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Apprenticeship Placements

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2014 saw Capita Translation and Interpreting taking on it’s first official Apprentices working across the Company in various roles. We originally planned to take on 3 apprentices across Sales, Linguist Relations & Service Delivery but with the success with the first two placements we decided to extend this to an additional place within Finance.

National Apprenticeship week (3-7th March) sees the focus on apprenticeships and the benefits for both the individual and the Company. Job seekers coming out of full-time education can often struggle to get the experience they require to grow and proof their education in a practical sense and Companies often don’t have the resource to provide training for these basic skills needed when moving from education to employment.

The apprenticeship scheme fills this need for both parties providing on the job training, helping smooth the transition for both Apprentice and Employer. The Apprentice gains the experience in their chosen field, a further qualification and also earns a salary and the Employer gains an employee who is increasing their experience, knowledge and hopefully will be retained in the Company during their career.

If you are interested in finding out more regarding the Apprenticeship placements with Capita please visit our work with us page.

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Localisation on the Liffey – Capita TI does Dublin

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On Wednesday, June 4th, I was lucky enough to be part of the Capita Translation and Interpreting team who hosted our much anticipated localisation event, aboard the MV Cill Airne on the Dublin Docks.

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MV Cill Airne docked on the river Liffey

With the sun shining, and the incredible venue on the River Liffey, we were able to welcome aboard an array of guests ranging from gamers to gamblers, and from technology giants to translation partners who were also enjoying this year’s Localization World event.

We provided everyone aboard with complimentary food and drinks throughout the evening, as we discussed some of the biggest challenges and opportunities in the localisation market with industry peers.

Around 40 attendees from companies such as Microsoft, ClayTablet, Ubisoft, Across Systems, Blizzard Games, and more, engaged in open dialogues with each other about experiences in the localisation industry.

Several people mentioned that it was nice to have such a relaxed and informal networking event in the midst of an intense few days of round-tables and seminars. While the guests may have been from various places around the world, we were all speaking the same language – localisation!

With our bellies full of Guinness and mini roast beef and Yorkshire puddings, attendees took to the Nintendo Wii to battle it out.

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We also managed to create quite a buzz with our heated competition on the Capita Buzz-wire. Many tried and failed, but the winner (Rebecca Connelly) completed the game in a very commanding 49 seconds! Second place was a distant 1min 32secs.

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Thanks to all who attended and helped to make this event a great success! We look forward to welcoming you all next year.

Joanne Taylor, Campaign and Events Manager, Capita TI.

 

 

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What it means to be an Account Manager

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It’s no secret that the rapport between Sales and Operations is not always rosy, and I’m sure that it is widely accepted that someone who enters into the Project Management arena is completely different to one who enters Sales. So when at the beginning of 2013 I was asked to move into the newly created Account Management team at Capita Translation and Interpreting (Capita TI), having always worked in Operations, the proposed move ever so slightly towards the “dark side” of Sales was somewhat daunting.

My first thought went straight to those dreaded cold calls and days of people hanging up on me, since, having never had a team of Account Managers until then, I wasn’t entirely sure what the role entailed. It turned out that these tasks would of course remain with our Sales team, who are much more resilient than I, and who are much more effective at keeping people on the phone! My main role would be to act as a point of contact for a number of existing accounts that fell within the Account Team’s requirements, to nurture the client relationship and keep our customers happy, whilst ensuring that they are aware of the services our company has to offer and are up to date on industry developments relevant to them.

I must admit that the creation of this role did cause some initial confusion. “You mean you’re babysitting?” was the most frequent response I heard. I suppose there is an element of this, though I see this role more of a consultative one, a partnership. The results we have seen over the last 12 months of having a dedicated Account Manager clearly indicate that both the Language Service Provider (LSP) and the client benefit from this service.

From our clients’ point of view, having somebody solely dedicated to making sure that you are happy, who is not side-tracked by ongoing projects or new business targets to hit, makes a huge difference and gives them the reassurance that they are receiving the focus that they require. Clients need a trusted LSP who provides a one-point contact to give reliably consistent service with no hassle. According to the Common Sense Advisory, 89% of buyers believe that quick responses to requests are very important, yet only 43% receive it. That’s 46% of buyers who are unhappy with their supplier; 46% of customers who would see the benefit of an Account Manager.

Having seen our company both with and without the Account Management team, it’s safe to say that we have benefited greatly from this; our client satisfaction rates have hugely improved and we now can dedicate much more time to each of our key accounts, allowing us to get a real insight into which of our solutions would best work for each, and have demonstrated this with a number of our clients this year. Two thirds of our clients who now have an Account Manager increased their spend significantly in 2013, which is a noteworthy factor considering that the Account Management team look after over half of our commercial business, with constantly improving relationships where we are now seen as much more of a partner. Capita TI has seen a lot of change this year, and as a result we are better for it, both in the figures that we see, and also the internal “bridging” that the Account Management team provides between Operations and Sales.

