Unfortunately, we are not accepting interns at the moment. However, this may change in the future, so be sure to follow our website, where we regularly update our list of available language combinations and fields. We’ll also be happy to answer any questions you may have about what working with us looks like and what you can expect from the translation profession. You can also find basic information on our blog.
First of all, conduct a market analysis. Based on your language combination and the fields you work in (or wish to work in), you can determine whether it’s better for you to work as a freelancer or on a fixed contract, and whether you would find it attractive to work at a publishing house or collaborate with agencies.
The first step is always to send us your CV. Based on it, we prepare a series of questions that we need answered to properly assess whether a collaboration would be mutually attractive and whether our basic requirements are met. Next comes the usual round of paperwork, including agreeing on rates, filling out documentation, and registering in our portal. In most cases, a test translation follows. You should also bear in mind that client needs can change over time. An agency might reject you now, but in six months, you could be in demand.
Our requirements can be summarised in three key points: compliance with the ISO 17100 standard, a business licence and a licence for the CAT tool Trados Studio. This is the absolute minimum. Beyond that, our interest in cooperation depends on whether there is sufficient demand for your language combination and your specialised fields. We also expect translators to have a professional approach and communicate quickly and clearly. Enthusiasm for your work and a love of the translation craft are also definitely an advantage!
The required length of experience depends on your university education. Graduates with a degree in translation do not need any prior experience. Graduates from other university fields must have two years of full-time translation experience. For candidates without a university degree, the minimum experience is five years. Please note that this must be the full-time equivalent of five years, not simply part-time over five years! However, occasional translations or translations done as part of a permanent job do also count toward this requirement. Prepare an estimate of the number of words you typically translate on average over a given period. We will be happy to help you determine whether your experience meets the required equivalent.
If you lack sufficient experience, you must provide a university diploma or a diploma supplement. Certificates alone do not count toward the required education and are not sufficient to meet ISO standard requirements.
Yes, you can include this experience in your total practice. If you’re unsure how to calculate whether your experience equals full-time work, prepare an estimated number of standard pages or words you have translated. We will help you with this process.
To work with our agency, you must have experience with and a personal licence for the CAT tool Trados Studio, as most of our projects are handled in this software. Experience with other CAT tools is a definite advantage but not mandatory. We are always happy to help skilled, technically capable translators get started. Most CAT tools are very intuitive, and the internet offers countless tutorial videos and translator forums where you can find additional useful information.
For interpreters, verifiable prior experience is essential. If you haven’t formally studied interpreting, ask your clients to provide a reference letter, which you can then send to us. References must be verifiable (a contact person or at least the client’s stamp/signature); a simple entry in your CV is not sufficient.
Unfortunately, no. We do not offer translators contracts under the employment relationships termed in Czech as “HPP” (full-time), “DPP” or “DPČ” (part-time). You must have the ability to invoice independently.
In this case, it’s best to contact Language school manager (kurzy@zelenka.cz). However, if you happen to send your CV to the vendors department or elsewhere in our agency, that’s also fine – we will internally redirect your application to the appropriate person.
There are several areas we always review, and you can prepare for them when putting together your CV. What should a proper translator’s CV include?
Our agency primarily specialises in technical fields – mechanical engineering, patents, automotive, electrical engineering and similar areas. However, we also have many attractive clients in other sectors, such as marketing, IT, law, medicine and the chemical industry.
It’s probably no surprise that most translations involve Czech, Slovak, English and German. As a European agency, we have a wide portfolio of clients from across Europe and, of course, we work with clients from around the world.
Most communication is by email, which is also how all project materials are sent. But initial contact about a project may depend on your preferred communication channel – the one where a project manager is most likely to reach you. So, besides email, we most often contact translators by phone or on Teams.
Yes, CAT tools are essentially indispensable, with only a few exceptions. There are several reasons for this. CAT tools save time and ensure better text quality through translation memory and terminology databases, the ability to check for inconsistencies, typos, omissions and much more. Clients often require projects to be completed using a specific CAT tool. For this reason, we insist on a personal license for the most widely used CAT tool, Trados Studio, and it is a significant advantage if you can also work with other such tools.
Yes, XBench remains a key tool for us in translation quality control. Its use is required for every project. There is no need to purchase the paid version; version 2.9, which is freely available, is completely sufficient. Your work becomes even easier if you connect XBench directly to Trados Studio using its plugin. You can request the plugin link at any time from our PM or Vendors department.
Ideally, you should have the latest version of the CAT tool, though it’s not strictly necessary. It’s enough to have a version that still receives technical support. Such versions carry a minimal risk of errors, as bugs are regularly fixed through updates. For versions that are no longer supported, the risk of project complications and data incompatibility increases.
We cannot guarantee a specific number of jobs. The volume of work depends on our clients’ needs at a given moment. On the other hand, you have no obligation to deliver a specific amount of work within a set period for our agency. This gives you the freedom to manage your own schedule. Whenever you’re free for new projects, we’ll be happy to contact you when a suitable project comes up.
First, try logging in on our portal: https://portal.zelenka.cz/login In most cases, your login email is the same one as you use to communicate with our agency. If you still can’t remember your password, click the “Forgot password?” option next to the “Log in” button on the portal page. This calls up a forgotten-password screen; enter the email you use to communicate with the agency on this screen. If you still cannot log in to the portal, please contact the Vendors department at vendors@zelenka.cz.
This isn’t mandatory, but we highly recommend it. When our project managers know your ongoing availability, they won’t contact you while you’re on holiday and are more likely to reach out when you have free capacity. You can update your availability in the Calendar section of our portal or inform your project manager or the Vendors department.
