Marc-André Robitaille

Director, Translation

I start my day with a cup of coffee. I know, you were hoping I would say all the creative magic of translation is natural, but let’s be honest, coffee certainly helps! Up next is reviewing my workload: what is on my plate for the day and what projects are longer-term. We are sometimes assigned multiple files for a number of clients, or longer projects for specific clients, and I like the variety.

There is a lot to learn as a translator. No matter the length of the text, the client or the deadline, it is important to continuously strive for total understanding and proper rendering of the original, no matter the time of day. Even when you’re having a rough day or you woke up on the wrong side of the bed, you have to be on top of your game. Quality is important, and so is productivity.

As the day goes by, the work moves forward. It has to go along at a good pace because deadlines can be tight and you have to be on the ball. Once the translator is done, it goes to the reviser and then back to the Project Managers for formatting and delivery.

One great thing about working at Megalexis is the amount of cooperation you get from colleagues. People are always willing to help find the right way to say something when they have the time. It’s also great for professional development because we regularly receive comments and feedback on our work, and that favours an open dialogue with your supervisor and that’s just good for everyone.

The day comes to a close, but not before I review tomorrow’s schedule. It’s the last Wednesday of the month, which means I need to make sure I have some free time – cake time that is! That’s when we celebrate monthly birthdays and it certainly satisfies my sweet tooth. It’s a deadline I don’t want to miss!