Eva Simpson-Fryer

Country of origin: United Kingdom

Placement: tsd-int – Technik Sprachendienst

The placement year abroad was one of the main reasons I chose my degree scheme; I wanted to experience working life and gain the employability and edge a placement gives you, and simply know what it was like to have a full-time graduate level job.

I worked at the HQ of the translation agency tsd (Technick Sprachendienst) in Cologne as a translation and editing intern, with the same responsibilities and workload as permanent employees. Initially I was a proofreader – the very last person to see a piece of work before it is sent out to the client, and as tsd is a rather large translation company, my first clients included the likes of General Motors, Siemens and E.ON. Once I had gotten to grips with CAT-tools (Computer Aided Translation tools), the office workflow and how to effectively manage my time in a project-based and pressurised environment, I began to translate for these companies. I also occasionally had some direct contact with clients, assessed applications, or collaborated with the marketing team on various articles and bulletins.

My placement gave me a huge amount of experience in lots of different areas: from translation-specific CAT software, to the MS Office Suite; from learning how to proofread and translate, to time management and self-organisation; from my languages, to practical professional experience! A placement year abroad can be particularly shocking to the system, but going outside of your comfort zone is an excellent way to immerse yourself into something new and learn all kinds of things you didn’t realise you needed to know. The fact that I was in Germany and living independently enhanced the experience, both the challenging nature of it and the rewards.

It’s actually quite difficult to pick the one thing I liked most about my placement – but perhaps I would have to go with the confidence and direction I gained; I learned a lot about myself, and I feel infinitely better prepared for the working world that awaits me once I graduate!

As a student of both DELC and LUMS, I received a variety of help in preparing for my placement – particularly with interviewing skills and my CV, and country-specific knowledge of what living and working in Germany would be like. Various fairs and activities in Lancaster also helped me in exploring different companies and options, and contributed to being able to independently secure my placement.

I have consolidated my language skills and gained lots of “real world” experience in a professional, multinational work environment. I have a better understanding of my strengths and weaknesses, I learned about responsibility in the workplace and how to be self-organised, communicative and assertive, as well as how to deal with pressure, deadlines and client expectations. All of these are transferable skills and will help a great deal in my final year, as well as in graduate employment. Not to mention I now have a wealth of experience to draw from for interviews!