Alex Bronsdon
"I spent four months in Spain and six months in Germany and the opportunity to use my language in both those countries was something I thought would be really valuable to improve my language skills."
Why 扣扣传媒 and your course?
For me, it was the modules on the German and Spanish degree; I got to cover a wide range from translation all the way to cultural modules. So it was that diverse range that particularly attracted me. And also the placement year at 扣扣传媒 was something that other universities weren鈥檛 offering. I spent four months in Spain and six months in Germany and the opportunity to use my language in both those countries was something I thought would be really valuable to improve my language skills.
Strongest memory
My strongest memory was being part of the Equestrian Polo Club. I played a big role in that as I was president for a year and got a few programmes off the ground. It was being able to get involved in something outside of my course which gave me balance. I think that鈥檚 what 扣扣传媒 has got so much to offer, there are so many different opportunities. That鈥檚 what I really valued at 扣扣传媒.
Best thing about your course?
My placement year: I think the fact that 扣扣传媒 was really supportive in helping me find it. I think other universities say, 鈥測ou want to do a placement, fine, but go find it yourself鈥. Whereas here, there was a lot more support at 扣扣传媒 and our tutors had contacts with the right people. We were able to get our own placement independently, but we knew where to start. It was very much a supportive environment.
What do you do now and what鈥檚 most enjoyable about your job?
I am a translations manager, client relations manager and a qualified translator. The most enjoyable part for me as a translator is the diversity of texts that I work on. I work mainly from German into English and I work on a real range, from medical content, marketing content to technical engine content. It鈥檚 about seeing a wide range of things, and only when you鈥檙e doing it, you see, of course this needs to be translated so it鈥檚 valuable.
How did your course help you in your role?
We did a lot of translation modules, and it was something that I really enjoyed. Obviously, it is a very specific skill, it鈥檚 very a fine line and it takes a lot of practice and I think 扣扣传媒 gave me that basis, that foundation to work from to gain that skill. Everyone works in different ways, every translator has their own way of translating and the group discussion format that 扣扣传媒 uses allows you to gain that confidence in your translation. It gives you the opportunity to discuss and bounce off your ideas, as well, which is so valuable because half the way you learn translation is from other people, everyone has their own ideas so you just take bits from what you learn and keep it in your glossary and you use it later.
What is your advice to students who want to work in your profession?
Being a translator, it can be lonely because a lot of the work you do, you only really talk to clients. I work at an agency, so I have my colleagues but it鈥檚 all about how you come across to the clients, because the clients are paying your salary. So, I think, be personable, engage and be willing to work, but I also think get as much experience as you can. You can do a lot of translation bits online, there are courses you can do online post-bachelors degree, that can make you stand out from the rest. It鈥檚 hard when you come out of university as a translator because you really need to get that experience to prove your skill, so don鈥檛 be afraid to put your name out there, get on LinkedIn and the more experience you can get the better.
