Localization Internship in New York II

By Yu Jung Kim

This summer, I had a chance to work in New York as a Project Coordinator Intern. The company I worked for was Donnelley Financial Solutions, a multinational localization LSP (language service provider) with its primary production branch in Manhattan. Since I did not have any previous work experience in localization, I was a bit nervous and lost at first. But luckily I found myself in great company as I worked alongside four other lovely MIIS interns and several MIIS graduates who supported me throughout the internship. Two Korean program graduates, Jung A Han and Minjoo Kim, in particular, have been so caring both in and out of the office that we became close very quickly. During my last week of internship, I asked if they had any tips they’d like to share with me and other TILM students. They gave me some great tips, and I wanted to share them with you here:

  1. “Study hard and network hard.” This is an obvious but appropriate piece of advice for us students at MIIS, which offers highly specialized programs and has a diverse group of students. Learn up-to-date field-specific skills in class and make new friends at social events. Go to happy hours, join student clubs, get out, and have fun!
  2. “Take advantage of language courses.” If you plan on working in localization project management, familiarizing yourself with different languages is always a good idea. You may not need to translate or edit in 10 different languages, but you will more than likely have to perform final checks or align translation memories in 10 different languages. Middlebury is known for its language programs, so take advantage of it while you can.
  3. “Enjoy Monterey.” When you live in places like Manhattan, going to the beach or hiking becomes a project, and you’ll have enough projects to deal with as a project manager. Monterey may lack some nightlife, but there’s plenty of natural life to make up for it. You never know when you’re going to miss it.

I was a Project Coordinator Intern for only a short while, but I could already see how practical their advice was. I had to draw from my knowledge of different languages and CAT tools, especially Trados Studio; received lots of support from my MIIS network (and others as well, of course); and actually started missing Monterey by the end of the summer. So in my remaining one year at MIIS, I will try my best to live out their advice. I send my special thanks to our awesome seonbaenims for sharing and thank you for reading!

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