My friend Martiño Prada and I recently discussed some of the challenges we have faced in the localization industry. Naturally the conversation soon degenerated into a rant about some of our pet peeves. Martiño pointed out that to be successful in localization, you need three things.
Many people you might encounter lack one or more of these three.
Localization Education
As far as I know, a formal education in localization is hard to come by, at least in the United States. Many universities hesitate to provide localization training because they view it as too practical—not academic enough for a university setting. This is probably true. Whether you are lucky enough to find a class at a university or perhaps a local trade school, here is why you stand to benefit from formal training.
You need to understand the whole process in order to be an effective contributor. Many who have worked in localization have experienced a feeling of hysteria while working on a project. So many localization projects feel hacked together…because they are! Precious few organizations have developed an elegant solution to the problem of localization, and the only people who are in a good position to do so are those who understand the entire process.