From a personal perspective, the change from Project Management to Account Management has been a demanding one. In part, it relies on the typical strengths of a good Project Manager in its need for excellent communication, organisation and resourcefulness; but also those found in Business Development, such as identifying new opportunities. The role has allowed me to learn a great deal about the industry and in doing so I have (hopefully!) become a useful and reliable source of knowledge for our clients.

Whilst nearly all LSPs claim to offer one sole point of contact to their clients, these are more often than not people whose roles lie elsewhere; Project Managers or Business Development Managers for example, who cannot focus entirely on the client’s request because they need to complete a project or ensure that they get a PO from a new client. In offering our clients someone whose sole responsibility it is to ensure that they are getting the most out of our service, they know that they can rely on these people to get a quick and honest response. As a result, we have over the course of 2013 ensured that our key accounts are kept up to date with the changes within our company and are happy with their service.

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Capita TI Welcomes Oldham Sixth Form College Students

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On Tuesday 22 July, a number of students from Oldham Sixth Form College, accompanied by Lift Project Manager and language teacher, Sarah Shaw, spent the day at Capita Translation and Interpreting (Capita TI). The purpose of the visit was to enable the students to understand the many different careers available when languages are studied during higher education.

The students spent the morning in a series of workshops, designed to provide a high level oversight of job opportunities in business areas such as Project Management, Account Management, Vendor Management and File Engineering. Following lunch, time was spent in the aforementioned departments, learning more about how the theory works in practice.

Our Approach

Capita TI is committed to working with local communities and raising awareness of the importance of learning languages. Often, there is a general misconception that opportunities are limited following language learning at a higher education level. However, language skills help to broaden cultural understanding and help to augment various social skills. These skills may in turn lead to great competitive advantages in professional areas such as management, recruitment, and marketing.

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Feedback

“The experience was extremely valuable in enabling the students to decide the route they would like to pursue in the future. Please thank all the staff on our behalf. We really appreciate the time they took out of their busy schedules. They were all great and very positive role models for the students.”

Sarah Shaw
LIFT Project Manager

The college’s language project, Lift (Languages: Inspiring Futures Together) won top prize in the British Academy’s Schools Language Awards 2013.

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We Care What People Say: Impressions from the 2014 Translator Survey

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The last 18 months have been transformational for Capita Translation and Interpreting, and this would not have been possible without our talented team of professional linguists. Capita TI recognises how important it is to ensure that feedback from our linguists is captured and used to improve our relationship with them, and in turn our services to our clients.

In April 2014, Capita TI conducted a survey with our team of linguists, and we would like to take this opportunity to thank all who participated in our annual Translator Survey, and thought you would like to see a summary of the responses and the actions that Capita TI are taking accordingly.

Click here for the results of our Capita TI – Linguist Survey Report 2014

We Care What People Say…

For more information on the results of this survey, or if you are interested in joining our team of talented linguists, please contact suppliers@capita-ti.com

 

The post We Care What People Say: Impressions from the 2014 Translator Survey appeared first on Capita Translation and Interpreting.

Capita TI’s coffee morning in support of Macmillan

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Today, Capita TI is hosting a Macmillan Coffee Morning in support of all the fantastic work that Macmillan nurses do for people living with cancer.

The Macmillan Coffee Morning is the charity’s largest fundraising event, where they ask people across the UK to hold a coffee morning to raise money. In 2013, 154,000 people signed up, raising a record £20 million.

In the Greater Manchester area, 35 people a day find out the devastating news that they have cancer. By 2030 there will be 150,700 people living with cancer in Greater Manchester – that’s enough to fill Old Trafford Stadium twice!

We have had an abundance of yummy treats brought in by our staff, which were then sold off for a fee. We’ve also been holding our own sweep-stake and dress-down-day to help raise more money for this great cause.

 

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Find out more about how you can get involved with Macmillan Cancer Support

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Interested in a career in interpreting and translation?

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On Tuesday 7 October, the University of Huddersfield is holding a Grad Jobs Fair and we will be there on the lookout for new talent!

Capita Translation and Interpreting (Capita TI) is one of the fastest growing language solutions companies in the UK, and a leading provider of language translation and interpreting services, to the UK’s public and private sectors.

Since 2011, we have been the primary provider of interpreting and translation services to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and under the current Framework Agreement, Capita is supplying translation and interpreting services to the police, The Crown Prosecution Service, HM Courts and Tribunal Service, the National Probation Service and HM Prison Service.

