Curious about the people behind the emails and phone calls? Ever wondered what it takes to pursue a career in the translation industry? In our Meet the Team series, we introduce you to the Business Language Services (BLS) team, giving you a closer look at their roles and how they contribute to the success of the team.
This month we meet Ciera, one of our project managers based in our Glasgow office.
Can you introduce yourself and describe your current role?
Hello, my name is Ciera Doohan, and I am a project manager at Business Language Services (BLS). My role consists of overseeing the translation and interpreting projects that come in each day, alongside my fellow project managers. Our main goal is to ensure that projects are delivered on time and are of the highest quality. As well as project management, I translate from French and Spanish into English, work on English localisation jobs and proofread daily.
What languages do you work with and how have you developed proficiency in them?
I work with French and Spanish daily and seek to continuously develop my language skills any moment I can, whether it be through translating and proofreading for Business Language Services, or in my own time, listening to podcasts and speaking weekly to native speakers. Currently, I am taking on a beginner’s course in Irish and am really enjoying this.
What was your background before this role, and how did it prepare you for your current position?
I studied an MA in French and Spanish at the University of Glasgow and then an MSc in Translation Studies, also at the University of Glasgow. This gave me a great insight into the theoretical and practical elements of languages and translation which was ideal for the role I now have.
Were there any specific experiences (e.g., study abroad or previous jobs) that helped prepare you for this role?
Before Business Language Services, I worked in hospitality and as a language tutor. Being in charge of my own lessons and planning these in advance allowed me to transfer these skills to my project management role. Working with the other tutors and team members opened my eyes to the organisation and customer service required in overseeing and delivering translation and interpreting projects.
Can you walk us through a typical day at BLS?
For me, a typical day begins with checking through our emails for any new requests or queries to ongoing projects and then planning out my day ahead. As a project manager, I can answer enquiries on the phone, take on new interpreting or translation requests that come in from our clients and proofread translation jobs all in one day. There is never a dull moment!
What’s the best part of your job?
I enjoy the variety of the projects that come in and I love the ongoing relationships we have with our clients. Seeing a project out from start to finish and the client being happy with the delivered materials at the end brings me great satisfaction.
What are some of the biggest challenges you face in the industry?
I think one of the biggest challenges we face in this industry is machine translation and AI. It poses many risks but also can be seen as useful and an exciting development for the field. If used cautiously, it can prove to be an excellent asset for a translator.
What advice would you give to someone considering a role like yours? Are there any particular skills that are essential for a successful career in translation?
For this role, it is important to be proactive – you need to be on the ball and be able to manage a few things at one time. It can seem daunting at first, but once you get a few projects and processes under your belt, you’ll be sorted!
To find out more about the team, visit https://businesslanguageservices.co.uk/meet-the-team/.
Interested in working with us? Visit https://businesslanguageservices.co.uk/work-for-us/.
