When I began my studies at Middlebury, I was an MA Candidate in Translation (English-Japanese), and I had never given much thought to other aspects of the industry. But during orientation, I learned of a specialization I could add to my degree, in which my elective courses would be geared toward the management side of localization and translation. The classes seemed interesting, so I moved forward with the option. One such course was Localization Project Management, where we formed teams and carried out a project across the semester that mimicked the lifespan of a real project that might be handled by a language service provider, or LSP.
Each week we focused on a new aspect of project management, ranging from creating a client-facing quote, to finding talent, to completing deliverables. The course introduced me to many workflow management tools, namely DokuWiki, Trello and Slack. My team and I were able to keep in constant communication via these platforms, keeping our project moving smoothly. What shocked me as the weeks passed by and our project built in complexity was how much I enjoyed the processes involved in project management. On the surface, much of the work seems dry and repetitive. There were the constant tasks of making lists, standardizing documents, and confirming communication channels. However, the ability to check things off as I completed them, feel progress being made, and know that the work I put in on the front-end of the project would make things smoother on the back-end made everything feel worthwhile and even exciting.
I took on a leadership role within my team, assigning tasks and double checking completed assignments. But rather than a desire to micromanage, my proactivity came from a real interest in the course material and the processes we were carrying out in each module. The fact that there could be a science of sorts to project management was something that piqued my curiosity, and I would spend my down time between other courses finalizing LPM assignments and digging into pre-lecture materials.
Team Communication via Slack
As I completed my localization project management office on Trello, I felt my understanding of the localization industry grow with each passing week. As a translation student, most of my time was spent researching obscure terms and rewriting drafts of Japanese medical documents or guidebooks. LPM forced me to consider all of the other aspects that go into delivering translated products to clients. The translator (and translation itself) is actually only a small part of the picture, and even within the realm of translation there are many steps I had not considered. Beyond the translation itself, LSPs must screen talent and select a qualified translator (pictured), draft purchase orders and work orders, maintain lines of communication, answer any queries from the translator, and confirm payment of invoices.
Process for Selecting Talent (Translators)
The skills I have honed as translator actually “translate” to the role of PM in multiple ways. An acute attention to detail, double and triple checking completed tasks, and having to market yourself to find and maintain clients are required of both positions. The programs I have learned to use throughout my LPM course has also strengthened my translator’s toolbox, so to speak. In our semester-long project, we used Memsource to machine translate source texts, and then carried out editing and proofreading stages. We also discussed various functions in the CAT tool SDL Trados and how to best prepare documents from clients for translation. Utilizing these tools in my own translation classes has allowed me to translate more quickly and efficiently. Learning how these processes work and how to carry them out myself has made me feel that much more confident in my position in the project chain, either as a translator or a PM.
Ultimately, I enjoyed the course material and project so much, I altered my course of study to make localization management my main track, with translation as my specialization. Moving forward in my graduate career, I hope to balance my love for both project management and translation, and continue to gain insight into all aspects of the industry.
Standardized Project Management Office