner with as a resource. For example, ��ɫ offers several avenues for freelance linguists to utilize. These include:

Freelancer self-education impacts receiving and being qualified to handle projects offered. Get more tips about self-education on the Hub.

4) Quality Behavior Looks Like

In any industry, the project gatekeepers remember who provided the best work and the best attitude, and they give jobs to them first. They also recommend them to others who are looking for a high-quality freelancer.

The following recommendations are just the tip of the iceberg. Still, by beginning here, you’ll be presenting yourself as a quality candidate and be on track to have a continuous flow of work:

Remain deadline-driven
Be quick and responsive
Fully utilize tools provided to you by a project manager or tech
Always check project instructions

Every client is different, so do your best to understand each individually. Find out what their pain points are and do what you can to reduce that for them. By making their job easier, they’ll be sure to reach out to you for projects first. More information on quality is available via the Hub.

5) Stay Relevant

A relevant freelancer is a connected one. They have good relationships with project managers, billing, tech resources, and fellow experts.

The Cambridge Online Dictionary defines relevance as “the degree to which something is related or useful to what is happening or being discussed.” Adhering to that definition, here are additional ways to remain relevant:

Attend conferences, physically and virtually
Maintain a conversational and professional connection with your colleagues
Continue to leverage relationships you’ve built with project gatekeepers
Read and share blogs and applicable professional resources
Actively self-educate with interactive online courses—the community from those courses will also remember you

At ��ɫ, we’re always interested in hearing future blog ideas from our valued freelance experts, as well as continuing to support our clients’ needs through a variety of services. Freelancers should reach out by emailing VE_GetInvolved@transperfect.com, while clients can connect with a member of our sales team here. For those of you who haven’t begun your freelance expert journey with ��ɫ, you can start here!

By ��ɫ Vendor Relations

Freelance Experts

5 Ways Freelance Linguists Supported the Global Community in 2020

blog — Wed, 30 Dec 2020 23:11:20 +0000

5 Ways Freelance Linguists Supported the Global Community in 2020 blog Wed, 12/30/2020 - 18:11

Blog

2020 has been a pivotal year for the global community. We all learned how to navigate a new socially distant and unstable economic climate that at many times felt isolating.

“Stay at home” guidelines prompted vendors to get creative as they embraced virtual community interaction beyond traditional project and transactional structures.

��ɫ’s family of freelancers is made up of industry vendors who went above and beyond expected project support this year. As individuals, they came together to produce creative initiatives while still driving important linguistics agendas forward.

This year, our vendors and freelancers stepped it up by:

1) Adapting to the work-from-home lifestyle

2) Providing cultural expertise to educate communities

3) Embracing newly established technologies

4) Exhibiting women-led excellence and leadership

5) Taking pride in the human side of their work

Our vendors created a new team dynamic within the growing community of remote workers, proving that even from afar they could make an impact.

1) Adapting to the Work-From-Home Lifestyle

As the world quickly adjusted to living and working from home full-time, vendors had to adapt and meet a new standard of excellence.

Notably, both the expert freelancers and novice remote workforce were working alongside roommates, family, and pets in micro-communities, all without the option to leave except for essential purposes.

Freelance experts who were already veterans at signing on to work in their loungewear mentored others and were dressed to provide their expertise.

Almost immediately, vendors jumped on board with industry leaders to help provide practical takeaways to succeed while staying home.

Many were able to reincarnate face-to-face interactions digitally through collaborative buy-in, offering personal perspectives from different walks of life and professional backgrounds, and sharing photos and video.

Freelance vendors proved that they are the ultimate experts in how to effectively work from home, making a collective impact by shifting our social perspective.

2) Providing Cultural Expertise to Educate Communities

Quarantining to ensure the health and safety of communities kept many from being able to gather in-person during largely recognized holidays and events.

As veteran remote workers whose chosen communities are often significant miles away, our linguists already had experience fashioning a sense of community when apart.

Our linguists are translators, interpreters, and cultural consultants, and must maintain expertise in two languages to provide clients with accurate representation on projects.

