How to become a freelance Localization Specialist
One basic requirement is a feeling for languages. In addition to being a native speaker of German, fluent English and Italian have been achieved after numerous stays in foreign countries over the years. I could probably manage French, too – but only to order a meal. ;-)
1991: Given my interest in technology, software, an eye for details and a position at Digital Equipment in the Localization Center, I was already working among the Technical Writers and Localization Specialists.
Then I decided to turn my hobby into a career and I ran a riding center in Italy that offered training for both horse and rider. Running an agricultural business in Italy as a woman is - in addition to the best management training – also an optimal language school. Hard but effective.
Back in Dortmund, Germany, I worked for several years as a Technical Writer at a leading manufacturer of ISDN cards. Besides the conversion of technical documentation from Word to FrameMaker and the resulting positive evaluation of the documentation in the trade press, the localization of software and documentation had become one of my specialties.
After that I was a manager for localization projects at an internationally operating localization service provider. This position included preliminary consultations for the expense estimation and project definition, the organization of external resources (e.g. Translators and Proof Readers), invoicing and archiving, simply all activities pertaining to customer relations and project management.
Thanks to the numerous customers with a wide variety of requirements, I received an extensive overview of the market.
With the help of this valuable experience, I then worked as a Localization Manager for an IT company in Dortmund, where I was responsible for implementing an all-embracing solution for technical documentation and localization. This solution allows not only the high-quality, cost efficient and timely localization of software and documentation, but also the adaptation for OEM partners (OEM = Original Equipment Manufacturer). Thanks to this solution, this IT company is today very successful in English and Italian-speaking countries. Furthermore Deutsche Telekom as OEM partner founds the promising future of the company.
The knowledge foundation of this solution was, in addition to the management of localization projects, my experience as a Technical Writer: extensive knowledge in the area of technical documentation enabled me to create a single source publishing solution for online help and printed manuals in accordance with the requirements analysis. The elimination of deficits in the documentation concept and optimization of the existing files in terms of future localization projects was naturally also taken into consideration.
An additional requirement for the successful business implementation of my projects is my qualification as an IT Process Manager (Chamber of Commerce and Industry). The topics of this study program, which was also created with entrepreneurs in mind and consisting of a 1.5-year executive continuing education program at the Bachelor level, included economic, business and legal foundation courses, Marketing, Sales, Project Management, Windows system administration, networking design and troubleshooting.
I can therefore offer you a "Complete Carefree Package" for
- the entry of international companies into the German Market, or
- the entry into international markets for German companies.
Given today's technology, it is no longer a problem to carry out a localization project - regardless of the location of the contracting company - and therefore I can offer not just a country-wide but an international service.