Capita also provide language services to the National Health Service (NHS) and central and local governments across the UK.

The services we provide to the UK public sector include Interpreting, translation and proofreading and transcription.

In the private sector, Capita TI provides a comprehensive range of language and localisation services, such as website translation, interpreting, human translation, machine translation, proofreading and transcription.

Our success is built on a combination of traditional translation methods, innovative technology and a clear focus on quality. Capita TI can support new customers and existing clients with a wide range of services, built on an evolving mix of time-tested translation methods and emerging technology, such as custom-built Machine Translation engines.

Our services enable clients with an international reach to deliver their key messages on a truly global scale.

If you are interested in putting your language skills to good use and would like to learn more about the opportunities available regarding interpreting and translation careers, come along to the Grad Jobs Fair at the University of Huddersfield on Tuesday 7 October http://www.hud.ac.uk/careers/

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Giving our values a voice

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Recently, Capita Plc revised our company values with a view to streamlining them, ensuring they reflect our culture and the way we do business.

Our new values – VOICE

Our values represent the core ideology of our business and the way we interact with each other and our customers – they are one of the most important things to our organisation, so we’ve given them a voice…

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Let’s explore them a bit more…

Open

We’re open, honest and approachable – why not see for yourself and meet the team at one of our upcoming events or check out our latest newsletter?

Ingenious

In the technological world we live in, here at Capita TI we use technology to our, and your, advantage. We can apply Translation Memories to capture repeated words and phrases and store previously translated content, to lower costs and maintain consistency.

We also know that content is evolving, with more consumers using smart phones, games and apps as part of their daily lives, we can help localise these formats to your target market – read our case studies with Spil Games and  Appszoom to find out more.

Collaborative

As we’re part of Capita Plc, the opportunities are endless. After you’ve had content translated with us, you could arrange printing through Capita Document and Information Services (CDIS); get an app developed with G2G3 and localise it for release in East Asia; or if you’re planning an exposition abroad, sort out your travel arrangements with Capita Travel and Events before getting your marketing collateral translated.

Effective

We do our best to ensure whatever your project, whatever the language, we will deliver the best we can do. We implement strict quality controls throughout the translation process and we’re ISO 27001 certified, meaning we look after your data securely. We care about what our customers have to say and we want to make sure they say it right – don’t just take our word for it, see what our customers have to say.

Giving our customers a voice

The fundamental value of Capita TI is giving people a voice whether it be translation so they can speak to their customers across the globe, or interpreting so that a hospital patient can understand their doctor, we make you heard – in any language.

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Meet our new starter – Ben

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Ben Beech has recently joined Capita TI as a Business Development Manager, working in the Manufacturing and Engineering sector. Ben tells us about his experience in the industry, why he wants to bring a smile to his client’s faces, and his never-ending love-affair with Notts County Football Club and the Spanish language…

Why did you join Capita?

The opportunity to work with such an illustrious team of professionals was a very appealing one. This, combined with Capita TI’s reputation for delivering highly efficient solutions to client problems as opposed to just fitting a set service to a problem – creates a great atmosphere to work in. Capita encourages growth and progress in your career which is definitely a plus point for any professional looking to succeed in their chosen career path.

What’s your background?

I was interested in business and sales from a young age. An interest in different cultures and travelling arose from yearly family holidays abroad. A natural talent for communication and presentation developed through starting and running businesses from the age of 12. This obviously led to an eventual career in Business Development and I haven’t looked back since!

What localisation experience do you have?

I’ve gained 2+ years, working within Sales and Translation.

Why did you want to work in the language industry?

An amalgamation of reasons really, including a passion for travel (I recently spent 1 month travelling Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam), a love of history and ancient cultures and a passion for sales & client interaction.

Why did you want a role in Business Development?

I wanted a role within Business Development because of my passion for selling. A natural aptitude for communication and discussion also make my position within Capita TI much more enjoyable. With an outgoing personality I hope to bring a smile to clients’ faces both through exceeding expectations and brightening up their days!

What makes you get out of bed in the morning?

Simply put – life. A fantastically enjoyable position that presents different challenges each day, within a team full of colourful characters, and a company that values its employees and clients alike. This works to create a perfect work-life balance that maintains and encourages growth of my passion for what I do. I want to deliver to my clients the best possible service that exceeds their expectations each and every time!

What are your hobbies outside of work?

I enjoy watching and playing many different sports. Golf is my main hobby, playing fairly regularly allows me time and space to think and wonderful countryside to enjoy! Also on the list are cricket, rugby and football. Supporting Notts County Football Club can sometimes be challenging but maintaining a love of my team has never been an issue! My final “hobby” (if you can call it that!) is of course Game of Thrones. The north remembers!

Do you speak any other languages?

