VIENNA: Incinerator

This incinerator was designed by Viennese painter Friedensreich Hundertwasser. It turns the energy generated by burning the garbage into heat for 60,000 households.

Expertise

I specialize in translating computer software documentation and other technical documents from German to English. I grew up in Austria and have lived in the U.S. for over 20 years. As a result, I consider both German and English my native languages. I hold an Austrian "Abitur" (equivalent to a university entrance exam) and a U.S. Bachelor of Arts. Before becoming a translator, I provided IT support for 7 years, wrote software documentation in English and coded websites (HTML coding).

As a working translator, I've never stopped learning. Attending training sessions and conferences keeps me up to date on new developments in the field. To that end, I also participate in a number of professional organizations, such as the American Translators Association, the Society for Technical Communication, the New York Circle of Translators, ProZ and the National Writers Union. Besides learning from others, I also believe in passing my knowledge on. I write a blog, On Language and Translation, and speak at conferences. Finally, I exchange information with other business people through professional networks, such as LinkedIn, Xing and ProZ.

What This Means For You

Reliable

Delivering on time, every time means you don't have to worry about missing your own deadlines -- and you don't have to spend time tracking down the translation. Since starting in this business in 2000, I have never missed a deadline. And solid backup procedures mean you'll receive your work, even if something happens to my office or equipment.

Truly Bilingual

Living for more than 20 years in the United States, English has become my second native language. At the same time, frequent trips back to visit my family in Austria have kept my German up to date. With my higher education split between Austria (high school) and the U.S. (college), I have obtained a truly bilingual general education, increasing my fluency in both idioms.

Experienced

During my 10+ years as a translator, I have probably encountered a document similar to yours before. And after writing software documentation, fixing computers and coding websites myself, I know the work that went into producing your source document. This means I won't accidentally overwrite the programming code or break the documentation by translating the internal tags needed to link its sections.

Budget-Conscious

You know how many words there are in the text you need translated. With a per-word price based on the source language (i.e., your text), you know exactly how much the translation will cost -- before work even starts.

Legal

Since I can legally work both in Europe and the United States, you don't have to worry about visa or other requirements for hiring a foreign contractor.