“I work with people who have an extraordinary love and passion for the foreign language they are responsible for”
Localization and translation are important elements in globalization. Therefore, more and more people are interested in translation work. Today's letter was prepared as an interview with someone working in the business. I met Manager Seo Philippe, who works as a QM at Twigfarm's data construction division. The Data Development Division is a department where people who speak foreign languages such as English, Chinese, and Japanese do translations and have people in charge of checking translated materials.
Since he is a person with a very special history, I think many people will find it interesting to read today's notes. Changing jobs is common these days, but I was so excited to decide on a career path as a translator while working as an accountant. We conducted interviews on various topics, such as what you felt while working in the business and the prospects for a job as a translator, so I hope you enjoy reading them. Additionally, Twigfarm is also hiring translators who have an interest and love for languages, so I think it's a good idea to keep this in mind.
Please give me a brief introduction.
Hello, I'm Seo Philippe, a manager working as an English QM at Twigfarm's Data Development Division. Currently, I am participating in the construction of language data in specialized academic fields such as medicine and engineering during the NIA project. More specifically, Letterworks is responsible for checking the quality of transcription and translation while watching conference videos.
What kind of translators are currently working at Twigfarm? Please introduce yourself to your colleagues.
The fellow translators at Twigfarm have a lot of interest and love for the language they are in charge of and the culture of that country. I can feel everything while working. Based on that love, my understanding of the language and culture seemed to improve on its own. Also, there are many people who have received specialized education at the Graduate School of Interpretation and Translation. I have learned a lot and am very motivated by working with people who have specialized education and various translation experiences.
After working in accounting, you switched to a translation job. What fascinated you and decided to do this job?
I originally studied social science and linguistics, but later I learned accounting and worked in related jobs in order to get a job. While working in accounting in Korea and the US, I also worked on language-related tasks such as translating materials such as business proposals and audit reports, and in the process, I thought my aptitude and taste were on the translation side rather than accounting work, so I joined Twigfarm and started working.
What are some commonalities and differences between your accounting work and your current job?
“Both jobs have in common that they are jobs that require structured understanding.”
If I take accounting work as an example, I think it was more important for the job to structurally understand what is expressed in numerical values rather than simply entering numerical values. When it comes to translation work, I think they have something in common in that it's not just about knowing the meaning of individual words or sentences, but that a structural understanding of the entire content is essential to produce high-quality translations.
I'm wondering what you think people who want to work in translation and localization need the most.
Basically, it would be Korean and in my case English, which I'm in charge of. I think having a good understanding and ability to express yourself in these two languages is the most essential requirement. Also, I think it is necessary to have the ability to make good use of CAT tools such as Letterworks, which can help with translation. I think it is necessary to take such technical aspects well and think about how to produce high-quality translations in the most efficient way.
The other day, I think I made an effort to learn techniques by organizing the Korean/English medical jargon that I used while localizing medical dramas in an Excel file. I think it is important to make proper use of these technological developments and use such tools as an aid.
I wonder what professional rewards you feel from working in translation and localization.
I think the most rewarding part of working on localization is that I act as a bridge between the two cultures. There are many diverse cultures and good creations in the world, but it's unfortunate that language barriers prevent communication. Through translation, it is possible to have fun and be moved by content from other cultures without being trapped by language barriers, and I think that contributing to that industry is the most rewarding thing I feel professionally.
I wonder if the business feels about how artificial intelligence helps in translation and localization.
As a translator, I have high expectations for the development of artificial intelligence. This is because I feel that it can make up for the limitations and weaknesses that human workers have. For example, Letterworks might give you multiple examples of a translated sentence, so you can see more possibilities and choose from among them to find a better expressive result. Next, I hope that translator tools based on artificial intelligence will complement the limitations that translators are bound to have as human beings, and that they can derive more efficient and better results by complementing each other.
As an industry worker, I'm curious what you think about the appeal of translation and future prospects.
Understanding and accepting different cultures will become more and more important in the future, and I think translators' prospects will naturally brighten up in such situations. I think there will be advances in artificial intelligence and various changes in the future that I cannot anticipate right now. Even in such a changing situation, I think the important thing is to continue to think about and develop my understanding of the language and English I am in charge of, and better expressive skills. I want to work on translating more content while maintaining an attitude of improving.
I know Twigfarm is also hiring translators on a large scale. I think translation work is something you can enjoy if you have a love for the language you are in charge of and an interest and understanding of that culture. I think it's an attractive and promising job where you can feel the rewards of being able to reach more people with any content, so I think it would be nice if you were interested in it.
Editor l Lee In Hye
inhye.lee@twigfarm.net
