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Highly commended in 3 categories at the ATC Language Industry Summit Awards 2015

Picnic Lunch - New Move

LK Translations has always been committed to ensuring that its employees benefit from CPD, and it was in this spirit that the whole team gathered in the Middleton office on a sunny 16th May for the latest in a series of team days. This time, the focus was on the correct use of reference material and quality assurance, with the session taking the form of workshop exercises, talks and lively discussions. One of the highlights of the day was that the two latest additions to the team - Helen Eden and Roddy Norris - were able to attend and get to know more about how the company works ahead of taking up their new posts in July.

After a busy morning, another treat was in store: LK Translations is soon to move to a larger site in the same area of Manchester and, as luck would have it, the keys to the new property had become available earlier that week. This gave everyone - including the new recruits - the opportunity to head over to the new office space and discuss how it could be used effectively. There was even a picnic lunch arranged, which also provided time for chatting and getting to know the new team members better.

As the team grows and demand increases along with it, LK Translations is committed to ensuring it continues to provide customers with a consistently high level of quality. Regular sessions like this one help to cement many of the team's skills, such as communication, and ensure that every member is working to the same high standards. Another team day is planned for the near future.

Businesswoman of the year 2013

In November 2013, Louise was shortlisted in the Businesswoman of the Year category of the prestigious Rochdale Business Awards.

The awards were established in 2011 to celebrate the achievements of businesses and business people within the Rochdale Borough. The glittering ceremony was held in the stunning Great Hall of Rochdale's fabulous Grade One Victorian Gothic town hall, a building which is renowned worldwide for its unique architecture.

The competition was very stiff and Louise didn't come out on top this time, but was encouraged by the reaction of the category sponsor and the leader of Rochdale Council Colin Lambert, both of whom acknowledged that the decision had been a very close run thing and encouraged Louise to apply again for the 2014 awards.

Some great connections were made on the night itself and since then Colin and Rochdale Council’s chief executive Jim Taylor have visited Louise and the team at our offices in Middleton.

+44 (0) 161 653 1004

14-16 Sadler Street

Middleton

Manchester

M24 5UJ

Specialists in:

Control and instrumentation (industrial automation)

Domestic and business electrical products

Drives and controls

Electrical engineering

Internet

IT: hardware and software

Mechanical engineering

Power

Telecommunications

We translate:

Translation for information purposes only

Translation for publication

Translation and revision for publication

Translation, revision and review for publication

Anglicisation / Americanisation of texts

Software localisation

Tweets by @LK_Trans

Language and translation specialists, based in Manchester GB

Website by Pennine IT Services

UK Trade & Investment's Language and Culture Masterclass in Manchester

On 10 February 2015, Melanie Smith joined 20 delegates from companies across the North West at the UK Trade & Investment's Language and Culture Masterclass in Manchester. The event sought to identify the measures that companies need to take to allow them to communicate successfully with businesses abroad and we were - unsurprisingly - delighted to discover that translation featured highly on the agenda.

International communications are an integral part of an export communications strategy and course facilitator Sara Knowles was keen to stress that culture and language are often considered to be amongst the main barriers to export success in foreign markets. As LKT is currently looking to expand its existing range of services to include additional language combinations (both into and out of English), the event served the dual purpose of allowing us to gauge not only what prospective exporters are looking for, but also how best to communicate with new markets.

Ever enthusiastic on the social media front, Melanie quickly took to Twitter to keep our followers in the loop with the excellent tips, tricks and advice presented by the UKTI, generating a great deal of interest from our growing number of "fans". Leaving with a whole host of new contacts and having been advised to send our details to the facilitator for inclusion in the UKTI's list of recommended suppliers, the event was certainly a success and we look forward to what the future holds.

University of Manchester’s “Love Languages” careers Panel

As a company which prides itself on its philosophy of supporting students as they prepare to embark upon careers in a challenging yet highly rewarding industry, it was with great pleasure that we accepted an invitation from the University of Manchester to speak at its “Love Languages” careers event on 5 March 2015. Melanie Smith joined six other Manchester alumni on a panel which aimed to provide students with an insight into the diverse range of career opportunities in which language skills have a part to play. As an in-house translator, it goes without saying that linguistic ability is an absolute must; however, it was refreshing to hear that the other panellists had gone on to make use of their language skills in careers as varied as a senior manager for an international bank, a head of language operations for a global media network and even a maths teacher working abroad.

