How I Got Hired: Senior Product Manager, Adobe
Translation and localization management graduate Colleen Feng shares how career advice and networking helped her launch a career in localization and product management.
Middlebury Institute graduates discuss where they are working today, how the Institute helped them get there, and what advice they’d give to current and future MIIS students.
My name is Adam Youngfield and I graduated with an MA in Translation and Localization Management from the Middlebury Institute in 2016. My language of study was French. After graduation I was hired as language team manager for Eurasia for MultiLing (now Questel) in Provo, Utah. Now I am head of globalization enablement for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Salt Lake City, Utah. I am also an adjunct professor at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.
I had already been working for MultiLing in a junior-level position when I started at the Institute, but I was rehired into a management position upon graduation.
The whole Translation and Localization Management program is immersive.
When I moved to Monterey to enroll, I was already married with a two-year-old son and had worked for several years in translation and localization. At that stage in my life, the most valuable professional experiences I gained were opportunities to associate with Institute faculty, students, and alumni and the greater network of friends of the Institute. The relationships I developed with colleagues and mentors were what made MIIS special for me from the career perspective. I should also add that living in Monterey was a beautiful adventure for my family and me, since we tried as often as possible to take advantage of the natural beauty of the coast with weekly trips to local beaches, forests, and parks.
The whole Translation and Localization Management program is immersive. All the courses—especially the localization and translation courses—are practically oriented and provide plenty of relevant, hands-on experience.
My best advice to current students is to spend plenty of time building relationships with classmates, professors, alumni, and others working in the localization industry, in addition to the time you spend on your coursework. Although grades are important, they can only get you so far if you haven’t invested time in making professional connections. The relationships you build will last well beyond your time at the Institute and will open doors for you and enable you to open doors for others.
Translation and localization management graduate Colleen Feng shares how career advice and networking helped her launch a career in localization and product management.
Translation and Localization Management student Wei-San Chiang shares how career advice and the Institute’s alumni network helped her launch a career in localization before she graduated.
| by Grace Shen
Seven Institute students recently provided remote interpretation for business leaders and investors from around the world attending a major startup conference.