kimjasper wrote:
- Get your source language under your skin: read a lot, speak a lot
I do.
- Acquire fast typing skills
I guess I could be faster.
- Rehearse researching skills (in at least 3 ways: google, google, and then google...)
I do. But I don't trust everything I read on the web, so I back it up sometimes with other sources.
- Acquire basic knowledge in as many areas as possible (be curious)
I am curious, I read a lot about almost everything.
- Use generic computer tools to support your translation work: spreadsheets, documents, databases
I do.
- Be effective and efficient communicating with your client / agency (e-mail rather than phone calls and meetings)
I am.
- Use specific productivity tools (CAT tools) as much as possible. A 10% productivity gain is 10% today, tomorrow, all of next year etc.
I use almost all of them in the most efficient way.
- Bring pre and post translations phases (e.g. proposals, negotiation, research, proofreading) down as much as possible so you can spend 75% of your day on heads down translation
What do you mean? What I understand by you saying this is: don´t spend much time negotiating with the client (How do you manage that? It is not always so easy...), don´t research, just search (??), and skip proofreading?
I translate around 400/500 words per hour, but then I spend the rest of the time rereading my translations. I don´t like to take any risk on delivering something I have not reviewed myself!
BTW, what was your answer to the poll?
Natalia