We were happy to receive many positive comments from the audience on the cooperation between freelancers and translation agencies.

Today, we will share the first of seven video materials on the subject, that we plan to publish every Wednesday from today on.

Subjects that we will cover in the next video are the following:

• What’s the role of a project manager
• What is the difference between simple and complex projects
• What standards does the industry adhere to: current trends in the industry
• What kind of partners are translation agencies looking for
• What are the first steps after a translator and an agency agree to a partnership
• How do you choose the right CAT tool

If you want to hear more on the qualities of a good translator, the advantages and standards in general, take a look at the video.

If that sounds interesting and you are driven to new learnings, research, and to easily make first contact, share your profile with the Ciklopea vendor management team:

Join us

We hope that you learnt something new about the advantages that are useful in the work of a translator.

Stay tuned!

The post What makes a good translator – video material from the Webinar: Translators and Agencies – Building Strong Partnerships appeared first on Ciklopea.

What is the purpose of linguistic revision?

Translations are performed by professional human linguists and, just like to all humans, errors are likely to happen even to the best among them. Tight deadlines and large volumes take their toll through an occasional slip of the keyboard, lack of concentration and, more often than not, poor source materials. When the specific technical, terminological and other aspects of the project (that may or may not be fully in line with the standard rules of the target language) are added to the equation, it’s easy to see that professional translating is not an easy job.

Linguistic revision is a quality check of the raw translated materials by a second linguist whose job can be somewhat less stressful only because he/she doesn’t have to produce the translation, though revising a poor translation is the very definition of stress in the language industry.

This check includes detection and fixing of standard linguistic errors such as typos, mistranslations, omissions, inconsistencies, as well as the suitability of the translated materials for the agreed purpose, taking into account any specific project requirements, terminology and references.

However, the style is the matter of linguistic revision only in cases when it is inappropriate (for example, use of informal style or slang in a legal or medical translation) and therefore, in most cases, it remains the responsibility of the translator, the reason being that it is a preferential aspect that cannot be objectively assessed.

Introduction of a second linguist doesn’t mean that every translation is bad by default or that the translator is not to be trusted – it is an industry practice based on the rational presumption that two persons can see more than one and thus take any appropriate action before it is too late and a substandard translation is released to the public. This is the reason why every translation used for commercial purposes must be (and usually is) checked at least by a second linguist.

Revision and LQA reports

Once again, every serious LSP uses some form of language revision reporting or language quality assurance (LQA) process to ensure documenting and traceability of all performed phases within a delivered project.

These reports demonstrate that a revision or QA check (or both) was performed, document the detected and fixed errors / error types and usually feature a general assessment / recommendation to help the translator avoid them in the future.

The tools

Depending on the type of project and the purpose and format of the translated materials, a variety of tools is used in the linguistic revision phase. The most common ones include spellcheckers (integrated into text editors and CAT tools), track changes, language quality and editing distance reports (reports showing how much work was done on a project during the language revision stage).

Another pair of eyes?

It is not uncommon that a third linguist is invited to proofread and review the revised materials once they have been technically processed (e.g. after the DTP process), or that the pre-final delivery is returned to translator and editor for the final check.

This is because the pre-release version with the edited layout may provide linguists with more contextual information and reveal any issues that might have passed undetected in CAT tools due to segmentation.

Wrap-up

Translation and localization are largely automatized and computer-assisted processes, but they are still performed and managed by people and people can make mistakes. Quality assurance processes have been developed (and they are continuously improved) with the aim of eliminating the human errors and the utilization of these processes means that the client receives the translated/localized materials that have been checked by at least two professional linguists.

The post The Four Eyes Principle in the Language Industry: How Does it Work? appeared first on Ciklopea.

Translator and/or editor/proofreader

Source language: German

Target language: Serbian

Job description:

• Written translation
• Bilingual editing/proofreading
• Development/management of glossaries and termbases
• Communication with project managers / technical team

Specialization (required):

• Tools and machines
• Complex technical translations
• Medicine
• Pharmacy

Availability for projects:

Mon – Fri 9 AM – 5 PM

Volume:

At least 2000 words per day

Required skills:

• Target language proficiency, grammar and orthography
• Source language proficiency
• Active use of CAT and QA tools (any of the following: SDL Studio, MemoQ, Memsource, xBench, Verifika; or a desire and motivation for their learning)
• Experience

Type of employment:

Work from home (freelance)

Possibility to issue invoices for services provided is necessary (co-operation through a registered activity). Co-operation on the basis of a copyright contract or temporary service contract is not possible!

