I need a translator. The first step of a translation project

I need a translator is the first question people ask themselves when they have to communicate across cultures. But searching for a translator isn’t an easy task. And that’s what a translation agency is for, among other things. Many people could argue that we’re only the middlemen who look for a translator… But they’d be wrong.

Translation agencies work hard to understand their clients needs and know the people who collaborate with so they can take care of them all. We’re experts at analysing and managing translation projects. That’s why searching for a translator for each task should be done meticulously.

Here you have some aspects you have to take into account.

I need a translator: The briefing

This is the first step to start looking for a translator. It’s an essential step and things turning out well depend on it. It’s about perfectly understanding what the client wants. That’s what we’re here for. We’re the link between companies and language professionals and that’s why we need to have a good understanding of who our clients are.

The briefing isn’t over when we talk to the person on the other side. Our team always analyses your company and your competition to ensure we know who we’re working with.

I need a translator: The search among trusted translators

Once we understand the project, we decide who to assign it to. At Ontranslation, we take into account certain parameters when looking for a translator (the first is one is them sending us their CV through our Work with us section). This is what we look out for:

• The variations translators specialise in. Does the client need a UK or US English translation? Portuguese from Portugal or Brazil? We know people who are from one place or another and we’ll go to them.
• Experience in the field of the text. We’ll never, ever entrust your project to a person who isn’t an expert in your industry. Finding a person who understands the message and knows how to transmit it is part of looking for a translator.
• Availability. This might seem quite obvious, but we depend on our professional translators being available. Translation professionals usually work on several projects at the same time, so they may have a lot of work at any given time.

No perfect match for your project? Then we have to look elsewhere

If we can’t find someone who meets the three previous requirements, we need to look outside our database on platforms such as Proz and APTIC. That is, to start the process of finding a translator who meets them and with whom we haven’t previously worked. This is a task that only a translation agency knows how to do effectively.

We have our ways of knowing if a person has enough experience, masters a certain area and works in a particular variation of a language.  We certainly have our own database of translators. And we’ll always contact people who meet your needs!

Looking for a translator isn’t easy, but a translation agency knows how to do it well

For the project to go well, the first step (looking for a translator) has to be done as well as possible. A professional translation agency knows how to do it. Moreover, all projects are reviewed a second time so the quality of the servide is outstanding. We’ll do it quickly and we’ll help you achieve the goals you’ve set.

Don’t hesitate to tell us what you need!