The future of English translation in chemical equipment engineering
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This post was last edited by shuotie on 2009-5-20 at 10:16. Our company manufactures heat exchangers, and we have good relationships with the Luoyang Institute, Beijing Institute, and East China Institute; we handle many projects in China. Now, going against the tide of the economic crisis, we need to develop overseas clients. I am good at English at my workplace, so I was assigned to work in foreign trade. In the little over two months since taking office, I have only translated a few bid documents from other companies, and prepared one bid document based on a tender issued by an Italian contractor for an Iranian client. It’s hassle-free now, but the manager hasn’t given any instructions either. I would like to ask the experts: what are the essential skills required for working in foreign trade of equipment, what are the possible career paths, and how can one create value for the company?
Often, in a project, it’s not about how attractive your bid document is, but rather past performance, manufacturing experience, and ranking within the industry. It’s best to work with a design institute as the general contractor, as this can save a lot of hassle. As a translator, it is different from working in foreign trade, but professional knowledge is essential for you.
Professional knowledge is surely the key factor for you; moreover, you are good at foreign languages. It would be even better if you are also expert in your field. Simply doing translation work isn’t very meaningful. If you’re interested, expose yourself more to professional matters – that way your potential for growth will be greater
First, I would like to ask you: 1. What is your major, English or international trade? If it’s purely in English, hurry up and catch up – there’s too much for you to learn. 2. To work in foreign trade, it is essential to have basic knowledge of this field; if you don’t understand concepts such as CIF or FOB, or L/C, you should quickly acquire some basic knowledge of foreign trade ； 3. Professional knowledge: Since I work in the field of heat exchangers, it is necessary to learn more professional English related to such equipment, in order to have a decent understanding of my company’s products. 4. By mastering excellent martial skills, one will always remain invincible.
I’m facing similar problems to the original poster, so let’s look for answers together: I’ve been trying to find a way into the North American market since last year; I’ve submitted bids and quotes several times, but so far there’s no good news. I did hear that one client has delayed the project due to financing issues. Hurry up and arm yourself ； Also, have you considered online marketing strategies?
I study chemical engineering, and I’m also learning English on my own. I’m currently puzzled by this issue as well, but it’s still better to keep learning than not to learn at all. If you’re studying a language, it’s recommended that you read books related to your field of study as well
Not everyone can learn and work in foreign trade.
My major is Chemical Engineering Technology, and I have passed CET-8. This is because our school offers a five-year dual-degree program for this major. I continued my studies to obtain a master’s degree, but it’s still hard to find a job. I read in the forums that people like me are still considered in demand, so why isn’t that the case in reality? /
Can those who are not majoring in English take the Professional Level 8 exam? I want to take it too
After some thought, my suggestions are as follows: 1. Switch to technical services or technical support； 2. If you have a background in foreign trade, quickly acquire expertise in equipment (especially that related to our company’s products), and then switch to business management. 3. If you have a background in English, it’s only been two months, so your skills aren’t very strong likely; the materials you need to consult (some of which require time and experience to master) – well, even experts might hesitate to use them, so just use them as a rough guide. 4. If you have a background in equipment or machinery, please refer to point 1.
There’s no future in being a translator; it’s better to change careers sooner rather than later