Unfortunately not, I’ve had an on-off relationship with learning Spanish over the years. I currently still participate in some online courses and voice recorded lessons, but it’s definitely slow progress!

Who inspires you?

I wouldn’t necessarily say that one individual inspires me. I tend to take inspiration from different people for different parts of life. For instance, in business and sales I look up to Richard Branson and enjoy learning more about his journey in life and route to success.

Any tips for those starting out on their localisation journey?

Yes definitely. My only advice would be to just let yourself go. Immerse yourself in the industry and go with the flow. It’s exciting, it’s ever-changing and developing and you certainly won’t be disappointed.

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Meet our new starter – Christina

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Our new starter Christina Sommerlund joined Capita TI at the beginning of January as an Account Manager, looking after some of our most-valued customers. Here, Christina talks to us about working in the Middle East, life in the language industry, and why customer satisfaction is key to her role.

Why did you join Capita?

I wanted to try something new and the plans for the future of Capita TI sounded interesting. Furthermore, the role as an Account Manager seemed to be right up my street.

What’s your background?

I am Danish, but I moved to London in 1998. I did my BA in Arabic with SOAS, which included 1 year at the University of Damascus. I have also lived and worked in Beirut as a journalist for a business magazine, covering the lifestyle section, and as a consultant for fine-dining establishments. I also hold an MA in Contemporary Middle Eastern Studies from Denmark.

What localisation experience do you have?

I worked for a company who provides subtitles and dubbing for the broadcasting industry for 3 years. I started there as a translator/subtitler, then moved to Account Management where I was in charge of new launches and tenders.

Why did you want to work in the language industry?

Despite holding a BA in Arabic, I landed in the language industry by coincidence when I returned to London from Beirut. And now I am using my experience to build a long-term career within the industry.

Why did you want a role in Account Management?

I enjoy communicating with clients and figuring out what they actually require. Making sure our customers are 100% satisfied is always challenging as well as interesting.

What would you consider to be your biggest professional success?

Being able to work in Lebanon and, landing jobs requiring a large network despite being a foreigner.

What do you find particularly challenging in this industry?

Figuring out what clients actually need and educating them.

What are your hobbies outside of work?

I enjoy horse-riding and used to be an avid dressage rider. Now I mostly do hacks with the occasional dressage tuition. Furthermore I enjoy travelling and seeing friends, the gym, running and good restaurants.

If you weren’t an Account Manager, what would you love to be doing?

Perhaps I’d go back to being a journalist. The business/lifestyle aspect in the Middle East was particularly interesting.

The post Meet our new starter – Christina appeared first on Capita Translation and Interpreting.

Meet our new starter – David

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David Jones is the new Sales Manager for the South region at Capita TI. He brings with him a wealth of experience in and enthusiasm for translation.

Why did you join Capita?

Many language service providers offer their customers an effective translation service but I quickly realised that Capita stands apart. Firstly because of the quality and commitment of our people and secondly because we can go so much further to ensure you achieve your business goals. Yes, our competitors can translate your website. Capita can design, host, translate, localise and audit your website. That’s partnership.

What’s your background?

Four years in the translation industry and before that, twenty years managing recruitment and training operations in the UK, mainland Europe and the Middle East.

What localisation experience do you have?

I entered the industry in 2012 and have worked predominantly in sales, content management and social media management. I was pleased to find that translation industry professionals enjoy sharing their knowledge and opinions, and I enjoy making my own contribution to that via regular blogging.

Why did you want to work in the language industry?

Language service professionals build bridges between cultures. They facilitate trade and prosperity. They start commercial and diplomatic relationships. They stop wars. Who wouldn’t want to be associated with that?

Why did you want a role in Sales Management?

There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing good people achieve the success they deserve. This role has surrounded me with good people and it’s my job to help them achieve that success.

What would you consider to be your biggest professional success?

Setting up a recruitment operation in an eastern European country where standard practice was to charge applicants a fee for finding them a job in the UK and ship them over to it without proper training. Instead of charging fees to applicants I gave them training that made them skilled and confident enough to persuade employers to pay a recruitment fee, and paved the way for them to build worthwhile careers in their new home.

What makes you get out of bed in the morning?

The knowledge that what I’m going to do with my day actually makes a difference.

What inspires you?

The memory of my parents.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?

Relaxing with my virtual reality headset, enjoying the lapping of virtual waves on a virtual beach while feeding microchips to my robot dog.

Any tips for those starting out on their localisation journey?

The industry and the technology driving it are constantly changing. Embrace the change, be fast on your feet and enjoy every minute.

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Meet our team – Annabel

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Annabel Bon-Bétend Gredin, Senior Project Manager for the Technical & Life Sciences industry, joins us from our newly acquired company ITR. Here she tells us about her localisation experience, her love of travel and her passion for languages.

