Chinese/English/Russian
Frances Pao-Fang Chang is a MAT (Master in Translation – Chinese/English/Russian) candidate at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. Prior to coming to MIIS, she obtained a B.A. in Russian Language and Literature from the National Chengchi University in Taiwan, and an MBA from Warsaw University in Poland. She had worked in a Taiwanese-based multinational company for 5 years as a Project Coordinator and Cost Manager before returning to school to pursue her passion for languages.
Q1: What were your top 3 criteria as you selected your internship(s)?
My internship was selected based on the size of the company, its location and the benefits it offered. Star-Group is the 6th biggest company in the language services industry. The internship was in Bangkok with airfare and accommodation covered.
Q2: What did you learn about your field during your internship?
The language services industry is changing dynamically with the emergence of cloud-based software. There should be more and more collaborative work in the field. I also learned the value of keeping well-trained in-house translators.
Q3: What did you learn about yourself during your internship?
I prefer to do market research and business analysis rather than doing pure translation work. I also learned that where I will work upon graduation is no longer as important as I thought. The most important thing is whether the job itself fits your career path.
Q4: From the employers’ perspective what does a good intern look like?
A person who takes initiatives and has the perseverance to finish every task will gain more from the internship and leave a positive impression with the employer. Our supervisor encouraged us to interact with local employees. I’d like to add that, in a multicultural setting, it is paramount to respect each other’s cultures.
Q5: Any words of wisdom you would like to share?
-Every step counts. Think long-term. Have an open mind. And of course… really enjoy the summer and make tons of friends!
Do you have a question for Frances? You can reach her at paofangc(at)miis.edu.
–Winnie Heh
Career & Academic Advisor
wheh@miis.edu
