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2 min read

20/02/2019

How to stand out as a freelance translator: Translating online

Proz, the largest network for language professionals in the world, boasts over 300,000 translators and translation companies. It works as a two-way street for clients and translators to find each other and collaborate on translation projects. The network is especially useful because outsourcers are given the opportunity to examine the professional's profile, rates and reviews by other clients. Bearing in mind ProZ is home to a vast number of screened professionals, the selection process we follow at Pangeanic is governed by a strict protocol. Rear view of a woman in her office with headset, computer and an open book, white or empty screen, copy or text space, e-learning concept template

Professional translation companies need a constant supply of translators in order to cater to the clients' needs. For this reason, we have to strive to narrow the gap between our availability and the high quality of the translations we deliver. Our main focus is upholding standards of quality when it comes to our pool of translators. We have to maintain a perfect balance between provision and excellence. Thanks to our Translation Standards ISO 9001 and ISO 17100, we have adopted some strategies to filter all of our options to help us select our favorite translators.

What are the qualities we prioritize when translating online or offline?

  1. The translator has to be certified. At Pangeanic, we only recruit translators who are academically qualified. This means the translator has to provide evidence of their educational background in the linguistic field. For specialized translation projects, we require our linguists to demonstrate their knowledge in the specialized field as well as the languages in hand. For example, for a medical translation done from English into French, the translator has to provide proof of their medical and linguistic background in both languages (diplomas, reference letters from a relevant and reliable source, training course completion certificate, etc.).
  2. The translation company has to follow ISO standards. When we are dealing with a translation entity (as opposed to an individual), we require the company to follow ISO standards to ensure they operate according to international standards. The collaboration between translation companies tends to be more effective when both companies are committed to the same goals and moral rules. ISO standards are the most reliable method to verify that the company meets the specific requirements we seek at Pangeanic. Compliance to ISO standards must be reflected by a certificate as well as the ability to proof that when translating online all work is edited and reviewed.
  3. The translator can be validated if they belong to a translation association. At Pangeanic, we hold experienced translators in high esteem. This is why we offer them the alternative of providing proof of membership in a translation association if their educational background is not related to languages. Proving familiarity with tools and the capacity to translate online is a plus. We think that the experience the translator has (especially at an international organization) can be a perfect substitute for academic qualifications because they have already been exposed to real-life projects and have enough knowledge to provide high-quality translations.
  4. The translator can be validated if they are recommended by a Pangeanic client. As we do with experienced translators, we also hold our clients in high regard as they are the vital part that keeps the life cycle of our projects going. Thanks to a collaboration between one of our clients and a potential linguist, we can welcome this linguist to join our freelance translators team based on a reference letter from the concerned client.
In addition to the first-time-right approach we follow at Pangeanic, our ISO standards also require us to run exhaustive QA checks on our translations and work provided when any of our suppliers has been translating online . Even though we highly focus on obtaining a perfect translation from the beginning of the project, we believe there is always room for higher quality. Read more about our quality metrics at: https://www.pangeanic.com/translation-services/quality/translation-quality-metrics/