Essential Tips to Ensure Quality
In a world of fierce competition, the one factor that separates the leaders is the ability to provide work that has been completed with great efficiency and quality. The work of these people speaks tomes by itself and helps them stand apart on a pedestal. So, what is it that these people concentrate on that makes them so different and special?
Quality is a very important factor that needs to be maintained in order to excel in the work that you do. So, how do you ensure quality in the work that you do? If you follow some simple guidelines while taking up and executing any project anyone can incorporate quality in their work too.
Quality assurance does not start once the translation is completed but begins much before right from the time the project is being discussed and is completed only at the end of the project.
1. Discuss with the client before hand what needs to be accomplished and what the requirements of the project are. If you feel that you cannot meet the client’s needs refuse to take up the project then and there. 2. Ask the client for a preview of what needs to be done. Take up the work only if it falls within the purview of your specialization. 3. Build a detailed glossary containing the terminology specific to the client. Ask the client for reference material if it is available with them. 4. If any doubts remain due to bad source material or indecipherable material, discuss with the client and get it clarified. 5. Use software tools such as Trados while translating which will help in preventing unwanted errors and omissions in translations. 6. Perform a review of your work once the translation is completed. 7. Use the services of a proofreader, if permissible to check the quality of your work and to check the correctness of grammar, syntax, spellings, etc. 8. Check with the client if everything is to their satisfaction and be open to make changes if found necessary.
A little extra time and effort put in the right direction will help you provide quality work and you will be definitely crowned one among the cream of the creed of freelancers. |
2 comments:
That's good, no-nonsense advice, thank you. I think many times, as translators, we feel as if we are bugging the client when we ask too many questions. I feel that way too, but I know that in the end it's for the best for everyone involved. I really don't want to take on a project until I am 100% what it involves. If that takes three or four back-and-forth e-mails, I think it's worth it.
To further ensure quality, I am a strong believer in working as a team (with a colleague) to proof each other's work.
yeah, accurate translation is so important. and I think low quality translation is worse than non-translation.
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