My Ciklopea Story: Mirna Relić

How did you get into the language industry?

 I was interested in languages even when I was a child. I always wanted to learn several different languages, but English felt so natural to me from the beginning that it almost seemed like it was my mother tongue, and, over the years, I realized that this is what I do best and with ease and that I should pursue my career in this field, so I started working for Ciklopea while I was still a college student and stayed after I got my Master’s in English and Informatics.

 How many languages can you speak and/or understand?

 Croatian, English and Italian.

 How did you become a linguist specialized for LifeSciences?

 Medicine and pharmacy are two fields I am most interested in and I translate these types of texts pretty much every day. Every linguist has certain fields that they prefer, and I believe that specialization in the language industry is very important because it enables the linguist to continuously improve, grow, learn and really become an expert in their job. Since these fields are highly specialized and extremely regulated, I wanted to learn more about medicine and pharmacy from the medical perspective, so I recently participated in a 4-week online training for medical translators and interpreters which, in combination with my linguistic knowledge, enabled me to get a better insight into how these fields work. After I got my certificate, I gave a presentation and shared what I’ve learned with my colleagues in Ciklopea, and I’ll soon hold a webinar for vendors and other colleague translators who are also interested in these fields, which is a great opportunity for people to share their knowledge and experience and discuss the most important aspects of medical and pharma translations.

What is the driving force of your job?

 My driving force is the fact that I really love my job and that I don’t consider it as a job only, but also as an opportunity to learn and share new things every day. Things are much easier when you’re passionate about what you do, and when you see how much you’ve improved over time and how much you’ve learned, it keeps you motivated to keep up the good work and continue growing.

 If you were to choose a career outside the language industry, what would it be?

 I grew up in a family of sports enthusiasts, so, when I was younger, I wanted to be a sports journalist. When I think about it now, since I’ve become increasingly interested in medicine and pharmacy, I would probably choose one of these two fields.

 What is your piece of advice to your younger colleagues?

 Choose a profession that will bring the best out of you and invest all your energy into things that make you happy, keep you motivated and guide you to success, in both professional and personal sense.

 What is your secret superpower?

 I trained football for 4 years. I’m a bit rusty now, but I can still play :D.

 What is your favorite quote?

 It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities – Albus Dumbledore.

 The three things you would take to a desert island?

 Any of the Harry Potter books (preferably all of them), sunblock and liquor.

 Describe Ciklopea in one sentence.

A great environment for learning about all aspects of the language industry and advancing professionally.