A Project Manager Shares What She Really Looks for in Translators
Learn the top skills, mistakes to avoid, and tips to get hired
In this interview, I talked to Mariana Rocha, a Project Manager with years of experience working with translators. She explains what really matters when choosing who to hire, like the important skills she looks for and the common mistakes she often sees.
Her honest tips can help you show up better and get noticed by agencies.
Let’s dive in.
A brief bio about you
Hi, I’m Mariana. I’m 27 years old and originally from Portugal. For the past four years, I’ve been working as a Localization Project Manager at a translation agency. I’ve always had a passion for languages and speak Portuguese, Spanish and English fluently. Although my academic background is in marketing and sales, my journey into the language industry began in business development. I quickly found my true calling in Project Management, which I absolutely love.
I have a deep interest in travel, exploring different cultures and meeting people who broaden my perspective. I am driven by challenges and always looking for ways to grow, both professionally and personally.
What I believe sets me apart as a Project Manager is my sense of empathy and approachability. I am a people-oriented person, and whether I am working with clients or vendors, I always treat others with respect and kindness. I strongly believe that kindness helps break down barriers.
1. What skills do you look for when choosing a translator, and why are those skills important to you?
When selecting a translator, I always begin by considering the specific needs of the project, particularly the required area of expertise. Based on this, I prioritise translators who have relevant experience in the subject matter. In addition to expertise, there are several key qualities I look for:
Adaptability: I value translators who can adjust quickly to the demands of each project/account and adapt to the context as needed. Flexibility is essential, especially when working across different formats, tones or client expectations.
Responsiveness: Clear and consistent communication is important throughout the process. I appreciate translators who keep me informed at each stage of the project.
Professionalism and Reliability: Meeting deadlines and maintaining a high standard of professionalism are non-negotiable. I need to be confident that the translator will deliver quality work on time.
Proactiveness: Translators who ask insightful questions and engage with the content often help improve the overall quality of the translation. It shows they are not simply translating but thinking critically about the text.
Tech-savviness: I value those who are comfortable with CAT tools and open to learning new CAT tools or QA tools.
Finally, it is important for me to build lasting relationships with translators I can rely on. As PMs, we naturally begin to develop a trusted list of go-to linguists for each language pair and specialisation. These relationships make the workflow smoother and help ensure consistent, high-quality results across projects.
2. Do you usually ask for a CV? And does a translator’s social media presence matter to you when making a choice?
In translation agencies, translators usually go through a formal recruitment process before we start assigning them projects. This process is managed by the Vendor Management team, who review CVs, check references, and often require candidates to complete a translation test.
Later on, if a client introduces a new account that requires specific expertise, we sometimes reach out to translators already in our database to request an updated CV, particularly if we believe they may have relevant experience.
As for social media presence, I do not consider it a decisive factor when selecting a translator for a project. However, it can be helpful at the recruitment stage. Being active and visible online increases the chances of your name coming up and may make you more memorable, especially if you are already in our database.
In addition, we always appreciate knowing more about the people we work with. LinkedIn provides a glimpse into a translator’s background, lifestyle and professional journey, which helps us feel more familiar with and connected to the people we work with on a regular basis.
3. What common mistakes do you see translators make when they apply to work with an agency?
Although I am not part of the Vendor Management department, I often see translators applying to work with an agency without taking the necessary steps to be properly added to the database. This usually involves failing to complete the required forms or not submitting the relevant documentation.
I understand that it can be tiring for freelancers to apply to multiple agencies and go through the recruitment process, which typically includes sending CVs, collecting documentation and completing translation tests.
However, for most agencies, these procedures are essential in order to meet industry quality standards. We are audited regularly to ensure we comply with standards such as ISO, so these steps are not optional but a necessary part of maintaining quality and professionalism.
4. How can a translator make a lasting impression during the hiring process?
Standing out is essential, as the industry is highly competitive and there are many translators offering similar services. It is helpful to engage directly with vendor managers, respond promptly to communication, and maintain a professional tone in your emails. Providing references or anything else that strengthens your application can also make a positive difference.
Once you have been approved and are ready to begin working, I recommend establishing a connection with the Project Managers. They are typically responsible for deciding which translators to assign to projects, so building a good relationship with them is highly beneficial.
If you have not received any assignments for a while, it is perfectly acceptable to follow up with the PMs via email or LinkedIn. A simple reminder can keep you on their radar for future work. Often, all it takes is one opportunity to be noticed, and from there you can continue to build trust and reliability by maintaining consistent communication and delivering quality work.
A few things that can help make a strong impression include:
Being open to using CAT tools and learning new tools
Clearly communicating your areas of expertise
Demonstrating empathy and professionalism throughout the process
Showing availability and reliability
Connect with Mariana
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariana-rocha-/
I hope these insights help you feel more confident when reaching out to agencies.
Sincerely,
Connect with me on LinkedIn and Instagram, where I frequently share additional resources.
Get in touch; drop me a line at kim@brighttranslation.com.
Don’t miss my previous article on 4 Free Tools That Help Me Create Content.
See you in 2 weeks! 👋🏼