As part of Global Connects’ commitment to empowering young people as they prepare for the workplace, we were delighted to work with Lauren, a fifth year BA (Hons) Spanish and French student from the University of Strathclyde, for our second placement of the academic year. Lauren took to the Assistant Linguist and Project Manager role really well, homing in on details and asking all the right questions to make sure she knew how to do things properly. She translated and proofread a range of documents in Spanish and learnt key quality assurance and formatting skills for documents in other languages. Lauren talks more about her internship below:
1. Why did you want to take up an internship with Global Connects?
I’ve really enjoyed my translation classes at university, and so I was eager to put what I had been learning in the classroom into practice. The internship offers both the opportunity to refine my Spanish linguist skills and develop competencies in a Project Management role; gaining well-rounded work experience during my studies seemed like an invaluable experience.
2. What did you learn in your time here with us?
I developed my Spanish translation skills, particularly in sectors I was previously unfamiliar with requiring specialised language expression and vocabulary. Additionally, I learned how to work with the CAT tool memoQ and understand the complete workflow of delivering professional translation projects where I communicated with clients and providers. I appreciated also being given the opportunity to learn about interpreting at Global Connects and discuss what a career as an interpreter looks like. I believe I was able to learn quickly and develop my skills due to the warm and welcoming team at Global Connects. My mentor Antonia helped me refine my Spanish translation skills and made sure I had a constructive experience as an intern.
3. What surprised you the most about working with us?
The vast range of languages a project manager works with every day. It was interesting being exposed to languages I was unfamiliar with and learning new elements about them. For example, I hadn’t realised the similarities between Romanian and Spanish!
4. What will you be working on now?
Now that my dissertation is submitted, I’ll be studying hard for my exams to graduate with a BA (Hons) in French and Spanish. I’m certain my time spent at Global Connects will be a great help when it comes to my translation exams, and it has piqued my interest in the translation industry for the future.
As you can see, Lauren thrived at Global Connects and was able to effectively apply her academic skills to a wider range of texts. She would encourage other students to ask questions, especially at the beginning, to set themselves up for a successful placement with us. We wish Lauren all the best with her studies and hope to see her in the languages industry in the near future!