Please send your CV and cover letter at hr[at]ciklopea.com.

Please apply only if you meet the conditions required and state them in your cover letter.

The post We Are Looking for Freelance German – Serbian Translators (M/F) appeared first on Ciklopea.

Translator and reviser

Source language: English

Target language: Croatian

Specialization (required):

Medicine and clinical trials

Job description:

• Written translation
• Bilingual editing/revision
• Development of glossaries and termbases
• Communication with project managers and the technical team

Required knowledge and skills:

• Target language proficiency, excellent grammar and spelling knowledge
• Source language proficiency
• Active use of CAT and QA tools (SDL Studio, MemoQ, Memsource, Across; xBench, Verifika)

Form of employment:

Work from home (freelance).

Please send your CV and cover letter at hr[at]ciklopea.com.

Ciklopea offers you work on dynamic and interesting projects, technical and linguistic training, as well as professional growth and development.

The post We Are Looking for Freelance English – Croatian Translators with Experience in Translating Medical and Clinical Trial Materials (M/F) appeared first on Ciklopea.

I have been working at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Osijek since 1995. I am the chair of the master’s programme in translation at the Department of English. I also often work as an interpreter, which allows me to successfully bring together the two careers, the one of an academic and the one of a professional translator, which my students are quick to recognize. They enjoy real-life translation tasks and actual work the most, and they particularly appreciate specific examples and advice coming from the professional experience.

Can you tell us about some projects of which you were involved in? Maybe one that made you particularly proud and that introduced changes at your university, town or community?

I have participated in several scientific projects for the Ministry of Science and the large collaborative FP7 project MIME. However, I am particularly proud of setting up a completely new university programme in translation and introducing a master’s programme in translation at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Osijek as a part of the Bologna Process higher education reform, including all of the activities that brought this programme to the level at which it is today.

The faculty also invested considerable financial resources in the acquisition of equipment for interpreting, licences for translation tools for professors and students, computer equipment and the professional development of teachers. The programme teachers used to work as full-time translators themselves, and they are all still actively involved in translation or interpreting, which definitely has a positive effect on the quality of our classes.

You mentioned the collaborative FP7 project MIME (Mobility and Inclusion in Multilingual Europe). What are the most important lessons you learned while working on this project and how did it benefit you? What is WP7 DATE and what is it focused on?

MIME is a research and innovation FP7 project focused on multilingualism in Europe and financed by the European Commission. It lasted for fifty-four months and ended on 31 August 2018. Twenty universities from sixteen European countries were involved. Through an innovative multidisciplinary approach, the project provided systematic recommendations relevant for the language policy and the identification of language policies and strategies which most efficiently connect and bring together “mobility” and “inclusion” in society.

The basic recommendations of the project are summarized in The MIME Vademecum (free PDF version can be downloaded at: http://www.mime-project.org/vademecum/). The publication includes a chapter dedicated to translation, language technologies and alternative strategies for bridging the “multilingual gap”. Vademecum gives answers to seventy-two specific questions, such as whether machine translation will replace translators, who should/can work as a translator or an interpreter, which translation services are required for migrants, whether a language such as Esperanto could become a lingua franca and many others.

My task in this project was to lead the work package WP7 DATE (Dissemination, Awareness, Training, Exchange). I organized a network of external stakeholders and included them in regular meetings with the project consortium, where the needs of everyone working in the field were determined and attempted to be met. I also organized two postgraduate schools, in Osijek and in Zagreb, for the postgraduate students working on the project and other students.

Universities face a number of limitations regarding long-term procedures for changing university programmes, limited total student workload, finances, acquisition of equipment and tools, as well as continuous professional development of teachers.

What does your typical work week look like? We have collaborated on projects such as the Summer School, Elia Exchange, etc., and we have always enjoyed your quick and positive reactions, openness to cooperation and willingness to introduce new things.

At the university, we are all aware of the fact that the language industry is developing much quicker than universities can follow. Universities face a number of limitations regarding long-term procedures for changing university programmes, limited total student workload, finances, acquisition of equipment and tools, as well as continuous professional development of teachers.

We are aware of those limitations and we are trying to be present and active and keep up with the language industry through quick reactions, securing additional outside financing through the EU projects, continuously participating in seminars, workshops and summer schools, regularly making changes to the university programmes and maintaining contact with translation agencies and associations.

For example, we take part in the Visiting Translator Scheme of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Translation on a regular basis, and as a part of it, their translators hold guest lectures for us. We also organize field classes for students and we take them to the Translating Europe Forum, which is held in Brussels every year.

