Ladies and Gentlemen,

We thank you very much for your great cooperation this year and we look forward to 2019.

We hope you and your families have a very merry and relaxing Christmas and that you start the new year well and in good health!

Warm regards from Landshut, Geisenhausen, Leipzig, Verona, Utrecht, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Lyon and Mulhouse.

When your back hurts and your neck hurts every movement becomes absolute agony. What can you do? Preventative measures and proper management of back pain can certainly help reduce the severity and frequency of your back pain. Monday and Tuesday in Landshut and Geisenhausen were training days for our backs.
A trainer from the Barmer-Ersatzkasse put the employees into small groups of 3-4 for each relevant movement. The training took place in the social rooms, it was here that the employees tried the latest trend in professional sports - fascia training. This means rolling your arms, legs or back on a hard foam roller. This may hurt a bit at first but smooths hardened and knotted fascias. By exerting your own body weight evenly onto the foam roller you can slowly start to apply pressure to the tissue. This can soothe and loosen adhesions which are considered to be the cause of many complaints in the region of your back and shoulders.
The exercises were very well received and management hopes to see many “rolling” shoulders in the offices soon.

Every year at the end of the summer season, as the days are getting shorter and shorter, it is time, in Munich at least, to party. The Munich Oktoberfest attracts over six million visitors from across the world in two weeks. During this time a kind of state of emergency prevails. Colleagues from the vicinity of Munich take the opportunity to visit the biggest folk festival in the world.
Tents, rides, shooting galleries and much more can be found on Theresienwiese in the middle of the city. A stay in a folk tent and a stroll between the stalls were a highlight of the trip. Of course, one (or two) cold beers or radlers were drunk and we ate well in true ‘Oktoberfest-style’.
We were ready for the can throw and the rollercoaster after chicken and a pretzel. We came back after the hustle and bustle of Oktoberfest feeling excited with stuffed plush animals and gingerbread hearts.
We are of course already planning the next Oktoberfest.

Since our business was founded, our most important fundamental has been to bring all our services to the best possible level of quality. The foundation of our business, it is our biggest responsibility to bring all our services to the best possible level of quality. Our most recent customer survey also confirmed this.
The continual improvement of our quality management system and of our services requires regular updates to our documenting process and training for our employees. We have had the Quality Management System ISO 9001 in place since the company was founded, and in parallel, we also deliver the translations according to the norm DIN17100, according to which we are also certified. Our operating processes are coolly analysed, structured and documented.
The intensive examination with regards to quality has surely had a very positive effect on the development of our company. The benefits for our employees and customers have also increased.

Virtualization is the mapping of a hardware or software object by means of an abstraction layer. This permits the creation of virtual devices or services, such as emulated hardware, operating systems, data storage or network resources as well as many other functions. This also permits a transparent representation of the associated server resources.
Virtualization has a positive impact and represents the current state of technology. Three employees from our IT team attended a 4-day training session in Regensburg. The main topics of the session were functions, licencing and installation, network configuration, clusters and high-availability configurations, storage connections and storage virtualization.
The agenda also included such important topics as troubleshooting and analysis of performance issues. Finally, backup and replication features, installation, virtualization and many other topics were discussed.
We wish our IT team all the best for the implementation of what they have learned.

The European Union of Associations of Translation Companies, one of the most important organisations in the translation service sector, is holding this year’s annual conference for its members in Madrid. During this conference, various current topics relating to the translation and language services market in Europe are being discussed. Expert lectures are being given, including on the new data protection laws and data security, quality management, and many cases studies etc.. Trends, innovations, and strategies are being discussed at numerous plenary meetings.

Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen GmbH is taking part in this exciting and interesting conference, which is currently taking place. The strategic exchanging of information with colleague companies is indispensable in our high-tech industry.

Although the companies participating could hardly be more different - large concerns and one-man businesses – they all share a passion for their work.

The German Academy for Language and Literature will be honouring two translators in the course of the spring conference. The “Johann Heinrich Voß Prize for Translation 2018” is being awarded to Wolfgang Schlüter for his translations from English. Spanish translator Miguel Sáenz will be receiving the “Friedrich Gundolf Prize for the Imparting of German Culture Abroad 2018”.
The prizes are endowed with € 15,000. The money stems from the tax revenues of the city of Darmstadt, the federal state of Hesse and the federal government.
Wolfgang Schlüter is receiving the Johann Heinrich Voß Prize 2018 for his translations of poetry from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. In addition to his work on the dramas by Christopher Marlowe, the Academy is primarily paying tribute to his accomplishments on behalf of English poetry.
Miguel Sáenz translates classics up to contemporary authors. He has translated all of Brecht’s plays as well as a majority or works by Thomas Bernhard. His translations of Günter Grass have significantly fostered the reception of his works in Spain.
The German Academy for Language and Literature was founded in 1949 in Frankfurt to commemorate Goethe’s 200th birthday. The Academy is based in Darmstadt. It is an association of writers and scholars which has dedicated its efforts to the cultivation, representation and promotion of German literature and language.

