Gareth Lloyd
Gareth Michael Lloyd
PERSONAL PROFILE
I am a multilingual graduate of the University of Liverpool, keen to secure a position as an in-house or freelance translator in the Greater Manchester area. I have recently completed the University of Manchester’s MATIS (Master of Arts in Translation and Interpreting Studies) programme, with a special focus on literary translation and selecting French-to-English as my preferred language pair. My dissertation comprised a 6000-word extract of a contemporary French-language novel, translated to UK English following the principles of Hans Vermeer’s skopos theory of translation and accompanied by a critical analysis of the process. I would be happy to provide a copy of this dissertation on request.
As such, I am now determined to further my career as a French-English translator, ideally of literary texts. I can demonstrate extensive prior experience of translation and multilingual writing, both in professional and voluntary capacities. This expertise is reinforced by my personal fascination with the various cultures of both France and the wider Francophone world, and a passion for literature of all kinds.
I would describe myself as a conscientious, trustworthy person who is considerate to the needs of others. I have effective communication skills which enable me to develop strong working relationships with other people. I am a flexible, versatile individual who enjoys tackling and overcoming challenges and finding alternative solutions to problems. I work well as part of a team and can be relied upon to use initiative when required. I am always willing to undergo additional training and to make a positive contribution to the workplace.
KEY SKILLS
●Fluent in French and Spanish.
●Can also speak intermediate German and basic Italian.
●Experience of professional French-to-English translation.
●Working to strict deadlines.
●Working knowledge of SDL Trados and Subtitle Workshop.
●Experience of text quality assessment and editorial review procedures.
●Highly IT literate. Experience with MS Office.
●Experience with customer service and general administrative duties
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY (selected)
2011-2014Customer Service Advisor - The Hut Group
●Responsible for representing various online retailer brands.
●Routinely represented the company to European customers, handling emails and telephone calls in English, French, Spanish and German.
●Performed translation of correspondence and marketing materials where required.
●Valued team member, consistently maintaining high standards of quality and professionalism at all times
●Formed excellent, supportive working relationships with my colleagues.
2011Editorial Agent - Arvato Bertelsmann
●Supported the aims and objectives of this international BPO (business process outsourcing) firm by delivering high quality proofreading.
●Approved or rejected advertisements after thoroughly checking content, quality and accuracy.
2007 - '08Translator - MSI Reports
●Key member of a large, multilingual team of researchers and marketing staff of diverse nationalities.
●Boosted sales by translating B2B market research publications from French, Spanish and German into more widely marketable English editions.
●Edited and proofread both my own work and that of other consultants.
●Suggested and implemented many corrections and improvements to MSI’s marketing brochures.
●Frequently supervised MSI’s marketing staff, acting on instructions from the company’s head office in Lyon, France.
VOLUNTARY WORK (selected)
2010Blogging - Expert Language Solutions
Helped to promote the services of this Southport-based translation and interpreting company by writing concise, informative articles for the company's website and performing SEO (search engine optimisation).
2006 - '10Freelance Translator - Wycliffe Associates
Responsible for translating humanitarian aid literature from English originals to French and Spanish. My translations were published by various Third World charities.
EDUCATION AND TRAINING (selected)
2014 - 2015The University of Manchester
Master of Arts in Translation and Interpreting Studies
(pending)
2001 - 2005The University of Liverpool
BA Hons. Modern European Languages 2:1 degree
(Included ERASMUS placement at Université du Havre, Normandie)
1995 - 2001The Catholic High School, Chester
A-Level English Literature, French and Spanish
INTERESTS AND HOBBIES
Reading, photography, cinema, classic cars, dogs. In the years since completing my first degree, I have carried out a great deal of voluntary work for the Countess of Chester Hospital, Chester Zoo, the Museum of Liverpool and the ‘Debt Advice Network’ (Ellesmere Port, Cheshire), in order to keep myself busy during any periods of unemployment and to help expand my skills and experience.
References available on request