My portfolio

During my translation career I have had the pleasure to work on a broad spectrum of projects, ranging from typical document translation to transcreation of marketing assets to literary translation for both children and adults. Also, apart from proper translation I have also served my clients as a researcher in the field of the history of World War 2 or an expert involved in the process of developing high proficiency language test for a prominent US agency. In a word: the diversity of projects I handle on everyday basis let me keep away from boredom, acquire new knowledge and improve language skills.   

Below please find a representative sample of professional challenges I have been successful at tackling since 2008.

Public Relations translation and Marketing transcreation

As a person with a twist towards creativity, I really enjoy handling PR and Marketing projects. From style-guide-driven press releases to freestyle transcreation of e-newsletters: I will always find a way to make your message read, remembered and acted upon.

• Ongoing transcreation of multiple synopses of shows available on Netflix
• Ongoing transcreation of titles of episodes of shows available on Netflix
• Press releases for various companies, from a memory card producer to the search engine giant
• Telemarketing scripts, eg. for a printing and publishing global brand
• Transcreation of weekly e-mail newsletters for a major global online shop selling posters and reprints
• Campaign handbooks for resellers of printing and publishing products and supplies
• Codes of conduct and other internal communications for a global marine industry brand
• Various Fair Trade advocacy materials, from website content to brochures
• Information Guide of the Polish Lutheran Church
• Customer satisfaction Surveys
• Employee Satisfaction Surveys

Literary translation and subtitling

At the time of graduation from the university I was convinced I would soon become a renowned literary translator, even though my MA thesis supervisor warned me that literature makes up merely a tiny percent of projects on the market. Well, dear Professor Paflin, I must admit you were right. However, in the past few years I have jumped at a few opportunities to fulfill my academic dreams and translate a book. Compared to the impermanent nature of the other types of jobs I handle on a daily basis, it is great to know that some of my work will be preserved for longer. Below please find the short but growing list of books I have had the pleasure and privilege to translate:

• Books by Max Lucado: Because I love You, A Hat for Ivan, Best of All, I want a Green Nose, 
• 10 People Every Christian Should Know by Warren Wiersbe
• Nursery rhyme books
• The Fear of the Lord by John Bevere (link to the Polish edition)

Document translation for public service offices in the UK

I cooperate on a regular basis with a number of British translation agencies who entrust me with documents addressed at Polish immigrants in Great Britain. Some of these jobs consist in translation of general information handed down to all inhabitants of a given borough or city, while others are directed specifically at members of the Polish community.

• Housing associations: newsletters for tenants, social benefits information guides, payment notices, information regarding improvement programs, supported tenancy program regulations, housing application forms, rent arrears payment plans, tenant participation campaign brochures, etc.

• Social welfare: minutes of child protection conferences, specific Looked After Children plans, recommendations for carers following child protection conferences, reports following incidents of domestic violence, social worker reports after family visits, etc.

• Health Care: Tamba leaflet for families expecting multiple births, postnatal depression screening policy review, information for parents regarding development of child's hearing, speech and language, children and teenage immunization information guides, language therapy documents, cervical and breast cancer screening information campaigns, etc.

Technical translation

Handling technical texts requires a different set of skills than creative transcreation. Accuracy, logical thinking, background knowledge of a given field and advanced research and critical analysis skills play the key roles that contribute to the final success. Technical translation serves as a perfect counterpoint in my regular creative business, and I always welcome new opportunities in the field.

• Health and safety: allergen spillage procedure, safety guidelines for forklift operators, information pack regarding biosecurity of swine production in Poland, hydraulic press security measures, etc.

• Operator manuals: hydraulic press, forklift, print inspection system, etc. 

• Product catalogues: power tools, car parts and accessories, oil mist collectors, etc.

Software and website localization

Apart from language expertise, localization requires knowledge of the laws governing software and website development as well as the ability to use specific software. As software localization projects are usually quite large, working in team is a standard. This, in turn, gives rise to a number of challenges, such as terminology consistency across the whole user interface. Each of dozens of completed localization projects has given me invaluable hands-on experience that cannot be found in books or tutorials.