What’s your background?

I have a translation degree (English and German into French) as well as an MA in English.

What localisation experience do you have?

I have been working in the translation/localisation industry for about 18 years. I have managed numerous multilingual projects including technical manuals, marketing collateral as well as medical and pharmaceutical documentation.

Why did you want to work in the language industry?

I have always had a passion for languages and for travelling which is probably why working in the language industry seemed to be an obvious choice. I love working in a cosmopolitan environment.

What do you find particularly challenging in this industry?

The recruitment of the right linguists is definitely a challenge and it is the key to a successful translation project, in my view.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Life is too short to think about this! I would find it quite depressing to know today what I will be doing in 10 years’ time.

What makes you get out of bed in the morning?

Definitely a good cup of coffee!

What are your hobbies outside of work?

I absolutely love travelling. I have travelled quite extensively in South-East Asia as well as New Zealand and Australia. Over the last few years, I have travelled in Europe quite a lot, especially in the Balkans and Northern Greece, since I was based in Bulgaria for 3 years. I am also a huge fan of theatre plays (Harold Pinter, Enrik Ibsen, David Mamet and new authors).

Do you speak any other languages?

I am a French native and I speak English. I have also learnt German, Russian and Bulgarian but it’s so hard to speak when you don’t practice on a regular basis.

If you weren’t a Project Manager what would you love to be doing?

I would love to be a travel writer or work in travel publishing.

The post Meet our team – Annabel appeared first on Capita Translation and Interpreting.

Meet our team – Sean

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Sean Marlow joins Capita TI from our new acquisition (ITR), as a Pre-sales Language Solutions Consultant. With a quarter of century’s experience in the language services industry, Sean talks to us about the challenges our industry faces, and how important languages are for customer engagement.

What’s your background?

25 years in the translation industry, as a translator, project manager, account development manager and pre-sales consultant.

What localisation experience do you have?

I’ve worked with a team of engineers and linguists localising a range of software and user experience products, from in-car navigation systems, mobile phone applications, to control software for satellite communications. Now that really was rocket science!

What do you find particularly challenging in this industry?

The rate of change, particularly of the technology that supports localisation and translation workflows – it’s increasing exponentially – staying ahead is an absolute mission.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time?

Based on the past 25 years, somewhere in the localisation industry still…

What makes you get out of bed in the morning?
Offering someone who is passionate about their product the chance to see it succeed in a new market.

What are your hobbies outside of work?

With a teenaged son and two large dogs in the house, time outside of work is at a premium, but if I had to name two things, it would be listening to music and rugby.

Do you speak any other languages?

I get by in German and Russian, and understand Swedish, Czech and French if the other person is particularly patient.

Who inspires you?

Anyone who is good at what they do. I don’t care if it’s underwater basket-weaving, if they’re passionate and gifted in that field, then I’m inspired!

Any funny language stories to share?
In a rather noble restaurant in Kiruna, Northern Sweden, the head chef was explaining the dish that the assembled delegation had just partaken of.
His speech didn’t have quite the effect on his audience that he had intended. Despite sharing the excellent command of English that most Swedes have, the chef’s pronunciation of “moose” and “mouse” had somehow got confused.

Any tips for those starting out on their localisation journey?

Speaking a language, which may come naturally, and working using languages, which needs to be trained, are two quite separate things.

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Meet our new starter – Rufus

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Rufus is our new Senior Project Manager, based in London. With 7 languages and over 10 years of translation and localisation experience under his belt, Rufus tells us more about his professional background and why translation technology is of growing importance.

What’s your background?

I was born in London and am half English and half Chinese. I hold a degree in French and Spanish and a postgraduate diploma in technical and specialised translation in Italian and Portuguese. I also recently studied Japanese for two years at evening classes.

What localisation experience do you have?

Before I started my career in project management, I worked as an into-English translator which has allowed me to fully understand a linguist’s point of view and the importance of preparation of source texts, context, and terminology control. After accepting an in-house position with ITR and working as a project coordinator and project manager, I spent 10 years working in Los Angeles and New York focusing on database publishing, software, multimedia, and audio-visual localisation. I returned to the UK and have continued in the localisation industry.

Why did you want to work in the language industry?

I have a love for languages, technology and design and find the localisation industry is an exciting field to be part of because it is always evolving and adapting to the new technologies emerging.

I love seeing the various versions of a document, especially in the non-Western European languages, such as Japanese or Arabic, and enjoy managing and being part of this creation process.

What would you consider to be your biggest professional success?

