We are excited to announce the winner of the March 2019 edition of our Translator of the Month action!
This initiative is our way to way to say thank you! and recognize the efforts of the industry professionals: translators, the driving force behind every translation company’s success.
In this ocassion we would like you to meet Alexandra Gabriela Calciu, one of our most trusted sworn translators. As you may see on the picture, Alexandra likes SeproTec as much as we SeproTec like her! 🙂
What do you start your workday with?
I’ll tell you how a busy day begins. When I have a lot of work, I usually get up at 5 or 6 in the morning. Just as there are people who do better at night, I have come to the conclusion that my brain works much better at dawn. That’s why I prefer to get up very early. Therefore, I get up, I prepare a good breakfast and a big cup of coffee, and I can start my work day, of course, always with optimism. I usually get to work immediately after breakfast, so as not to lose a minute of performance of my brain, since at that time it is at its best. I always finish my day getting my list of priorities ready for the next day. In this way, when I start the day, everything is ready and I know exactly where to start. I think that good organization is the key to success.
Why did you choose translation as a career?
Since I was little, I wasn’t very good at math and languages were my strength. Before I started studying them at school, I already had a good “background” regarding languages. Without much effort, I got to speak French and Spanish and stand out in my class. That is why I continued my journey through the great adventure of the language sector. I must admit it has not been easy, but it was worth it!
If you hadn’t become a translator, what do you think you would have done?
It’s a very good question… I think it has always been very clear to me that I wanted to do this, so I never thought about having another job. Naturally, I had to do other jobs until I became a translator, and each and every one of them has been related to customer service. Consequently, it is likely that, if I had not become a translator, I would be working in human resources or customer service. It is a very difficult sector, since I think there is no more complicated work than customer service. However, due to my infinite patience, every day would be a new challenge and it would be a very entertaining task.
You are the first sworn translator we interview. What are, in your opinion, the biggest challenges sworn translators face on a daily basis?
I must admit it is a great honour to be chosen Translator of the Month, and it is even more so because I am the first sworn translator to be awarded. Sworn translators, apart from having the ENORMOUS responsibility of translating official documents (with everything this entails), face many daily challenges. One of them is acting as an advisor. Most of my clients ask me for advice on legal procedures, so many times I face the difficult situation of having the responsibility of advising and guiding the client regarding the procedures that must be followed.
It is often said that translation is an underrated job. Do you think that people understand and value this profession or are there any misconceptions?
I couldn’t have said it better myself. We are always “behind the scenes” and people often don’t understand how difficult this job is and the responsibility we must assume when writing some words on a piece of paper. Many clients say “I could also do the translation myself, but…” ☹ It is a sentence I have heard many times and that makes me think many people don’t value this job. Fortunately, there is an even bigger number of people who do value this profession and know that we, translators (whether sworn or not), have an extremely important role and that not any bilingual person can perform such tasks.
What do you most enjoy about working with SeproTec?
I have come a long way to get to work as Sworn Translator-Interpreter in Spain. When I started my “adventure” in the field of translation in Spain, I didn’t know how the sector worked. I started by contacting several companies, among which, of course, was SeproTec. I must admit that they have accepted me and made me feel a part of their GREAT FAMILY. Even during the first months of collaboration with SeproTec, I had the feeling that I had worked with them for a lifetime. Apart from the punctuality in payments and the quick solution of small problems that may arise along the projects, what I like the most about the collaboration I have with SeproTec is the human touch offered by the PMs, who are always polite, fast and reliable.
Thank you, Alexandra! It’s fantastic to have you among our Team of Translators! Happy Friday and enjoy your SeproTec hoodie 🙂
