Translation agencies, sometimes mythical and sometimes idealized, work very differently from what we usually imagine.
To be honest, I never imagined the day-to-day life of a translation agency as it really is. Far from being disappointed by what I found out, I realized that many stories circulate about what a translation agency is. I must admit that some are true, but others are far from reflecting the everyday life of an agency.
I thought it would be interesting to demystify the translation agency a little.
So here are some myths about translation agencies that are false, and some that are not really myths.
Myth number 1
The translation agency is full of translators: FALSE (true in very few cases).
This is the biggest myth about translation agencies. It is perfectly natural to think that the agency is the place where the translation project is managed and carried out. The reality is different.
It is true that some translation agencies may have in-house translators, but we are talking mainly about highly specialized agencies that often offer a fairly limited range of language services in terms of the number of languages or specialties.
Myth number 2
The translation agency is often virtual: FALSE.
In this respect a translation agency is a company like any other. It has offices and real, competent staff.
It has not only staff who manage translation projects and relationships with translators and clients but, like all companies, an accounting department, a marketing/communication department and a sales and supervision department. Some agencies also have highly developed IT departments, as well as IT research departments.
It is true, however, that some companies are only virtual (such as translation platforms). These companies or websites state clearly that they are not translation agencies.
A translation agency is by no means a shop but a real, beautiful business. Hard to believe, isn’t it?
Myth number 3
Being bilingual is enough to work with a translation agency: FALSE.
Being bilingual is not enough to work as an independent translator for a translation agency. There is an immense difference between being bilingual and being a specialized, experienced and qualified translator. Translation is a profession like any other, and those who work in it also need specific training. So a bilingual person is not a translator, just as I am not a pastry chef, even if my whole family loves my cakes.
Translation agencies are very demanding in choosing their translators, because they are responsible for the quality of the document delivered to the client.
Myth number 4
The translation agency is a place where you can grow culturally: TRUE.
If one day you end up working in a translation agency, you will realize what a favorable cultural environment it is – first of all because of the multitude of nationalities of the people who work there. It seems more than logical for a company working in different parts of the globe to have staff able to build relationships with clients in their own language. A translation agency is therefore a link between many cultures and nationalities.
It is thus true that most of the employees of a translation agency have varied and different nationalities, to serve clients all over the world as well as possible.
Myth number 5
The computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools used by some translation agencies are (about as) capable as online machine translation platforms: FALSE.
One of the great myths about translation agencies is the supposed use of machine translation. The general public often compares CAT tools to an online machine translation platform. The reality is quite different. The software that translators working in agencies most often use is the translation memory (TM). A translation memory is a store of previously translated sentence segments which, if repeated in the source text, are translated automatically in the rest of the project. Translators never use software that automatically translates grammar or conjugations.
I hope this article has shed some light on translation agencies in general. If you are looking for a partner yourself, read also how to ensure quality language services in practice.