Q1: Emily, tell us about your studies at Campbell University. What got you interested in law and government?
EP: I love to argue. No, really, law and government have always fascinated me – the research, the reasoning, and becoming an advocate to help others.
Q2: How long have you worked at Apex?
EP: This fall will be seven years.
Q3: Describe a typical day at Apex. Include duties, meetings, etc. What are your responsibilities?
EP: The day begins with sorting emails and responding to clients, linguists, proofreaders, assigning projects we have been awarded, quoting new projects, and delivery of the finalized project to the client. However, it’s never quite as cut and dried as that.
Q4: Can you remember a project that was particularly challenging or memorable? Without revealing any client information, what languages were involved and what was the project exactly?
EP: Each project is unique. Of course, keeping projects with multiple languages, deadlines, and files organized can seem stressful at times, but I enjoy the challenge. Some of the most memorable moments have come from seeing certain products in a retail environment and knowing we translated the material in the packaging!
Q5: What does your family think of your position at Apex?
EP: Friends and family are often amazed at the global reach Apex has. In the course of a standard day, I may talk to someone in Japan in the morning, another from Brazil in the afternoon, and various places in between throughout the day.
Q6: Since working for a translation company, what have you learned that was particularly surprising?
EP: The first would be how many language pairs we handle. Now, that being said, the second thing would be the skills I’ve learned working here. At a glance, I can determine what language(s) a document is written – to be able to look at a document and say, “No, this is not Dutch, that’s German, or this is not French, that’s Creole.”
Q7: What college skills prepared you for work in a global company?
EP: Just like studying a legal brief, every project, every client is different. Learning to “read” your clients, and interact with them, to help discern exactly what is needed is most helpful in tailoring our translations to meet our clients’ needs in various subjects.
Q8: Did you study any foreign language in high school or college? If so, what?
EP: I studied Spanish in high school. Instead of continuing in college with Spanish literature, I chose to start over with Latin and took every class my university offered. Even though it is considered a “dead language,” the roots for most of the Romance languages come from Latin, as well as the basis for modern sciences, law, politics, and logic.
Q9: In the past six months, what language pair is most requested?
EP: By far, English to Spanish is most requested. French comes in at a close second.
Q10: You work with many Apex employees; who has mentored you the most? What advice has he or she given?
EP: I work with a great bunch of folks. Each has done his/her part in mentoring, encouraging, and helping me along the way. Each in his/her own way has contributed with the same end result.
