The Linguist is a languages magazine for professional linguists, translators, interpreters, language professionals, language teachers, trainers, students and academics with articles on translation, interpreting, business, government, technology
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thelinguist.uberflip.com FEBRUARY/MARCH The Linguist 29 OPINION & COMMENT Q. When did you realise that you wanted to work with languages? A. I always knew I wanted a career in which I could apply my language skills in a useful and productive way every day. While at school I developed a passion for travel and languages, so studying French and German at university seemed the obvious choice. This led to a variety of enriching experiences abroad, including volunteering in the South of France and studying in Dresden, Germany. Q. Tell us about the Patent Translation Fellowship at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)… A. The training programme focuses on the translation of patentability reports and patent abstracts. Fellows receive extensive one-to-one training from experienced staff, and translate live abstracts and reports from very early on. The work can be challenging as the subject matter and terminology is often highly specialised, the sentences can be incredibly long and complex, and it is necessary to maintain a fine balance between conveying information clearly and ensuring that the scope of protection for the invention is sufficiently broad. This gives a sense of accomplishment and ensures you never get bored! Q. How did you find out about the fellowship? A. Freelance patent translators introduced us to the field at a workshop at Leeds. It was the first time I had heard about WIPO, a UN agency. I became fascinated by this field, so when I got an email advertising the fellowship, I jumped at the opportunity. Q. What are your daily tasks? A. I start by proofreading and revising my work from the previous afternoon. I spend a lot of time researching the technical fields I come across. These can be rather niche – from finding a specialist watchmaking dictionary in the library to trawling through obscure chemistry papers. All of my work is revised by experienced Translator-Revisers, so most days I have extensive one-to-one sessions to discuss the work and identify areas in which to improve and develop. Q. When job hunting what were your main considerations? A. Because of my keen interest in patent translation, I was determined to build my career in this field. The idea of becoming a 'mini-expert' in whatever fields I encounter also appealed. Q. WIPO is based in Geneva, opposite the UN headquarters. How have you found relocating? A. I liked the idea of another adventure abroad and Geneva is a fascinating place, filled with international organisations and a very diverse and mobile population. Why taking up a Patent Translation Fellowship, following an MA in Applied Translation Studies at Leeds, was the right decision for Joseph Lewsey Just the job Links online ALBA SORT Translator and integrated marketer Alba Sort shares her tips in the first of a two- part column on social media advertising. If your social media efforts aren't delivering the results you expected, consider investing in social media advertising. The days of free visibility on social media are pretty much over; if you want your posts to have a higher reach, you now have to pay for it. Paid adverts are placed in the feeds that users see when logging in; the results are measurable and can be excellent. So how do you get started? First, as with any marketing initiative, be clear as to what you are trying to achieve. Do you want to increase traffic to your website or target specific leads? The former is easier and cheaper; the latter requires a more sophisticated and expensive approach. Next, pick the social media channels for your campaign. Your choice will largely depend on your target audience, the information you have about them and your budget. Facebook has the largest potential audience, with more than 2 billion monthly active users, and offers incredibly detailed demographic and behavioural targeting. The 'Facebook pixel' feature enables you to target individuals, e.g. by uploading a list of email addresses, or by identifying users who have previously visited your website. If you choose Instagram, be aware that although it now works through your Facebook advertising account, it is a very different platform, so you probably won't be able to use the same ad for both. LinkedIn is very much geared towards business and professional users, and can be very useful if you want to target people with specific job titles, industries and locations, or members of particular LinkedIn groups. Twitter's user base is smaller than Facebook's and its advertising isn't nearly as sophisticated, but it does allow you to target hashtags and specific keywords, which can be helpful if you are addressing a niche with highly engaged users. Share your thoughts @Linguist_CIOL using #TheLinguist.