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Posted on24 April 2013

ITI London Regional Group (LRG) – University of Westminster Event

ITI London Regional

In March 2013 Atlas were delighted to attend this popular and well-attended event again. Director Clare Suttie tried to make a note of all the questions asked, and has written up her own answers in a series of blogs this month. The answers are the views of Atlas Translations in particular, rather than the other speakers (although we were in agreement on most points).

Should I have my own website? A good website is great – just for our information and interest. A poorly presented or out of date website however looks poor and gives a bad impression.

What are the top 7 languages you work with? For Atlas, this changes often – usually includes French, Spanish, Italian and German – currently also Polish, Portuguese and Chinese.

Should I increase my number of specialisms? This is down to the individual. I know translators who specialise in one particular area of law, for instance. They have built up a client base in a niche area over time, and can work quickly and maximise their earnings. If you are just starting out, you may offer a wider range of specialisms. Remember to include any area you know a lot about – not just areas you have specifically studied. If you’ve been knitting and sewing for 20 years, you may want to include that as a specialist area.

If I translate more than 1 language, does it put an agency off? Not at all! But be honest about which ones you are really fluent in.

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Corporate membership of the ITI (Institute of Translation and Interpreting) since 1994. Corporate Member of the Year 2021. ITI is the only UK-based independent professional membership association for practising translators, interpreters and all those involved in the language services sector.

CIEP: We’ve held Corporate membership Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading since 1993. CIEP are an international membership organisation that offers training and community for editorial professionals (copy editors and proofreaders) while helping members develop business confidence.

ATC: We hold full membership with the Association of Translation Companies, a trade association representing the interests of language service companies in the UK and internationally. It is the leading voice for companies operating in the UK’s language services industry.

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