We relied on their expertise more than ever this year. For example, we connected with Spanish Latin American linguists to better understand Cinco de Mayo beyond its secular hype. Here’s what we learned:

Do your own research and fact check what you think you may know
Travel is a dependable way to learn about holidays and cultures
You can celebrate holidays by supporting local businesses
Food is a gatekeeper to community and understanding

This research into Cinco de Mayo inspired more historical exploration of global communities and historical dates, with the goal of providing content to meet readers’ sincere interests versus only providing content that directly equals translation work.

3) Embracing Newly Established Technologies

Language service providers have always been vital to bridging language barriers around the world, even before a global pandemic changed the landscape of reality. Even throughout a challenging year, our freelance experts remained committed to providing the same volume of work and community engagement to ensure these language needs were met.

Vendors also continued to grow their portfolios by mastering the machine translation post-editing (MTPE) process. Their user experience from this year is helping create a tool that will lead the AI industry as well as enhance a specialized workflow.

4) Exhibiting Women-Led Excellence and Leadership

The high number of linguistic experts who identify as women prove we aren’t “living in a man’s world.”

As each voice and story found a space to be told, it helped paint an accurate picture of the intrinsic and positive diversity within the industry, especially in a year when the world needed to hear from voices that felt similar to their own and mirrored some of life’s challenges and triumphs.

Freelance experts continued to show how much intersectionality exists in the language sector outside of being a project statistic.

5) Taking Pride in the Human Side of Their Work

��ɫ CEO Phil Shawe shared a story this year the equal importance of all positions and perspectives when reaching a collective and essential goal. Vendors celebrated Pride Month this year by listening to stories of individuals who use their diverse backgrounds to help meet the needs of a mix of businesses, organizations, and governments.

Many self-identifying members of the LGBTQ+ community shared concrete and creative ways during 2020 to still show Pride without parades or large gatherings. Virtual parties, phone calls, social media, and letters ensured that they could still showcase “togetherness” no matter what type of community one calls home.

With the privilege of having a public and visible platform comes the obligation to ensure space for stories that accurately reflect underrepresented or diverse groups. Feature posts are a natural medium to shine a light on the unique individuals who partner with linguistic experts every step of the way.

Recognizing Responsibility

During these challenging times, vendors never forgot that they collaborate with real people and are centrally positioned to keep breaking down language and cultural blocks. Vendors continued to offer buy-in and interest outside of their projects, validating the trust and responsibility companies place on them.

While this year has been challenging because of COVID-19, social upheavals, and changing climates, freelance experts never quit. Thank you for remaining experts during this difficult year.

By ��ɫ Vendor Management Team

Freelance Experts

Improving the Machine Translation Post-Editing Workflow

blog — Fri, 30 Oct 2020 20:45:47 +0000

Improving the Machine Translation Post-Editing Workflow blog Fri, 10/30/2020 - 16:45

Blog

Why the Human Aspect of MTPE Matters

Machine translation post-editing (MTPE) isn’t just a technology-based workflow; it’s a gateway to more revenue. MTPE is a faster translation service that allows for quicker delivery to clients while still providing a human level of quality and care. ��ɫ has a high standard for quality, and the key is for translations to be human. Because our network of freelance experts is constantly diversifying project types, our clients’ content is being translated by quality and experienced linguists.

As the linguistic industry continues to work on the development and improvement of MTPE, it relies heavily on freelance experts to share and grow along with the service. Here are ways that ��ɫ supports your growth as a linguist in the freelance community:

��ɫ’s Top Four Guidelines for Machine Translation Post-Editing

1. More MTPE = More Opportunities for Work

��ɫ wants linguists to feel ready when handling MTPE jobs becomes necessary. To do this, a series of trainings have been developed to cover ISO standards. We establish a level of understanding with MTPE testing for the quality freelance experts we partner with. Linguists who have received the necessary vendor management certifications to work on MTPE projects reap the benefits of faster turnaround times, allowing you:

More time to become certified in different material types
The availability to accept more projects annually

2. Connect Linguists with Training Staff and Real People

��ɫ’s Expert Learning Center (ELC) was created with several goals in mind. One of which is to offer opportunities for linguists to become MTPE experts, even if you were not before. Within the ELC platform, a library of MTPE material and training modules can be found. Most importantly, through ELC’s eclassroom webinars, linguists can discuss LIVE queries about MTPE with a company expert. It is strongly encouraged for linguists to attend as your participation helps both you and your fellow freelance experts.