We also visit the Croatian department of the Directorate-General for Translation in Brussels. We are a part of the Elia Exchange network and we also organized a series of guest lectures by the Association of Court Interpreters and Translators, Croatian Society of Conference Interpreters, various translating agencies, renowned Croatian translators and our alumni. The programme also has a Facebook page, where we communicate with our students and the public on a regular basis.

No work week is the same as the previous one, but it always includes a combination of holding lectures, translating, doing scientific research, professional development, travelling and communicating with the translators community. Even my vacation is never just a vacation. For example, this year I spent a part of it participating in the summer school of terminology TermNet and preparing for an exam to become a certified terminologist. Last year, a part of my vacation was spent on finishing a large student translation project, the translation of the book Inside Book Publishing into Croatian.

We are also interested in your work with students and your observations. Have you noticed any differences between the students of previous generations and the millennials? What can the new generations teach you? 

Ten generations of students have finished the university programme so far, but there are definitely differences between the first and the current generation. This is especially so because the labour market has changed significantly and mobility has improved since Croatia joined the European Union, so students today are much more aware of the possibilities and the limitations of working as a translator. Besides, students today are far more digitally literate than ten years ago, which makes it easier for them to adapt to contemporary language technologies and master them. They are often even slightly faster at it than professors.

We try to keep them occupied by continuously introducing new content; for example, starting this fall, we will have two new classes available: The Basics of Terminology and Language Technologies, which will significantly improve the skills the students acquire during their studies. New generations are also bolder, so it has become common for them to spend a part of their studies or complete their internships abroad as a part of the Erasmus+ or CEEPUS programmes.

What are the strong and the weak points of corpus linguistics in Croatia in your opinion? To what extent is the public aware of that field and what is being done to keep Croatian corpora up-to-date? Which resources are used to build Croatian corpora? 

Only a limited number of linguists in Croatia specialize in corpus linguistics, and there are much fewer investments in language infrastructure than there are in other countries and for larger languages. Because of that, language technologies for the Croatian language are somewhat behind and do not offer all the possibilities that exist for languages such as English or German. I would like to point out the Croatian National Corpus, a representative, balanced corpus containing texts dating to 1990 and onward, containing thirty million tokens, as a good example.

The web corpus hrWaC is also very useful. It was automatically collected from the .hr top-level domain and currently contains more than two billion tokens (v.2.1), and therefore does not only contain standardized language. The corpus is built into the SketchEngine tool, which we use when working with students for purposes such as searching corpora, automatic term extraction, creation of new corpora and so on.

What are your plans for the future? Are there any wishes or ambitions you have not yet managed to fulfil?

To keep developing the university programme and to include it in the European network of university programmes in translation, EMT (European Master’s in Translation), to work on improving the status of translation as a vocation and to maintain connections with external stakeholders in order to have a better understanding of their needs and to educate competent translators.

I would therefore like to thank Ciklopea for its highly appreciated cooperation, especially the interesting guest lectures and education workshops, successfully organized summer schools for translation students and all the energy invested into bringing the Elia Exchange programme to Croatia.

The post Interview with Marija Omazić: “New generations of students are more digitally literate and more mobile” appeared first on Ciklopea.

If you give it a thought, these guidelines are applicable in all industries and once you master the skills necessary to write a good cover letter, you can use them everywhere.

I have to be completely honest and admit that coming back from my vacation and finding my e-mail inbox filled with job applications from a great number of candidates has been the reason why I am writing this text right now.

What does a good cover letter even mean?

In the first place, the cover letter ought to exist.

I often hear my private and work colleagues, acquaintances and friends wonder, do I even need to write a cover letter and does anyone actually read it?

The answer to this question is: yes, of course!

A well-written cover letter is the ID of your CV or, literally speaking, a cover letter is an introduction to a good book.

Do you know that feeling when you pick one book out of many in a book store, read a short introduction and immediately want to read the rest of it? Pretty much the same thing happens with your cover letter. Its purpose is to make the employer want to read the CV, meet the candidate and learn all about them!

It is a fact that cover letters are read in human resources, and a well-written cover letter can sometimes be the decisive factor in whether you get invited to a job interview or not.

Why is that so?

Since CVs are mostly written in the manner of listing all the information about your experiences, education, knowledge and skills, a cover letter is, in comparison, written in a more free literary form, which has a human touch.

It requires a more individual and personal approach, so it is necessary to specifically adjust it for the job you are applying for. Forget about the ready-made, edited layouts in which you only have to change the name and the address of an employee.

What does a good cover letter consist of?

A cover letter should not be a retelling of your CV.

