Negen vragen aan Kay Dixon
"I love language"
Kay Dixon laat zien hoe belangrijk een goed netwerk is.
Wat voor soort werk doe je?
I work from home as a Dutch to English freelance translator and language editor and am one of those ‘native-speakers’ who fell into the profession almost by chance. I have direct clients in the financial services sector and in IT and I do quite a bit of work for agencies too.
Wat zijn leuke en minder leuke aspecten van je werk?
I love language and can appreciate the occasional eccentricities of Dutch. They’re not always easy to translate, but that’s the fun of it. Tight deadlines are always a problem but over the years I’ve become more assertive about not accepting unrealistic ones.
Hoe kom je aan je klanten? En hoe houd je ze?
I’ve always been reluctant about ‘selling’ myself to potential customers. I’ve been very lucky: right from the start customers have come to me. I started working for former colleagues who then passed my name on to others. When I can, I like to build up some sort of a personal relationship with customers. I don’t expect to chat to them for ages on the phone, but I do occasionally pass on a little bit of personal information and often get some in return.
Wat is je beste investering van de afgelopen vijf jaar?
Joining SENSE. I found a network of friendly, like-minded people working with English and prepared to share their knowledge. It’s given me confidence in my abilities, too, which has indirectly led to my getting more work.
Waar zie je jezelf en je onderneming over vijf jaar?
I hope that the next five years will be as profitable as the last five.
Hoe zouden vertalers hun aanzien kunnen verhogen?
Collective action to promote the profession ought to be the answer, but until professional associations can get their act together, it’s up to individuals to provide good work and demand realistic pay.
Hoe zie je de toekomst van de vertaalmarkt in Nederland?
I think that editing texts written in English by Dutch people will become a growth market for native speakers. Universities are using English more and more, but the standard often leaves much to be desired.
Welke tip zou je aan je collega’s willen geven?
Don’t take on work if you know nothing about the subject! And if you go to a workshop, or especially to meet a customer, dress well – appearance counts!
Aan wie geef je dit interview door?
Annemie Briggen, a fellow member of our regional NGTV group.
datum publicatie: 7 juni 2007
rubriek: Vertaler in beeld
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