Heading up a multilingual mobile banking localisation project that involved specialised preparation of early mobile phone file formats, extensive software testing using emulators and actual live devices on multiple platforms. This was coupled with a rapid software development cycle requirement and languages such as Japanese and Russian. I found this exciting and a challenge and was able to save the client costs by deploying processing scripts for the file preparation which resulted in being awarded more projects and languages.

What do you find particularly challenging in this industry?

The challenge to maintain quality of our translations coupled with the speed of software development cycles and getting proper context for translators.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In the localisation industry, working with some form of audio-visual based projects. My hobbies include creative visual music video and video art projects, so working on audio-visual localisation is a great chance to combine my interests in design, technology and languages.

What makes you get out of bed in the morning?

New challenges that come with new software, platforms and media.

What are your hobbies outside of work?

In my spare time I love to collaborate creatively with musician friends of mine and create music videos and video art pieces.  I also am an avid ice hockey player and play defence for the local ice hockey team – The Slough Scorpions.

Any tips for those starting out on their localisation journey?

Research the translation productivity technology that is being used first. Language skills are just the beginning of the range of skills you need to work in the localisation industry.

With the ever changing arena of platforms and methods to perform translation, the quality of adaptability and being able to work with technology and software is a must.

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A day in the life of a Project Manager

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Steph Lancake is a Project Manager at Capita TI. Prior to Capita, Steph studied languages at university and pursued a career in education for a number of years.

Describe what you do on a day-to-day basis?

Part of what I love about my job is that every day is different. My day always starts with a cup of coffee though before I check in on my emails to see what’s been going on with clients and projects overnight. I keep a tracker of my projects and make a list at the end of each day so that I can jump straight into what needs doing in the morning. The days are usually busy so it’s good to have a system to keep on top of everything; you never know when an ad-hoc task will be given to you while you’re working on the ’normal‘ day to day stuff.

How did you become a Project Manager and what attracted you to this job?

My degree was Spanish and German and I jumped straight into teaching from university. When I left teaching, I went into a Project Management role to do with education.

Project Management plays to my strengths, but I really missed my languages and knew that I wanted a job where they were still relevant.

My current job is perfect for me!

What are the most challenging aspects of your job?

Sometimes things get so busy that you have a moment of panic, thinking that you just can’t get everything done! Multi-tasking is a must in this job as you tend to have numerous projects on the go at once. The average project requires liaising with at least three stakeholders, from client to linguist, and you might have ten projects on the go at one time. It’s important to know what you’re sending to which stakeholder for each project so that things don’t get mixed up!

What do you feel is the key skill/attribute needed to succeed in your role?

Other than multi-tasking, which goes hand in hand with organisation skills, it’s important to have good people skills. You’ll be communicating with people for a large part of the working day and you need to keep a healthy relationship with them.

Other than that, you need a good dose of common sense; this isn’t a standard Project Management job.

As it deals largely with people – as opposed to software – there is a lot of flexibility and you have to be adaptable to change. Sometimes things happen that don’t follow a framework and you have to think outside the box.

What are your favourite aspects of your job?

All of this is what I love about the job. I was reluctant to get a desk job after teaching because I didn’t want to feel trapped, but the fact that every day is different and unpredictable makes it exciting and interesting to come to work. I’ve learnt a lot in this role but still feel challenged, which is a healthy place to be in your career.

What would your advice for newcomers be?

Make the most of your first couple of weeks here! It can be a bit overwhelming to get a huge amount of information thrown at you as soon as you walk in, but make notes and use them as you go.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions and always learn from your mistakes.

We’re a friendly bunch and there’s a lot of knowledge to be found if you ask the right people!

What would you do if you weren’t a Project Manager?

This is a tough one. I always wanted to be a journalist so I’d probably venture down that route. I really enjoy writing and keeping up to date with current affairs. It would definitely be something to do with words – I try to avoid numbers as much as possible!

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Meet our new starter – Jane

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Jane Clough is Client Services Manager at Capita TI, joining us from our recent acquisition of International Translation Resources (ITR). With 20 years’ experience in the industry, Jane tells us what keeps her going, and why she continues to love working in the localisation field.

What’s your background?

I’m originally from Manchester and studied Modern Languages and Literatures (BA Joint Hons French and German) at Leeds University, before moving to France and then Italy, working in the field of tourism.

What localisation experience do you have?

I’m celebrating my 20th anniversary in the localisation industry this year. During this time, I’ve worked with multiple file formats and languages, ranging in size and complexity, across multiple sectors including automotive, mechanical, engineering, printing, finance, medical, software, defence, and dance! You name it, I’ve done it!

As Client Services Manager at Capita TI, I now lead the ITR Project Management team, optimising our delivery solutions, whilst still retaining a strong focus on translation quality and customer service.

Why did you want to work in the language industry?