3. MTPE Doesn’t Have to Be Scary

MTPE can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. The sessions offered on the ELC will allow you to take the first steps. Other MTPE features on the ELC include:

MTPE Modules
MTPE Take-Home Information
Eclassroom Training
Networking Opportunities with Project and Vendor Managers

Linguists interested in getting started with MTPE can:

Take the MTPE module
Read the MTPE take-home info
Sign up today to take an MTPE eclassroom training
Ask a project manager (PM) how to get involved
Check in with a vendor manager

4. Challenges with MTPE (We know they exist!)

It’s not a secret that there are challenges when it comes to MTPE. Some frequent items include:

Inconsistencies in output results
Strict time incurred
Meeting budgetary requirements
Unforeseen quality corrections
Language localization miscalculations

��ɫ production, vendor, and tech teams are invested in the long-term success of MTPE. We are all committed to approaching vendor escalations with urgency and a “CAN-do” attitude. Three simple action items are the cornerstones of overcoming any MTPE challenges:

Communicate

Adapt

Negotiate

You CAN have MTPE Success!

Communicate and flag issues early. We value linguists as industry professionals, and we want to hear from you when there are unexpected issues. Remember to communicate through the lens of long-term helpfulness. Freelance experts are the primary method of change and improvement, and your community relies on transparency.

Adapt to the best course of action that serves the assignment and the client when unforeseen issues arise. We prioritize high quality and on-time deliverables for our clients.

Example: What should you do if you’re concerned about a deadline?

Adapt by reaching out to your PM as soon as possible. Notify them of the concern and request additional time.

Negotiate where possible. Negotiation is an option when it comes to extended deadlines and purchase orders (PO) adjustments that ensure the best quality for our clients. Project managers work with you to choose the best course of action for each situation.

Discussions about rates, time spent, and unforeseen hiccups on accepted projects are uncomfortable but necessary. ��ɫ’s Project Director has a preview feature so you can view the work and negotiate before accepting a project. During any project (not just an MTPE project), if you are spending additional time ensuring quality, communicate that you’re adapting and that you need to negotiate expectations.

We balance all requests with a reasonable outcome for all parties involved and will continue to do so.

Machine Translation Post-Editing Information Roundup

We are committed to our linguists and want all of you to succeed. We want to hear from you and continue working with you to improve MTPE across the myriad of languages and localizations that exist worldwide. To reach out for further support or to find more information on how to become trained and certified for MTPE work with ��ɫ, please contact vendor management at MTPE_Opp@transperfect.com.

��ɫ has long been a global powerhouse and innovator in technological and language practices; however, we do not chart the course alone. You are working hard alongside us. Thank you to the many linguists, tech teams, project managers, and vendor leaders who gave their time, input, and expertise into making this blog post. More certification and resources are being created as we learn and grow together! If you’re interested in participating in future blog posts, contact vendor experience at VE_GetInvolved@transperfect.com today.

By ��ɫ

Freelance Experts

Women in Translation (WiT) Month 2020: Getting to Know Our Newest Female Freelancers

admin — Fri, 28 Aug 2020 11:45:00 +0000

Women in Translation (WiT) Month 2020: Getting to Know Our Newest Female Freelancers admin Fri, 08/28/2020 - 07:45

Blog

We spent August, which is Women in Translation (WiT) Month, getting to know ��ɫ’s newest female translators, and we’re thrilled to introduce you to a few of them! If you’re interested in learning more about the origins of WiT, check out last year’s blog post: ��ɫ Celebrates Women in Translation Month 2019.

Hopefully, seeing just a small sample of our new talent encourages veteran experts to partner with our burgeoning members, and for the whole of the ��ɫ freelance community to continue to get to know one another.

Women in Translation: 2020 Spotlight.

Source Language(s) into Target Language(s):

English into German

Name: Andrea

What made you want to pursue the world of linguistics?

With every new word you learn, you also learn something about yourself. So why not turn it into a profession?

Favorite food and why?

Macarons because their calories don’t count due to the size of a macaron.

*We agree, totally doesn’t count!*

What outdoor activity haven’t you tried, but would like to?

Mushroom hunting.

What’s your favorite holiday and how do you celebrate?

New Year’s Eve – I love celebrating it on the beach of my favorite island with my happy, little family. It’s always one of those moments I’m beyond grateful for the life I live and the people I spend it with.

