Success stories

My name is Marta Kiezik, I am a 34-year-old translator and a new entrepreneur from Poland. My future one-person company will focus on the demanding fields of legal and medical translation in Spanish and English. Curiously, my host entrepreneur is also Polish – her name is Monika Jakacka Márquez. She is a sworn translator and interpreter appointed by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, working mainly in the field of legal translation. Monika has lived in Spain for longer than she has in Poland which clearly shows in the bilingual mastery with which she dominates the languages of both countries. The business skills she has amassed over the 20 years of running her own company have been of immense value to me during the past 6 months.

As an entrepreneur, Monika has a strong social presence, being active as chair of the Polish cultural association in Andalusia and responding eagerly to her clients’ questions using social media. Translation is often thought of as a solitary profession, but Monika opened my eyes to just how beneficial tapping into this social potential can be. If your client walks away with something more than just the translation (be it friendly casual interaction or tips about living in Spain) they are much more likely to recommend your services – it’s as easy as that! During the past half a year -starting from October- Monika and I have worked hand in hand on various translations, spanning the usual vital records such as birth and marriage certificates, financial documents, and court sentences, among others. In the meantime, I got a good insight into the structure of the translation market in Spain whereas my host was able to update her information about the Polish translation market.

Monika has provided ongoing feedback to my translation, focusing on the ins and outs of legal translation and fine details of the ES<>PL language pair mechanics. From time to time, we would participate in notary or court events. My translation skills have grown immensely and I can really see a huge difference when comparing the first and the last legal Spanish text I translated. I now have a higher general literacy in law and have become more fluent in the intricacies of legal Spanish. I was able to build a solid term base of legal Polish and Spanish, compare the legal systems in both countries thoroughly, as well as compile a set of guiding principles for myself in my future work. This would never have been possible without a level of cooperation this close in a specific setting that EYE offers. Additionally, the exchange has given me valuable insights into enhancing my entrepreneurial mindset, particularly in understanding how to effectively gain and retain clients, which will be indispensable when I open my own business.