As the year draws to a close the management of the Wohanka group of companies invited their employees from the Leipzig, Geisenhausen, Sheffield and Edinburgh branches to celebrate Christmas. The celebrations took place in seasonally decorated, comfy restaurants in the relevant cities. At the beginning of the celebrations the management thanked everyone for their cooperation during 2017 and reflected on the year.
Due to the uncertain Brexit situation and some political inconsistencies, much remains open and lots of planning activities and processes will probably take place relatively quickly. It is certain that this will all be handled effectively.
In all locations long-standing employees were commended for their loyalty to the group of companies. Over 20 employees received awards. Florian Obermaier, one of the two managing directors, presented the awards along with a small gift. The high number of employees that have gotten “long in the tooth” is astonishing. Mr Obermaier himself was honoured for twenty years’ service.

In late September Wohanka’s personnel manager Veronika Obermaier was invited to the Bavarian Ministry of Employment and Economy in Munich to discuss with the last year’s award winners of the business award “Erfolgreich. Familienfreundlich” on important topics for family-friendly companies. The emphasis of the discussion was put on flexible working hours, the so-called “Elterngeld Plus” as well as other political framework conditions and approaches for improvements. The business award will once again be awarded to the 20 most family-friendly companies of Bavaria. It is awarded to small, medium-sized and large companies who attach particular importance to the compatibility of work and family life. Also present were Franz Josef Pschierer, the Bavarian Economic Secretary and Johannes Hintersberger, the state’s Secretary of Employment.

In the spring of 2017, I spent two months as an intern in the Wohanka headquarters in Geisenhausen. This was an obligatory internship within the framework of a Master’s programme in the field of specialist translation which I have begun in the fall of 2016 at the Lille university in the north of France. Since I already have a degree in psychology and practice my occupation in addition, I decided to request an educational leave in order to dive into the world of a translation office for a few weeks.
My time at Wohanka was a doubly new experience. On the one hand, it was somewhat strange to assume the position of an intern after nearly twenty years, and in a field that was completely foreign to me and had nothing to do with my actual occupation. On the other hand, it was the first time since my move to France in 1990 in which I lived for an extended period in Germany. As a native of Saarland, I might have grown up in Germany, but after my Franco-German Abitur (secondary school leaving certificate) I was filled with wanderlust and decided to head to our neighbour to the west. It all started with my one year stay in Paris as an au-pair, after that, I moved to Montpellier for five year for my studies. After a minor detour through sociology, I finally decided to study psychology. There followed an exchange studies in the USA for a year until I ended my long travels and found a new home in the rainy yet cosy north of France. For the past 17 years, I have been working as a certified psychologist on behalf of the youth court. I still enjoy my work, but I felt it was time to take a break and do something else. With three languages under my belt – German as native language, French on a native language level and English – the translation profession was a logical choice.
The time at the Wohanka headquarters was short, but intense. I learned a lot, and not only about translation; I was able to develop my computer skills, my time management skills and my professional knowledge in the short period of two months. I would like to thank all the nice co-workers who supported me with guidance and practical help. The best thing about my time at Wohanka is that I was never given the impression that I am just an intern. Right from the first day, I was given actual assignments which immediately made me feel like a full member of the team. In the evenings and on the weekends, I also had the opportunity to explore the surroundings and could thus learn more about the Bavarian culture.
I can heartily recommend to any newcomer to translation, either old or young, to apply for a position at Wohanka. I gained much from my two month stay and now know that I made the right decision in choosing this professional field.

Anja Ries
Intern from April to May 2017

The mission: Break into the office of the ingenious but corrupt Mr. Boson in order to steal the Tesla Cube he created, before he can sell it to shady criminals who want to build a destructive weapon out of it.

The catch: When you break into the office, you inevitably trigger the alarm, and now the bad guys are on your tail. You only have an hour to find the cube and get out of the office. But Boson would not be Boson if he had not protected his most valuable invention so well that it seems almost impossible to get!

It’s a race against time that you can only win if you work together to solve the puzzle. Combine the clues given to you, so that behind every door you get closer to the goal. Stay level-headed, put the puzzle pieces together, find the right keys and combinations to the countless locks, and combine your skills such as logical thinking and good observation skills.

Of course both of our bright teams, within the allotted time, were able to decipher the clues, spot the key literary reference, crack the code visible in black light, correctly read the periodic table of elements, find the small hidden box under the carpet in a shed, perfectly operate a robot, and more, to finally escape with the Tesla Cube.

All in all, it was a great success and a lot of fun for the entire Edinburgh office!

