Global Connects has fostered excellent relationships with local schools and universities to help prepare students for the world of work and share key insights into the language services industry. This year, we pledged our support to the Young Persons’ Guarantee, helping young people to gain the confidence to build their own futures and supporting them by providing high-quality training as they choose their paths.

We are pleased to continue to offer internships for university students and had two fifth year students from the University of Strathclyde join us in their first semesters in 2024.

Abigail has spent time working as a language assistant in Spain, helping school children in Pamplona to improve their English skills whilst being immersed in Spanish language and cultures herself. She completed her seven-week internship in English and French translation, learning to translate in the workplace using manual methods and CAT tools. Before she left to continue her studies, we chatted about her experience of the internship:

  1. Why did you want to take on an internship with us?

I wanted to do more practical, less classroom-based work for my degree. It was important for me to gain an  insight into the world of work and the languages industry. We’re not always exposed to this side of our studies at university so it was a useful opportunity to see where my studies could take me.

  1. What did you learn during your internship?

I learnt so many different things! The internship showed me how linguists work, what’s expected of linguists, how translation software is used and how to effectively proofread. Learning all of this has helped me to gain a real picture of translation work before deciding on a career after university . It has been absolutely worth taking on the extra work to be exposed to the industry.

  1. What surprised you the most?

I was most surprised about how welcoming, supportive and friendly the office environment was. I enjoyed working alongside my mentor (Antonia) and the rest of the Translations team. I also got to meet some of the other staff at Global Connects, including a booking coordinator and interpreter who shared their experience with me. Another thing that surprised me was the workload expected for one day!

  1. What will you be working on now?

I’ll be finishing my dissertation exploring the rebirth of the Basque language since end of the dictatorship. This topic is important to me because of the time I spent living in Navarre and working with Basque speakers. Other than that, I’ll continue developing translation skills and getting exam ready. I’ll apply to work as an English language assistant again, but this time in France to get some experience working there.

  1. What is something we did well?

I thought the placement was well-organised and found getting a quick response to emails reassuring. I would recommend the placement to other students looking to explore the language services industry.

Working with Abigail was a real pleasure. She took to our CAT tool well, gelled with the team and was a dedicated translation assistant. We wish her well in the rest of her studies and at the start of her career. Bonne chance with your language assistant role in France!