What Translators Need To Know: How To Work With Others

 

Translation is intrinsically a collaborative act, as at the very bare minimum there will be two parties involved: the person who wrote the original document, and the certified translation provider in Singapore who has been tasked with converting the language of the document to another. However, in today’s inter-connected professional landscape, it is much more likely for a greater number of people to be involved: the owner of a document who received it from another, a manager who will be reviewing the translator’s work, an intermediary agent who is assisting the document’s owner, and so on. When providing a translation service, one will inevitably require the skills needed to communicate and co-operate with others.

For example, in the process of providing legal translation services to a client, not only will there be the general difficulty in converting a legal document’s language from one to another, but there will also be uncertainties on the translation of legal terms. Legal documents require precise language, and to be certain that the correct terms are used or if different words are needed, a translator in Singapore must have communication skills to effectively communicate with the client or colleagues on what terms are necessary and what must be replaced. Similarly, if one is in a different position within a certified translation company in Singapore and is just working with translators, one still needs clear communication skills to effectively convey the mandatory words and terms for the legal documents they are working with.

There is also the possibility that one may work with clients or alongside translators with a weaker grasp of English (or another language). What if one were providing a PR application translation for an elderly couple and they have trouble communicating what they want or understanding what is unclear in their documents?Fortunately, with sufficient knowledge of computers, Microsoft Word (and possibly other writing programs as well) have the means to draw attention without literally spelling it out. Words can be highlighted, and comments can be added; changes can be tracked so fellow translators or colleagues in other positions can see the thought process behind the work. For clients with difficulties communicating, highlighting the words may be enough to draw their attention towards key details for them to review.

While translation companies indeed exist, there are also numerous individual translators who operate independently. Though they might not need to form co-operative connections with co-workers, the above-described skills for collaboration are still of importance to these independent professionals. After all, they still need to interact with clients, whether they be a translation company or a random stranger.

To provide certified document translation services in Singapore, whether by yourself or as part of a larger company, is to embark on a path that will bring you into contact with a wide variety of people. Hence, if one wishes to excel in the field of translation, one cannot just rely on a crucial knowledge of languages, one must also develop the interpersonal skills needed to interact with others and in turn be better able to understand the requirements of employers and clients.