Languages were my favourite subjects at school, thanks to some really great teachers, so it was the natural choice for me to first study languages at University and then go on to work in an industry where language excellence is the focus.

What would you consider to be your biggest professional success?

Over the past few years I’ve specialised in delivery of turn-key e-Learning solutions, including voiceover, subtitling and videos.

The range and diversity of these projects can be both exciting and challenging.

Getting it right from the outset is key! To do this you need to ensure customer requirements are clearly analysed, all localisable components identified, specialist linguists, voiceover actors and engineers selected, coupled with choosing the right multimedia support and linguistic tools to optimise turn-around, consistency and keep costs competitive.

I really enjoy working in this field and helping clients achieve optimum user engagement in any language.

What makes you get out of bed in the morning?

My alarm clock and then diet coke – I love it and am totally addicted!

What are your hobbies outside of work?

I’m a member of a local tap class which is great fun and a blast from the past as I spent a lot of my childhood at dancing school, performing all styles of dance including ballet, tap and ballroom.

Do you speak any other languages?

My French is still good, but my German is terribly rusty. I also have some basic Italian and a few words of Bahasa Malay!

If you weren’t Client Services Manager what would you love to be doing?

I love to travel – preferably to far flung destinations, so I would be a global travel reporter, jet-setting around the world, meeting new people, from different cultures, speaking different languages, soaking up new sights, sounds and experiences.

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A day in the life of a UX and Web Developer

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Martin Jones is our in-house User Experience and Web Developer. With a background in IT and web design, Martin shares his professional experience and advice on building engaging, user-friendly websites.

Describe what do you do on a day-to-day basis?

Each day is different – my tasks are prioritised alongside business needs and those within the marketing team. One day you could be working on a new email campaign and the next integrating new technologies into the website.

How did you become a UX and Web Developer, and what attracted you to this job?

I was first attracted to the web in the late 90’s, when pretty much all websites were rubbish in terms of user experience. Not that I thought it at the time – they were all amazing to me with their animated gif background images, MIDI music flies, and blinking, marquee text. Looking back on it now, it is like seeing your fashion sense in an old picture and asking yourself “what was I thinking!?”

I knew I wanted to be a part of website design and development and thought it was relatively easy to get started, you could look at the code that made up a website and start to play around and figure out how it worked, taking to the web should you need any help.

The real learning and enjoyment started to come when looking at what goes into making a good website that is built to correct web standards and accessible to as many people and devices as possible. Most notably Jeffrey Zeldman, Dan Cederholm and Steve Krug put me in good stead here and helped shape the future of the web design industry for the better.

What are the most challenging aspects of your job?

Trying to keep coffee and sugar intake down, one area I intend to work on!

Other than that, trying to keep up-to-date with latest technologies and industry trends can be difficult and time consuming, especially as so much content is readily available. I now try to limit the number of blogs I read on a regular basis and turn to books when I need to get a deeper level of understanding of a subject.

What do you feel is the key skill/attribute needed to succeed in your role?

I believe that good analytical and problem solving skills are essential to succeed.

You will always have several different solutions available to you, and you will need to consider the pros and cons of each. Is it accessible? How quick is it? Is it well supported? Does it suit my industry?

This could be looking at what actions you want users to complete and how you can make this as easily as possible for them. Be sure to analyse the data you have available to make an informed data-driven decision, rather than resting on a gut feeling.

What are your favourite aspects of your job?

I think we all have a desire to create things and see an end product that can be shared and used by people, be it baking, handcrafting a piece of furniture or building a website. I personally enjoy the process, seeing the end result, gathering feedback, learning from mistakes and making refinements to see improvements – although I haven’t quite got the hang of this for making cupcakes…

What would your advice for newcomers be?

You should enjoy having to continually learn and develop; this could be learning new technologies, trends and design patterns. Keep up-to-date from a variety of sources, books, blogs and videos, whatever works best for you, just don’t stop learning.

Lastly, if you get stuck, the web has a great community with plenty of people who are happy to share their knowledge and help people at all levels. So be sure to get involved on forums and ask for help, should you get stuck.

What would you do if you weren’t a UX and Web Developer?

Maybe not everyone’s idea of a dream job, but I would love to do something video game related, maybe a full time Twitch streamer, eSports pro or video game reviewer.

A day in the life of a Business Development Manager

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Damian Curley is a Business Development Manager, specialising in helping companies in the legal and financial sectors with localisation. He’s based in Ireland, but travels to our London and Greater Manchester offices frequently, as well as meeting customers across the UK and Ireland, so it’s safe to say that no 2 days are the same for him!

Describe what do you do on a day-to-day basis?

I engage with my current clients and strive to develop new relationships within companies that Capita, as a wider business, already supports. I explain our translation services to new prospects and discuss how we can improve their business and help with their international strategy.

