Ethics

An ever-increasing problem in the languages sector is the presence of individuals presenting themselves as translators, copywriters, proofreaders, etc, but who have little or no professional experience or professional ethics.

For this reason, I’d like to tell you exactly what you’re entitled to expect from me — or from any other freelancer for that matter.

I don’t take on projects that I can’t complete to a satisfactory level

When offered a project, I will only accept it if I have sufficient knowledge, skills and time to complete it to a satisfactory level. Whenever I have to decline work, I will recommend a colleague wherever possible.

I respect deadlines 

Deadlines are sacred! If an unforeseen event such as a local power cut or a catastrophic computer crash means that I might not be able to meet the agreed deadline, I’ll tell you as soon as possible.

I raise queries whenever necessary

In the minds of some translation buyers, the translation process goes something like this: “Send it, forget about it, receive it, job done!”. Such a hands-off approach is often not feasible. Bear in mind that few people read your text as completely, thoroughly and closely as the people who edit and translate it. If we need your input, it’s because we’re professionals, not because we want to be a nuisance!

I maintain confidentiality at all times

Many professions have a duty of confidentiality. However an additional complication when it comes to translation is the use of machine translation. Most documents I translate contain sensitive personal or commercial data, so I don’t use machine translation — unless I have explicit permission to use a particular engine.

I will not outsource your project behind your back

If I accept your project, you can be assured that I will do the work.

I’ll only outsource part of a project with your explicit permission; for example, to ask another professional to proofread my translation.