University of Queensland graduate Elizabeth Chen created her dream job by setting up her own translation and interpreting company.
The company, Pretti Language, was named as an acronym of the main services provided: proofreading, editing, tailored translation and interpreting.
A graduate of the University’s Master of Arts in Chinese Translation and Interpreting (MACTI), Ms Chen also has a degree in journalism from the Communication University of China.
Looking for a lifestyle and career change, she enrolled in the MACTI program and moved to Australia.
She became involved in university life on campus, its communities and networks and developed an interest in business and leadership. The study program provided her with the professional translation and interpreting skills she needed.
“I chose to study at UQ because it is one of a few universities in Australia that is accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters,” Ms Chen said.
“The MACTI course taught me the difference between a translator and a bilingual speaker, as well professional conduct in the industry,” she said.
Without a background in business, Ms Chen immersed herself in management and marketing strategies before setting up her business.
“It has been great creating this business: the planning, organising, arranging resources and putting it together from scratch, putting everyone together to function as a team and achieve a goal,” Ms Chen said.
“I knew I didn't have any experience in business. I spent a month collecting information about small business, assessing my qualifications, personalities, and industrial skills against hundreds of different checklists online.
“I also did market research, requested annual reports for the translation industry, compared the established competitors, and borrowed books from the UQ library to self-teach business management and marketing.
“I hope to set up offices in all major cities in Australia in the future. After that, I may extend the current field of my business to overseas publishing,” she said.
The MACTI program is offered through UQ’s School of Languages and Comparative Cultural Studies.
Media: Elizabeth Chen (elizabeth.chen@hotmail.com) or UQ’s School of Languages and Comparative Cultural Studies (07 3365 6311, slccs@uq.edu.au)