Andrea recommends these songs for a work from home playlist!

1. (For the summer) Buena Vista Social Club – Chan Chan

2. (For cozy days) Jason Isbell – Cover Me Up

3. (For full focus) Ramin Djawadi – Light of the Seven

Source Language(s) into Target Language(s):

English into Spanish / Spanish into English

Name: Valeria

What made you want to pursue the world of linguistics?

After learning to read at four years old, I fell immediately in love with the English language even though I’m from Argentina, and my mother tongue is Spanish. At five years old, I started learning English seriously, and I’m still learning!

After getting my degree as a certified translator in 2007, I cannot imagine my life as anything but a full-time linguist!

Fun fact…

I talk when I sleep (in English and some other intelligible languages)

When Valeria met Rita…

I adopted a cute dog two years ago. When I met her, she was under the care of a sweet woman who couldn’t keep her, so she was offering her in a park. She was about two months old, had a pink ribbon and a sad face, and was waiting for someone to take her home. *Spoiler alert* I did!

What outdoor activity haven’t you tried, but would like to?

I would love to ride a balloon; people say Cappadocia is one of the best places to try it. I will surely do it!

Valeria recommends these songs for a work from home playlist!

1. Back to Black – Amy Winehouse

2. The Scientist – Coldplay

3. Yellow – Coldplay

Source Language(s) into Target Language(s):

Chinese (Traditional and Simplified, Cantonese and Mandarin) into English

Name: Pamela

What made you want to pursue the world of linguistics?

I double-majored in Translation and English Studies (Linguistics and Literature). I would like to use what I have learned to contribute to society. It is very satisfactory to learn that I have helped clients succeed in a product launch or win a court case with my translation/copywriting skills.

Tips on how to start a fun and functional workday!

· Scheduling, organizing, and daily target setting.

· Treats and drinks, soothing music, and aroma.

· Rest, work breaks, and days off are necessary!

Pamela’s favorite show is…

America’s Got Talent. Every time there are new performances that I have never thought of.

What outdoor activity haven’t you tried, but would like to?

Standing/sitting on a giant lotus leaf. I have seen this on TV!

Pamela recommends these songs for a work from home playlist!

1. Pure music (cello, flute, and hand drum)

2. Nature sound (water/wave/birds/cats)

3. Jazz (“Coffee shop” music)

Sonia and her dog nine-year-old dog called Clio.

Name: Sonia

Source Language(s) into Target Language(s):

English, Spanish and Catalan Italian

What made you want to pursue the world of linguistics?

My love for travel and my passion for learning new cultures and lifestyles.

Fun facts about you:

· I am addicted to kickboxing.

· I make the most delicious handmade pizza in the world (second only to my father’s).

· An outdoor activity I haven’t tried, but I would like to is… Parachuting – even though I find it a bit scary.

Sonia recommends these 3 songs for a Work From Home Playlist!

1. Banana Pancakes – Jack Johnson

2. Successful – Ariana Grande

3. Brennan Reels – Martin Hayes Quartet

Sonia’s favorite series is…

My favorite book is Lisey’s Story by Stephen King, and I love it because apart from the story itself, it talks about the strengths of a woman going through a hard time in life.

Source Language(s) into Target Language(s):

Japanese into English

Name: Anne

What made you want to pursue the world of linguistics?

I grew up in a household in California that spoke both Japanese and English but felt my grasp of the Japanese language to be tenuous as the majority of my world was in English. When I was a child, I was an avid reader who ended up majoring in English literature in college. Pursuing the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program upon graduation seemed like a natural course, merging my love of English with my desire to touch base with my Japanese roots. After spending three years in Japan teaching English, I wanted to continue being engaged with Japanese culture and convey it to a western audience. A great way to do this was through translation!

Favorite food and why?

One of my favorite foods is a shrimp burrito. It can have so much going on, with an explosion of lime, sour cream, cilantro, Pico de Gallo flavors, soft pinto/black beans, mild cheese, crunchy cabbage, savory onion, and of course, plump pink shrimp.

Pictured beside Anne is Kin (no, not like the male Barbie!)

Kin’s name means “gold” in Japanese, after his golden eyes. He goes in and out of the house and likes high places, including the roof of Anne’s house.