If you have paused your translation work for any reason, please inform our Vendors department. Don’t worry – you are always welcome back! Skilled translators are always gladly welcomed again. During your period of inactivity, we will simply move you to the inactive database, from which you can return to the active list at any time. When resuming translation work, contact our Vendors department so they can update your details and documents and reinstate you as an active translator.
Of course, we provide references. Please contact the Vendors department with your request and specify whether it is for private use or for publication, as well as any specific requirements or criteria you may have (typically for references needed when applying for sworn translator status).
Absolutely – you are always entitled to feedback, and we consider it very important. For feedback on a specific project, contact the project manager who worked with you on that project. For general feedback, reach out to the Vendors department. If you work with us frequently enough, we also provide an Annual Translator Evaluation, summarising your collaboration over the past year, which we are happy to discuss with you in detail upon request.
Yes – you are not barred from taking on multiple projects. However, please remember that it is essential to meet the deadlines agreed upon with our project managers and maintain the quality our clients expect. If any issues arise, ALWAYS inform the project manager as soon as possible.
A project manager will get in touch with a specific offer. They typically know the basic parameters (scope, language combination, field and deadline) and will send a project preview. To keep communication smooth and efficient, clarify with the vendor manager during onboarding which communication channel works best for you (email, phone or Teams). Once a project has been agreed upon, we mainly communicate over email. The project manager will send you the order and all materials, which you then process and return.
XBench is a tool used for text quality control. It is a standard part of our quality assurance, and its use is required for every project. This tool reliably detects inconsistencies, typos, untranslated segments and much more. Instructions on how to use XBench are provided with each order, and if you have any questions, our project managers or vendor manager are here to help you.
If you cannot send files via the simplest method – email – please use our file-sending portal: the SEND Portal. This portal is used to transfer projects securely and can be used for sending small files as well. If you are unsure whether your submission was successful and haven’t received confirmation from the project manager, please contact them as soon as possible. Instructions on how to use the SEND portal, including login details, are provided in a guide in the Downloads section of our main portal.
Sending files through third-party services is not allowed; in fact, this is also a condition of our Non-Disclosure Agreement. We protect our clients’ data, and using any of these servers would mean losing control over it. If you need to send files larger than what email can handle (typically over 10 MB), please use our SEND Portal. This ensures that our clients’ data will not fall into unauthorised hands.
If your issue concerns a specific project, it’s best to contact the project manager you arranged the project with. For general questions about cooperation, rates, invoicing, CAT tools, updating your information or other matters, contact the vendor manager at vendors@zelenka.cz or call +420 775 383 551.
We want to ensure you are fairly compensated for your work. If you realise during a project that it is much more challenging than initially anticipated, contact the project manager as soon as possible so you can agree how to proceed.
Contact the project manager immediately! Deadlines are more than just your commitment to us – they’re also our commitment to our clients. Missing agreed deadlines could damage established client relationships. Every problem can be addressed and communicated, but it’s important to approach the issue professionally and outline realistic options as early as possible.
Complaints are always an unpleasant matter. But we know from experience they can be resolved in a way that leaves both parties satisfied. If a client contacts us to express dissatisfaction with a translation quality, we always start with a thorough review of the matter. In these situations, we typically contact the translators involved in the project, highlighting the specific points the client has flagged as problematic, and ask for their feedback. All the responses are considered along with the assessment of our quality manager and, if necessary, an independent third-party review. Our goal is always a fair evaluation of the situation, an equitable approach for all parties and maintaining good relationships with both clients and translators.
Absolutely! We regret situations where we didn’t find a suitable project for you, but unfortunately, this can happen – especially for translators specialising in less common language combinations or in fields that are less frequently requested by our clients. In short, if you’re still interested in collaborating, even after years of no communication, don’t hesitate to reach out! We’ll review your profile, assess the current situation and evaluate the potential for collaboration. Client demand is a moving target, so we can never predict exactly how it will evolve.
A part of it, yes. The translation industry has evolved rapidly in recent years, so if the latest information we have from you is over a year old, we may consider it outdated. However, that doesn’t mean our cooperation has to end! During that time, you’ve likely gained new experience, making you even more valuable to clients. The vendor manager will guide you through updating your profile, review your documentation and outline how you could cooperate with us.
This is a very case-specific question, but we can help you find the answer. Typical changes include the introduction of MT post-editing, updates to CAT tools and new fields of specialisation. Contact the vendor manager; they’ll go over your profile with you and help update the necessary information.
Contact the Vendors department at vendors@zelenka.cz. Ideally, you already have an up-to-date version of your CV and can log in to your previous profile on our portal (https://portal.zelenka.cz/login). After logging in, update your profile (Personal Settings → Basic Data, Education and Experience and Technical Equipment) and inform the Vendors department of the update.
The login link for our portal is https://portal.zelenka.cz/login. If you don’t remember your login details, check your email history to see which address you previously used to communicate with the agency. This is very likely your login email. Then simply generate a new password by clicking the “Forgot password?” option.
It depends on how long your break has been. In general, the most significant development has been in MT post-editing, which is now a highly sought-after service. Additionally, very few translations today are done outside of CAT tools. In addition to tools that primarily operate offline and require a purchased license, there are now many high-quality tools available fully online. CAT tools also bring a greater emphasis on client specifications – project instructions, terminology databases, style guides and much more.
This need depends on whether any of your information has changed. When you re-establish contact, the vendor manager always checks, among other things, the accuracy of the information you provided in the documents you signed previously, including the Non-Disclosure Agreement and, if applicable, the contract. If any of your basic information has changed (typically name, address etc.), your documents will need to be updated.
Not always, but yes, this can occur. A new test translation is required if we see your potential is in a different field than where we previously worked with you, or if your last test translation result was not ideal, and we want to give you a chance to let your skills shine.