In a cover letter you can explain in more depth the important information concerning your work experience which you have not mentioned in your CV (such as projects, seminars, situations that helped you in your professional career).

Supposing you have listed all the important information about your experiences, education, knowledge and skills in your CV, your cover letter should answer the employer’s questions why you have applied for a certain job and why you have chosen a certain company. It should also answer the question why a certain company should choose you out of everyone and how you can add to its development.

A well-written cover letter is the ID of your CV or, literally speaking, a cover letter is an introduction to a good book.

It will not hurt to say a bit more about your personality traits and how you manage working in a team and in challenging conditions. This is an opportunity to introduce yourself to your employer as a future colleague, parent, adventurer or a passionate lover of one thing or another. Don’t forget that your cover letter is going to be read by another person, so let them first and foremost see you as a human being.

This may sound a bit incredible, but most of my colleagues from human resources consider cover letters to be the most important document in job applications. When I asked them why that is so, they gave me the following reply: in a cover letter I can read what the candidate’s motivations are, what drives them, how passionate they are and whether they have applied because they really see themselves working in our company or if they have applied for some other reason.

Of course, a missing cover letter can also be a sign that the candidate has not really done any preparations or planning when applying for a job, and that gives away the impression that they do not care very much. Therefore, next time you apply for a job, don’t forget to send a cover letter along with your CV. Do not be afraid to be honest, open and spontaneous. I am certain that good results will follow.

If you are interested in working at Ciklopea, prove that you know how to write a good cover letter and contact me at hr[at]ciklopea.com!

The post How to Write a Cover Letter that will Help You Make a Real Splash appeared first on Ciklopea.

Human resources managers go through a large number of job applications on a daily basis and it should be of no surprise that a good CV can be somewhat of a ticket to the desired job.

What Makes a CV Perfect for the Language Industry?

A good CV differs significantly from a bad one. First of all, the visual contents of the CV should be organized in a clear and systematic manner.

You should tailor your CV for each job application. Everybody loves a personalized approach and you should definitely keep this in mind when writing your CV.

About the Candidate

List your contact information, such as your first and last name, address, e-mail address, Skype contact and your telephone number in one place. This makes it easy for the reader to contact you.

Short Summary

Write a short summary of the essential personal information bellow the contact information:

• Language pairs
• First language
• Years of active translation experience
• Services you offer (e.g. written translation and revision)
• Number of words you can translate per day (e.g. 2,500 words per day)
• Main fields of specialization (e.g. medicine, pharmacy, law, EU)
• Three of your most important clients or brands
• Desired type of employment (e.g. permanent employment and/or freelance employment)
• List of actively used CAT and QA tools.

Professional Experience

List the relevant positions in a chronological manner, beginning with the most recent one and work your way back.

Keep in mind that less is more, especially when writing a CV. Leave the irrelevant positions out. Working in a gift shop might have provided you with excellent experience and helped you perfect your communication skills, customer relations and calculation of a daily turnover, but this is not relevant for a translator position.

List your experience in the field of translation in such a way as to you list important information next to every position: the language combination, fields of specialization, brand, tools (CAT and QA tools).

CAT and QA Tools

Technical knowledge without proper linguistic knowledge is useless. However, the lack of technical knowledge is a serious impediment for the translator trying participate in a dynamic industry. This is why you should list CAT and QA tools that you actively use and for which you own licences. Using a trial version of a tool does not constitute active use of a tool! Always be honest. Your knowledge and skills can easily be tested. If you have not yet had the opportunity to work with such tools, make sure to emphasize that you are interested and open to learn.

The experience of using glossaries and terminology databases, as well as machine translation is also very important.

Specializations

Specializations are your greatest assets so make sure to list your three main and three secondary specializations. A specialization can be the key to your first job on a translation project.

List the clients and brands you have worked for next to your specializations. Specify the number of words you can translate and deliver per day, as well as your availability for new project engagement (e.g. every working day from 9am to 5pm, weekends upon request).

Education

Make sure to list your language combinations, in both directions. Specify your language proficiency (e.g. Croatian – native language, German – Master’s degree, English – living in England for 3 years).

List your formal education and any further training and/or certification which is relevant for the job for which you are applying.

Type of Employment

Specify the desirable type of employment. If the desired type is freelance employment, make sure to name the payment method for the provided service.

If you have a registered business and can issue invoices, be sure to state it because this is very important. LSPs mostly work with freelancers who can issue an invoice for the services provided. This is why this kind of employment constitutes the preferred type of cooperation.

If you are working abroad, make sure to state if you own a valid VAT ID number as it can be a very important factor for cooperation if you live in a EU Member State.

