Finding a competent translator is quite the uphill task regardless of whether you are looking to translate legal documents, immigration papers, websites, or launching your business globally. It is thus critical to have a set of questions to determine whether the translator you are planning to use is competent and will deliver quality work. Here are the top questions to ask a translator;

Have you handled a job similar to mine before?

There is nothing like a general translator; one must specialize in an area of expertise. For this reason, you need to ask the translator if they have handled work similar to yours and ask for samples before trusting them with your documents or content. PickWriters helps to connect you to subject-matter experts who will get all the translation right. You do not want to entrust an IT document to someone who is only familiar with literature.

Do you use machine translation or in-person translators?

It is important to note that translation tools are aplenty in the world today. The main problem with these tools is that they conduct literal translation hence you could easily lose meaning in your documents. It is therefore important to establish that the translator goes through the material word for word, establishes meaning, and translates accordingly.

Do you live in the country?

Industry terminology changes all the time. Using a local translator will help you better strike a connection with your target audience as your brand will be well presented in the local forum. Even the most competent translator who does not live in your target country will not be able to know the local subtleties. Machine translation will also not do you any good because they are not tailored to fit your particular translation needs.

Are you familiar with CAT tools?

CAT tools and translation memory are different from machine translation. It is worth noting that CAT tools are operated by translators unlike machine translation tools that only rely on software. These tools are quite efficient for translators as they retain memory thus making the translation process quick. Ask the translator about the tools they use and verify whether they are competent enough to handle your translation requirements.

By and large, you need to seek a second translator’s opinion before sending out your translated material.