Anne’s favorite series is…

A favorite book series is Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. The main character is an orphan girl who is hesitantly adopted by a brother and sister who are getting up there in years. Anne charms them with her spunk and imagination. Throughout the storyline, she undergoes her share of tragedy in her younger years, which provides the foundation for her vibrant spirit and creativity. Her temper and impulsiveness get her into scrapes, but she is never at a loss for words. I’m in love with her as a character, as well as the close-knit community around her.

Anne recommends these songs for a work from home playlist!

1. Crystallize – Lindsey Stirling

2. Joga – Björk

3. Ritual Union – Little Dragon

Fun times with Jaime and her two children Tommy and Lexi

Source Language(s) into Target Language(s):

Spanish to English

Name: Jaime

What made you want to pursue the world of linguistics?

It wasn’t on purpose! I began freelance translating on the side (people kept asking me to!) while living in Argentina for almost fifteen years. When I returned to the US, I worked in international philanthropy/nonprofits (only occasionally translating, more as favors), and never quite felt truly happy.

In 2019 I did some soul searching and realized my very best (and happiest) times working were when I was translating/interpreting. It just doesn’t feel like work to me (your perfect work should energize you, not deplete you). So, I decided to return to where I should have been the entire time!

Jaime’s honest tips on how to start a fun and functional workday.

· Get up before the rest of your household and have breakfast by yourself (it’s OK if you have to hide to accomplish this)

· Then go for a walk (the woods are best). The outdoors really inspire me (mosquitos inspire evil thoughts though, so bring repellent).

· Tell your people, “If the door is closed, do not knock unless there is fire or blood.”

What’s your favorite holiday and how do you celebrate?

Halloween. I have a Wonder Woman apron I wear around the neighborhood, and all the other moms laugh and give me nods of approval. Stealing my kids’ candy is also a plus!

Jaime’s favorite series is…

Third Rock from the Sun is one of the funniest sitcoms I have ever seen. I have all seasons on DVD because they don’t show it anywhere anymore. It’s so original, and it really points out all the nonsensical and silly things we do as humans.

Jaime recommends not listening to music…

I don’t listen to music when I work. And definitely not with lyrics while I work because I start typing the lyrics (and if it’s Adele, there is no hope of any work for me at all).

Source Language(s) into Target Language(s):

Italian into English

Name: Leila

What made you want to pursue the world of linguistics?

It was actually by chance. I have multiple degrees in Advertising, Marketing, and Communications, but when I moved to Italy almost 30 years ago, there were no job openings in my field (no one knew what my field was back then). I’ve been bilingual since birth, fluent in another couple of languages, and had worked with languages in the jobs I had during college. Entering the translation field just made sense.

Fun facts…

· I love to just break out randomly in song and dance whenever there’s music on (and also when I’ve just seen a Broadway musical).

· Murphy (i.e., from Murphy’s Law) and his whole family practically live with me, and my friends think that I should have my own stand-up comedy act and write a book about all my mishaps.

· I love anything vintage or Art Deco and collect lots of different things, including neon signs.

An important tip on how to start a functional day from Leila!

Get everything that’s not work-related you have to do out of the way ASAP in the morning.

The secret ingredient in Leila’s favorite food is family…

· Anything fish-related (ex. spaghetti with clams or sea urchin, fried mixed seafood, mussels).

· Bureka (Made by my mom)

Leila’s still loves playing Santa, even for her 21-year-old daughter. When asked about her favorite holiday(s) here’s what she had to say:

Halloween and Christmas! I’ve always made my costumes for Halloween and those of my daughter when she was growing up so we could trick or treat. It feels like I practically invented trick or treat in Italy because it was unknown way back when she was growing up. Who doesn’t love Christmas, especially with my family? If we’re together, or just myself and my daughter, and I still put out her presents at night, so she’ll be surprised the next morning. She’s 21!

Source Language(s) into Target Language(s):

Japanese to English

Name: Brooke

What made you want to pursue the world of linguistics?

My love for the Japanese language and linguistics, in general, is what brought me to this career. I view translation as solving a puzzle. Also, I love bringing people together by facilitating communication.

Judging by these fun facts, Brooke is not afraid of the great outdoors!

· I’ve held a giant scorpion and rhinoceros beetle grub.

· My happiest place is wading in tide pools and discovering all the life within.