Easter Team Day 2015

“What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important”: this might have been true for President Eisenhower back in the 1950s but it certainly doesn’t sound like a day in the life of a translator!

The ability to manage our time effectively is a valuable skill in all aspects of life, but it’s particularly relevant in an industry where pretty much everything is needed yesterday. So despite having our schedule constantly fit to burst and deadlines never too far away, we were more than happy to take some time out for a closer look at strategies for working more efficiently at one of our quarterly team days. Every member of the team has the opportunity to lead a session on a topic of their choice throughout the year, and this event saw Catherine Entwistle, Siobhan Gorrie, Jenny Pettet and Melanie Smith deliver a variety of useful workshops on everything from how to prioritise our workloads to how to work most effectively during the translation process.

A popular Domino’s lunch separated the two-part masterclass, which involved group work, self-assessments and some fun and games to boot. With the welcome opportunity to share tips, ideas and new ways of working with the group, these team days are always a real success and plans are already underway for the summer session.

Watch this space!

The Institute of Translation and Intepreting's biennial conference is one of the highlights in the translation industry's calendar, and team member Siobhan Gorrie travelled to Newcastle on 25th April to attend a day in the event's comprehensive programme of presentations, panel discussions and workshops. With over 300 delegates present and a packed agenda, there were plenty of opportunities for networking and finding out about the latest industry developments.

Focal points on the day included business skills, budgeting and how translation as a commodity – as well as the translation industry's profile – can be sold to companies and the wider public. Reflecting the ITI's broad profile of members, advice and information ranged from small-scale steps that translators can take to obtain new business to a wider vision of the translation industry's future – how to promote the highly skilled nature of the industry and encourage today's school pupils to become tomorrow's translators and interpreters. A key message put forward in a panel discussion including industry expert Doug Lawrence and ITI Chairman Iwan Davies was that the translation business needs to become an open network of professionals, with more transparent discussions on subjects such as rates. Meanwhile, a talk on quality control by Siegfried Armbruster of GxP Language Services emphasised the importance of translators working as a team and strengthening every link in the chain to create excellent translation products. It was heartening to hear that practices already in place at LK Translations, such as checklists and strict procedures, are considered good practice in quality assurance contexts.

During coffee breaks and lunch, there was also the chance to catch up with industry colleagues and meet some customers who were in attendance, some of whom had travelled from Germany for the event. Building on these contacts and the advice received from an inspiring event, LK Translations is now aiming to raise its profile further and take even more steps to assure the quality of its product.

CTIS Day May 2015

Barely two months after speaking at the University of Manchester's "Love Languages" event, alumna Melanie Smith was invited to reprise her role at another "Careers in Translation and Interpreting" day on 11 May 2015. Joining industry colleagues from a variety of in-house, agency and freelance backgrounds, Melanie's presentation provided the Manchester students with a first-hand insight into life as an in-house translator.

As a recent graduate of the university, Melanie was ideally placed to demonstrate how the MA in Translation and Interpreting Studies (MATIS) stood her in excellent stead when applying to companies as a newcomer to the profession and armed her with the skills needed to make the transition to working life.

Whilst it wasn't specifically intended as a recruitment drive, the event provided ample opportunity to highlight our unique model, including the innovative student mentoring scheme and comprehensive training programme for new graduates. Melanie also made the most of her background in recruitment to offer useful tips and tricks for everything from CV writing, test pieces and speculative applications right through to standing out at interview.

On the strength of our contribution to the event, we have since been asked to participate in a short film for the university website to offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse into life at Louise Killeen Translations. Lights, camera, action!

Summer Team Day 2015

With the British summer very much upon us, it was time for our next team day and we decided on the topic “style” for this session. While we have focussed on the translation process itself in previous team days, we thought it would be highly beneficial to look at English writing style. People often forget that translators are writers in their own right, so perfecting our English language skills is just as important as perfecting our foreign language skills.

As a team, we thought about examples of good writing style that we see in our day-to-day lives and how we can apply them to our work, with examples from publications including The Economist, National Geographic and The Radio Times. We all agreed that, as a translator, you never switch off and it’s amazing how much you can pick up from reading in your source language. Siobhan Gorrie and Catherine Entwistle led the discussions and provided a wide range of exercises and examples, which we worked on in small groups. These even brought out the competitive side of certain team members!

