George Trail

I am a freelance translator (I have been in the business for 16 years) currently seeking an additional source of income. I am accustomed to developing schedules and to working according to existing ones as I accept the ongoing responsibilities of records management and familiarising myself with new software. I have demonstrated a capacity to think for myself even when things get tough and know how to work flexibly.

Freelance translator at Self-employed (2008-10 – Present)

After leaving university with a degree in foreign languages I would eventually take the plunge, as they say, by choosing to go doing freelance work from home as a translator. In any case, I can appreciate just how much office work calls for sound decision making as well as resilience, organisational skills and initiative (certainly when being expected to handle multiple customers at once). But today, I would certainly agree that online databases have become the norm, while the modern advent of AI has changed office environments forever as people lust to benefit from information from countless sources.

Of course, being a professional translator (the clue is in the title) isn't just a matter of providing good quality translations to clients. I've made efforts to promote myself in my marketing (usually by writing articles with the goal of demonstrating my knowledge and authority in the field). Schedule management skills are also imperative, as is accountability when a client demands an answer to an unforeseen question.

• Providing accurate, comprehensible and articulate English translations
• Displaying patience and a professional and courteous manner in the face of challenging questions; acknowledging the true nature of demands with grace
• Showing initiative in my own self-marketing; good self-presentation
• Liaising with debt collection agencies in a fair manner regarding unpaid jobs
• Management of invoices and other paperwork according to a self-devised system
• Welcoming challenge by default – mostly by accepting a need to be more competitive

MA in Translation Studies – University of Portsmouth

BA in Modern Languages (French and German) – University of Kent

GCSEs and A-levels – Bearwood College (now Reddam House)