· I have tried and succeeded at mountain climbing once, summitting Mt. Washington in New Hampshire! However, I haven’t done any in Japan, so that’s my next bucket list item.

Favorite food and why?

Kalbi, because it’s delicious!

Brooke’s favorite tv, books, and movies all have two things in common: They are thrilling and have unique storylines.

· My favorite book is Out by Natsuo Kirino

· My favorite movie is The Count of Monte Christo, a beautiful story of love and faith!

· And I’ll watch anything on the ID channel!

Brooke recommends these 3 songs for a Work From Home Playlist!

1. Caribbean Blue – Enya

2. California – Joni Mitchell

3. Anything Bossa Nova (I like modern song covers)

*Click the link for Bossa Nova covers!*

With so many amazing female freelancers we couldn’t include the full range of women who submitted features. But next year we look forward to meeting them! Celebrating the diverse and qualified female talent of ��ɫ freelance experts every year is truly an honor, and we say thank you for the time and commitment they put in every day.

If you haven’t already, don’t forget to check out our Thank You Letter to the entire Freelance Community here!

By ��ɫ

Freelance Experts

Working Women for Equality in Leadership

admin — Wed, 26 Aug 2020 14:41:04 +0000

Working Women for Equality in Leadership admin Wed, 08/26/2020 - 10:41

Blog

Women’s Equality Day recognizes the ratification of the 19^th amendment, which granted women the right to vote in the United States. August 26^th, 1920, is a day that signifies the validity of the female voice. Prior to this, only a handful of states allowed women the right to vote. Today means much more than simply the right to vote in any given election. This amendment created significant impacts on human rights in gender equality, including reproductive health, job opportunities, fairer wages, education, and general economic progress.

Let’s talk about economic progress.

When women were awarded the right to vote, many other doors opened. One of those doors was the pathway to being a strong leader in business. This has not been an easy road, but women’s suffrage has helped to create opportunities for women to use their voices in influential positions of power. Here we are, 100 years later, and women have fought and climbed their way to a seat at many different tables. They have become CEOs and members of congress, and now we have a woman of color as a vice presidential nominee. Women have come a long way; however, there is still quite a journey ahead.

There are many barriers to women’s equality in business leadership, such as the glass ceiling, the broken rung, and the concrete ceiling. What do these mean exactly? They mean that though women continue to work just as hard, invisible obstacles slow overall progress.

The glass ceiling, for example, is a metaphor used to represent an invisible barrier that keeps a given demographic from rising beyond a certain level in a hierarchy. The broken rung refers to women getting stuck between entry level and middle manager positions. According to leanin.org, “the biggest obstacle that women face is the first step up to manager, or the “broken rung,” which results in more women getting stuck at the entry level and fewer women becoming managers.” Last, the lesser known concrete ceiling is a term that is comparable to the glass ceiling. It points out artificial barriers and bias that prevent upward mobility of qualified individuals, including women and people of color, by restricting access to top-level roles.

Women Empowered: Equal Rights at ��ɫ

Women continue to tear down these walls, which ultimately would not be possible without the 19^th amendment. So how is ��ɫ supporting women's suffrage after 100 years?

It is important to recognize that ��ɫ not only values women in business and leadership roles, but offers proactive organizational support for the advancement and equality of women. One of the major initiatives that focus on women empowerment in the company is Working Women, an internal affinity group led by employees. Working Women aims to accelerate the advancement, empowerment, and leadership of working women at ��ɫ. They accomplish this by inviting professional women from outside organizations to share their stories, give outside perspectives, and inspire women within ��ɫ. They tackle issues that are important to members, define organizational objectives, and impact change together. These conversations are also featured on NEXT The Podcast so our partners, clients, and the public can all benefit from advice from our female thought leaders.

Working Women aspires to elevate women leaders and amplify the voices of employees who would like to become leaders. ��ɫ remains true to its core value of diversity by supporting the growth of this group and empowering women equality in business and leadership.

Today we recognize the significance of the right to vote being the opportunity for women to use their voices to create meaningful change. Happy Women’s Equality Day!

If you are part of the ��ɫ team and would like to get involved with Working Women, please email workingwomen@transperfect.com. If you are a ��ɫ working mom seeking resources and support, please join tptmoms@transperfect.com.

By: ��ɫ Working Women

Freelance Experts