Internal communication with my colleagues is also a big part of my role, in order to improve our productivity and deliver high-quality translations, within set timeframes.

What attracted you to this job?

I’ve always enjoyed speaking to people and particularly meeting new contacts face-to-face to learn how their business works.

I love travelling and different cultures, so the opportunity to be able to work with people in the localisation industry was perfect!

What are the most challenging aspects of your job?

Keeping up-to-date with new translation technologies can be tricky, but it keeps me on my toes so it’s not too bad I suppose!

What do you feel is the key skill/attribute needed to succeed in your role?

Understanding the client’s needs is definitely the most important skill. There’s no point in me trying to provide something for them which they don’t need or want.

It’s about looking for a solution to their problem and knowing what’s important to them. Patience and persistent are important attributes too. You need to spend time getting the project and processes set up, so that when it comes to the translation output, there is no delay or issues.

What are your favourite aspects of your job?

It’s always great when a client goes into detail about what they require, and then the end result is exactly what they wanted. It’s extremely rewarding to know you improved their workflow.

It’s also exciting if a business is launching a new website or marketing brochure for instance, and then being able to physically see the end result is great – knowing you played a big part in it!

What would your advice for newcomers be?

Listen and ask a lot of questions! I’m still learning all the time from my colleagues and contacts; there’s always new things going on and it’s best to take a bit from everyone. Be patient but work hard and you’ll succeed.

What would you do if you weren’t a BDM?

I’d be a Chef!

Meet our team – Michael

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Following our acquisition of amity communications, we get to know our new team member Michael Ellis. After initially starting out in customer services, Michael then joined the language industry as a Translator, but has developed his skills and experience to become amity’s Business Development Director.

What’s your background?

I’ve spent 30 years working in customer services, sales and business development, including 11 years spent in Italy and 9 years in Brazil as a Translator and Consultant.

Why did you want to work in the language industry?

I have worked in languages since my time spent in Italy as Customer Services Coordinator and in Brazil as a Coach, Teacher and Translator.

Helping and supporting people and companies with their language issues and challenges is very rewarding and satisfying, as well as the dynamics that are seen in the changes and evolution of languages.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Well, I have lived and worked in Italy, Brazil and the U.K. I know and can feel that there is one more place to go in the future, not sure yet where that is but it will come.

What makes you get out of bed in the morning?

The desire to support and communicate with my contacts and clients and make sure we are giving them a complete, special and different customer experience.

Also, I enjoy the buzz of working in business development and bringing in new clients.

What are your hobbies outside of work?

Playing football, going to the gym, tending to my vegetable garden and listening to vinyl records.

Do you speak any other languages?

Yes, I am fluent in Italian and Brazilian Portuguese.

If you weren’t in Business Development and Relationship Management what would you love to be doing?

I would be a teacher.

Meet our new intern – Pia

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Pia Klenk, our latest intern at Capita TI, is studying International Technical Communication and Translation at the University of Applied Sciences in Magdeburg, Germany and has recently finished my second semester. In this blog, she tells us more about her studies, and what she is hoping to gain from her 4 month internship in the Operations department.

Tell us about your university studies

The main focus of my studies relates to translation and therefore, in my first semester we started with general lessons dealing with the task fields of translators, and what kind of competences this job requires. Furthermore, we had a lesson regarding the basics of translations, which included the difficulties, problems and differences between languages. As the main foreign language we are working with is English, we also have grammar, writing and oral classes in English.

In my grammar classes particularly, I focus on the fine differences between English and German grammar, so I am able to translate either from German to English or English to German without making mistakes.

I also have a lesson about natural sciences, in which I obtain a theoretical knowledge regarding this area, as I am scheduled to translate a lot of technical text in the second semester.

Finally, in the second semester I started to translate in a technical sense (mostly texts in the technical area), and I was able to implement the things I have learnt before. As I am working a lot of the time on a computer, I also have computer courses, in which I gained general formatting skills and how to deal with databases.

Do your classes cover cultural studies too?

 Yes, lessons regarding intercultural competence formed a large part of the second semester and this enables me to sensitise towards other cultures.

This plays an important part when translating in terms of how you interact with clients countries across the world. In the semesters that are due to follow, I will additionally learn about software localisation, terminology and project management.

What do you hope to achieve in your internship?

I hope the internship will give me the opportunity to deepen my knowledge of the English language, as well as the English culture. I am really looking forward to meeting different people and to broaden my mind.

Furthermore, studies can be really theoretical, so through this internship, I will have the chance to gain an insight in the processes of a company and the working life in general.

I am sure the internship will build a base for my future studies, and my future working life, as I will collect as many tips and tricks as I can.

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