Templates

CV templates such as Europass can be very useful. However, keep in mind that even the most delicious cake can ruin your figure if consumed in large quantities. The same goes for templates. Templates can be very useful and can make it easier for you to create a good CV, but they can also make things worse if you forget the golden rule – less is more.

The post How to Write a Perfect CV: Tips for Language Industry Professionals appeared first on Ciklopea.

translator and proofreader (male/female) for English, German <> Slovenian

several positions for an external associate:

translator and proofreader (male/female) for French, Italian, Spanish <> Slovenian

Candidates are expected to have:

• at least two years of experience in the fields of translation and localization,
• experience with translation tools (CAT),
• mandatory higher education (a degree in language or linguistics is preferred but not required),
• excellent knowledge of the MS Office package.

Competencies:

• excellent knowledge of both the foreign and native language,
• preferred: specialization in a certain area of translation,
• analytical, dependable, quick,
• punctual, detail-oriented,
• able to prioritize,
• adherence to deadlines,
• motivated and able to work in a competitive environment.

We offer:

• part-time employment with the possibility of full-time employment,
• participation in the growth of our company on the Slovenian market,
• a career opportunity,
• a sizable amount of work on a daily/weekly basis,
• education and improvement of skills needed for working with translation tools,
• stimulative and regular monthly pay,
• long-term collaboration,
• work from home,
• excellent working conditions in a dynamic international environment.

We offer you the opportunity to develop a specialized skillset in a professional and technically advanced translation center that is determined to grow and provide quality in all our business dealings. We also offer the possibility of long-term and successful collaboration with a team of experts within the translation industry. If you are a translator by profession, qualify for the offered position, and are ready to take the next step in your translation career, submit your application to hr(at)ciklopea.com

The post Ciklopea is looking for professional translators and proofreaders for the Slovene language (m/f) appeared first on Ciklopea.

In addition to the ongoing organization and giving lectures at the universities with the aim of training young translators and having the Doors Open Days, as well as providing conditions for internships, Ciklopea has taken a step forward and announces the Summer School for students from the region of Southeast Europe in August 2015.

The aim of the Summer School is to make the first contact between the students of the linguistic studies and the language industry, their development and advancement, as well as the exchange of knowledge and experience, all to make the students, i.e. the professional translators to be, as ready as possible to keep up with the professional challenges lying ahead and to make their transition to the working world as successful as possible.

Ciklopea is taking this opportunity to invite the degree candidates and graduate students of the linguistic studies (English and German language) from the entire region of Southeast Europe (Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania), who are willing to expand their knowledge and advance in their profession to apply for Ciklopea Summer School in Zagreb, taking place between 17th and 28th of August 2015.

For more information about the application and the deadline, please click on the following link.

The post Ciklopea Summer School 2015 appeared first on Ciklopea.

Here are 5 tips for the successful localization of foreign toponyms in Croatian and Serbian.

1. Explore first

The most problematic issue in localizing toponyms in foreign languages is the fact that place names do not follow the same pattern, as each word entered the targed language in different ways. The orthography primarily depends on the script of the source language and the way the word is used in the target language. It is not enough to simply learn a few rules to ensure the proper localization of toponyms — instead, it takes a little more thinking and research in each particular case.

When you encounter a foreign toponym for the first time, make sure to check if there might be some other name in use, or if your language uses a name that is completely different from the original one.

2. Use relevant sources

Professional literature must be consulted for each linguistic dilemma. No matter how sure a translator is of his or her knowledge, linguistic intuition and an Internet search can sometimes lead to incorrect results. Even various atlases and cartographic publications list various forms of toponyms whose accuracy is not always guaranteed. For a complex area such as toponyms, it is necessary to consult the relevant dictionaries.

3. Use an exonym if there is one

When you encounter a foreign toponym for the first time, make sure to check if there might be some other name in use, or if your language uses a name that is completely different from the original one. If an exonyms can be used in place of a geographical term, it should be used, as this is the only way the text will sound natural to a native speaker.

4. Mind your consistency

In cases where place names can be written in several ways, ensure that one form is consistently used. Various forms should not be found in the same text. The old spelling rule can be applied here as well: when there are multiple solutions, select one and use it consistently. Otherwise, you’re wrong.

5. Be able to explain your choice

Sometimes it will seem that a text with different toponyms contains inconsistencies when it does not. If you are well prepared for the localization of toponyms, you’ll know why you chose a particular solution and you will stand behind its successful localized text.

The post Localization of Foreign Toponyms in South Slavic Languages appeared first on Ciklopea.