Latest from the blog

Posted on19 April 2013

Institute of Translation & Interpreting, University of Westminster, London Event 2013

ITI London Regional

In March 2013 Atlas were delighted to attend the Institute of Translation & Interpreting London, this popular and well-attended event again. Director Clare Suttie tried to make a note of all the questions asked, and has written up her own answers in a series of blogs this month. The answers are the views of Atlas Translations in particular, rather than the other speakers (although we were in agreement on most points).

What should I do if I get a document with a mixture of subject areas?

There are documents which may have multiple subject areas – so not just legal, medical and so on. So you may be translating a nice legal text and then a background page about nuclear submarines appears. What do you do? The consensus, which I agreed with, is that you flag this with your client as soon as you become aware of it, and suggest this page/section is translated by someone else. Speaking for Atlas, we’d fully understand this and would be happy to involve a second translator for the other subject area.

Should I sub-contract work?

No, no no! We are employing YOU and not one of your colleagues. Our own purchase order states quite clearly that you should not sub-contract any work we ask you to carry out and which you agree to take on. If you do sub-contract, you must ensure your client is aware that you are not doing the work – and of course you are responsible for its quality.

Can I get subtitling/transcription work – do I need qualifications?

Atlas don’t work with subtitling, but I was fascinated to hear Lindsay from V & S International talking about it. Her company ask any applicants to complete tests, and you don’t need any special software – so if you are really interested, it’s definitely worth contacting them. There is no official qualification required for transcription work – so if it’s of interest to you, the best advice is to practice to ensure you are able to work as fast as you’ll need to – an average is 1 hour to transcribe 10 minutes of material.

ATC – Full membership of the ATC (Association of Translation Companies).

CIEP – Corporate membership of the CIEP (Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading) since 1993.

Corporate membership of the ITI (Institute of Translation and Interpreting) since 1994. Corporate Member of the Year 2021.

ISO 17100 – ISO 17100:2017 for Translation Services (since this standard began, in 2008, externally audited annually).

ISO 9001 – BS EN ISO 9001:2015 (certified since 2003, externally audited annually).

Living wage employer – As a living wage employer, we believe our staff deserve a wage which meets every day needs.

Mindful employer

Mindful employer – We are a mindful employer, working toward achieving better mental health at work.

Logo

Disability confident committed – We are Disability Confident Committed, ensuring our recruitment, communications and support are inclusive and accessible.

4-day week

4-day week employer since 2019

GBC_Accredited_Logo

Good Business Charter Member since 2022

The Slator Language Service Provider Index (LSPI) is a ranking and an index of the world’s largest translation, localization, interpreting, and language technology companies.

PIF

The Patient Information Forum promotes access to trusted and high-quality health information for the public and healthcare professionals.

Federation of Small Businesses and the Self-Employed

Member of the Federation of Small Businesses and the Self-Employed

Prompt Payment Code

Signatory of the Prompt Payment Code since 2023.

Accredited with the Fair Tax Foundation since February 2024

https://fairtaxmark.net/

Registered with the ICO since 2004.

Go to https://ico.org.uk/ for more information.