An LKT team day isn’t complete without a delicious lunch – Subway was the outlet of choice this time and one of our regular subcontractors even popped in to join us. These days give us a great opportunity to work together as a team and we are already excited about what the next one will bring.

If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.

Nelson Mandela

The event was very well organised and provided Melanie with ample opportunity to share her experience with the students, who were keen to learn more about everything from how to get that all-important foot on the ladder, to what employers look for in applicants, and even how many words we are expected to translate per hour! The individual presentations were followed by an informal buffet and drinks, allowing the students – who had turned out in great numbers from first-year to postgraduate level – to approach the panellists on a one-to-one level for further advice and information. The university’s alumni and careers departments provided positive feedback on our contribution to the evening and we were delighted not only to be involved in encouraging the next generation of talented individuals to follow in our footsteps, but also to foster stronger links with yet another well-respected institution.

ITI Conference 2015

Louise Killeen Translations Limited is Recruiting!

Are you eager to take your first steps on a career path in the translation industry? Or perhaps you’re an experienced translator looking for a new challenge?

We are currently looking to expand our team of in-house translators who work primarily from German to English in an on-demand, deadline-driven environment. This is an exciting opportunity to join a highly-skilled team and benefit from a full training programme and unique support structure. In addition to our extensive range of CPD activities, we also offer excellent job security as our business continues to grow, going from strength to strength as we prepare to celebrate our 10th anniversary later this year.

Your role will involve:

Translation of a wide range of technical and commercial texts from German to English
Revision of texts translated by other members of the team

Communication with customers via a range of media in both German and English

Qualifications and skills required:

An excellent first degree (a post-graduate qualification in translating would be an advantage)
An outstanding command of German and English (other languages a bonus)
An ability to meet deadlines and multi-task while working independently or as part of a team
A willingness to learn and apply new skills quickly and efficiently, including use of CAT tools

Strong IT and online research skills

So, whether you’re keen to make a start or continue to thrive in a dynamic and exciting industry where one day is never the same as the next, we look forward to hearing from you soon! Applications are also welcome from experienced translators who would like to be added to our select pool of freelance subcontractors.

Applications should be submitted via e-mail to Melanie Smith at melanie.smith@lktranslations.co.uk.

(Deferred start would be offered to successful candidates who have yet to complete their studies.)

ACT Conference 2015

It's hard to believe a year has gone by since Melanie Smith headed down to Brighton to represent Louise Killeen Translations at the ATC Conference. Twelve months ago, we had recently purchased our own, independent office building, taken on two trainee translators and were already thinking about developing our team further still. This year, the company has yet another trainee translator, a further AITI under its belt and three translators about to take their MITI examinations, not to mention a new business development department to handle our increased demand. It's fair to say, then, that there's always something going on at LKT! And with all systems go for us, we were very much looking forward to taking a couple of days away from our desks to catch up with our industry colleagues at this year's 39th ATC Conference. Whether you're into football or not, with the venue on our doorstep at the "Theatre of Dreams", it would have been rude not to!

With a packed itinerary of presentations from leading industry experts and several pre-arranged meetings, Louise and Melanie really made the most of the opportunity to touch base with existing contacts and even make several new ones. Day one was rounded off with a fantastic dinner overlooking the pitch at Old Trafford. There was just time for a welcome glass of fizz before everyone took their seats for the inaugural ATC awards ceremony. Having been nominated for three awards - Translator of the Year, Project Manager of the Year and Outstanding Contribution to the Industry - we were absolutely delighted to scoop a clean sweep of prizes in the "Highly Commended" category against such strong opposition.

The second day of the conference opened strongly with a lively and inspiring talk by Richard M. Brooks of K International. With much of the same on offer in terms of networking and demonstrations, we were particularly interested in the presentation on ISO 17100 given that we are about to go for certification. Much to our delight, it would appear that we already have everything in place, so watch this space for updates on our certification. As the 2015 event came to a close, there was one last prize for the taking for the company who had generated the most Twitter activity. Keen to defend our title from Brighton - and, of course, keep all our followers up to date with top titbits from the conference - we tweeted furiously to get us to the top. Even the team back in the office got involved to help push us up the rankings, prompting our new company hashtag of #LKTeamwork! All in all, yet another highly successful and worthwhile event, and we are already looking forward to celebrating the ATC's ruby anniversary in 2016.