• I am a member of an international localization team of a global developer of process automation, big data processing and document capture solutions. The total volume of words processed in the course of this project amounts to a few hundred thousand! The project involves localization of both User Interface and User Assistance documentation for a number of software products.

• I have localized a number of websites or various sizes and levels of complexity both into Polish and English. This type of localization process involves acting upon client's feedback and making some adjustments on the go in order to conform to requirements both on the linguistic and programming level.  

• Apart from software and websites, I have also handled a number of computer games, both flash applications and large pieces of software. Even though I am not a devout gamer, I must admit it is a real pleasure to see my own kids playing the games I localized. 

Consumer electronics and household appliances

To an extent, this field relies on both technical translation and software localization. As devices and appliances are getting smarter and smarter and communicate with personal computers for a growing number of features, we can see an increasing demand for user interface localization. Still, no matter how intuitive and user friendly karaoke sets, fridges or vacuum cleaners may have become, they still need to be accompanied by proper instruction manuals, quick start guides and safety data sheets. With experience in both technical translation and software localization, I am the right choice for this kind of jobs.

Consumer electronics: frequently asked questions, troubleshooting sections, user manuals, quick start guides, product specifications, catalogues, warranty terms and conditions and user interfaces of cameras, camcorders, action cams, stereo sets, karaoke sets, notebooks, printers and All-in-One devices, portable audio players, etc. 

Household appliances: user manuals, quick start guides, safety data sheets, warranty terms and conditions, product specifications and catalogues of ovens, microwaves, cooker hoods, vacuum cleaners, electric kettles, washing machines, dishwasher, etc.

Other language-related projects

Apart from proper translation, transcreation and localization projects I have had a number of opportunities to employ my language skills for some special projects. I always look forward to these rewarding challenges, as they serve as a booster to my professional development and sometimes take me to places that I would probably not set off to on my own.    

• After a few years of cooperation, a London-based marketing translation agency asked me to take the role of an expert for their three annual creativity audits. My duties involved assessing translated content with regard to creativity and problem-solving operations. It was a great chance to take a more scholarly look at creativity, which is oftentimes perceived as a sort of spontaneous reaction to a problem.   

• In the face of a coming takeover of a Polish mobile network company, its British majority shareholder wanted to have a first-hand knowledge of the image of the company in the Polish press. My job involved regular monitoring of Polish financial dailies and writing summaries of articles mentioning the mobile operator in question.  

• In 2010 I joined US-based language consulting agency in their efforts to develop Polish reading proficiency tests for the American market. The project was quite complex and involved both searching for real-life source materials in the Polish press, processing them in line with very strict and detailed guidelines and only then developing actual test pieces. It was a time of intensive teamwork, with long and heated debates on what at a first glance might have seemed a minor and unimportant detail. The effects of our common efforts invested in the job exceeded our expectations and by the end of the day we all knew that it was simply worth it. On a personal note, the work I had gone through back then gave me a real boost in terms of self-confidence and time-management skills.

• Back in 2014, an owner of a translation agency I cooperate with on a regular basis, handling all sorts of consumer electronics project, introduced me to an American friend of his who was planning to write a novel about World War II. At that point I had no clue I was standing at the door of by far the biggest adventure in my whole translation career. According to the author's idea, the character of his book would come from Poland, stay in Great Britain for some time and then set off to fight in one of the bloodiest battles of the war. Easier said than done. The real challenge for the author was the scarcity of English-language resources covering the history of Polish war efforts. Consequently, my job consisted in searching for potential resources, scanning them for information that might be of particular interest to my client and then translating approved fragments. Searching through archives for hours, ordering books from all parts of the world, getting into one dead end after another in search of a seemingly unimportant detail, comparing maps and accounts of the events long covered by dust made up the everyday reality of the project. A reward came only recently, when the author shared with me a draft of the novel, in which I could also see the effects of my own efforts. The book has all it takes to become a bestseller. Once it hits the shelves, my mission will be over. Or maybe it will only mean a new beginning?