The Würzburger Dolmetscherschule (WDS) is an officially recognised, private specialist academy for translation and interpreting (interpreting and translation school). With a top-up bachelor course you can gain an academic degree in Germany or abroad within two semesters. This combination of practical training and short studies is an alternative to university or an integrated studies programme. For more than a decade, our company has had good connections with this academy and some staff members in our company have graduated from here.
Since 2011, the Würzburger Dolmetscherschule has organised an annual Career Day where professional foreign language specialists, including WDS graduates, put on workshops on issues which are relevant to the profession. The Career Day is the perfect place for discussions, company presentations, recruitment and public relations work. You can get talking with lecturers and students on the subject of the reality of the profession and provide insights into current vocational questions about language careers – from study options abroad and personality training to questions about project management and self-employment.
Laura Rothe and Barbara Wohanka represented Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen GmbH as speakers at the Career Day on 3 April 2017. Here, they took the opportunity to talk about the subject of translators in employment and current translation sciences in Europe. There was also the opportunity to listen to the other speakers. One interesting lecture was given by a very experienced translator who discussed how to increase productivity. He mentioned the importance of touch typing.
Something which is in the interest of our company.

At the end of 2016, Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen GmbH won a prize for its family-friendly nature, awarded by the Bavarian Ministry for Work and Economic Affairs. “By helping our employees to join family and working life together, we retain them on a long-term basis and benefit from their development. We are particularly pleased that our efforts are also being recognised.” Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen, with headquarters in Geisenhausen, has entered into an agreement with the local nursery and subsidises places in kindergartens and day care. Working hours are flexible, for instance, there is the opportunity to work from home most of the time or to take a sabbatical. Fathers in particular are also encouraged to take parental leave and make good use of it.
The newspaper Niederbayerische Wirtschaft of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Passau has produced a detailed report on this award.

As part of my Bachelor’s degree in Specialised Translation, my long awaited internship abroad was all set for the winter semester of 2016. I had decided to do my internship at Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen a long time ago– the only thing left to decide was which of the many locations abroad I was going to work at. Without a doubt, Verona, Lyon & Utrecht were all lovely cities, which all had something to offer; however, it was more appealing to me to go to a place where I could also communicate easily in everyday life. My combination of languages (German, English & Spanish) left me with the Edinburgh and Sheffield branches. As I had already lived in London for more than a year after finishing my Abitur, and could relate to the British way of life, I finally decided on Sheffield, as the city is relatively central on the island, meaning that you can make lots of trips all over the country. The internship got off to a great start, and thanks to the kind and helpful employees in the office, I quickly got used to the system. Over the course of the six months I spent at the company, I was allowed to translate everything from certified certificates, to user manuals for all sorts of technical devices, to creative advertising texts for well-known companies. This large range of texts has definitely helped me to see which translations I enjoy doing and which suit me the most, and what I would like to specialise in when translating in the future.
As working as a translator can sometimes make your brain go foggy, in the evenings or at the weekend, I often went for short walks in one of the many parks in Sheffield. Furthermore, the city offers lots of lovely, traditional British pubs and cafes, and also offers many different leisure activities, particularly for young people – after all, the “Steel City” is also a university town. And anyone wanting to leave city life behind for a day can be in the Peak District in 15 minutes, one of the largest national parks in England, which stretches over the west of the city. All in all, I had a lovely time during my internship at Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen in Sheffield; I learned an unbelievable amount of new things, successfully translated texts which I perhaps never thought I could do and gained several new experiences which will hopefully prove useful to me in the future. I am grateful for having done the internship and I hope that all future interns or colleagues who are planning to work in the Sheffield office at some point have a great time there, just like I did!

Barbara Spenlen,
Intern from August 2016 to January 2017

Bavaria’s Minister for Employment Emilia Müller and Bavaria’s Minister of Economic Affairs Ilse Aigner have presented the award of “Family Friendly Success” to 20 of the most family friendly companies in the state. Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen is one of them. Bavaria’s Minister for Employment Emilia Müller is convinced that family friendly work conditions not only meet the needs of many employees, but that they have been becoming an economic consideration for quite some time. “There are two reasons for me to be congratulating the winners of this award: the award is both conclusive evidence of consideration for families and a prize for the company’s pioneering position.”
Bavaria’s Minister of Economic Affairs Ilse Aigner: “With this award, we want to secure the meaning of family friendly human resources policies in both the company and in the public eye. Business success and being considerate of families are not concepts which conflict with one another: in fact, the opposite is true – a company which takes into account the familial needs of its employees increases both motivation and long-term economic success. The award is supposed to be a form of recognition and an incentive. But in a time where there is a shortage of specialists, this award is also an important indication of quality in the competition for qualified workers. The winners are role models and have an advantage because of it.”
Private companies of all sizes and industries were eligible, as were privately run companies in the public sector. Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen was chosen from 188 candidates.
In assessing family friendliness, the companies were judged by their individual possibilities. Candidates of all sizes and from all industries had the same chance of winning. The winners were chosen by a panel of experts, who audited Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen GmbH for a whole morning.

Our new head of training Christoph Scholz, IT-Specialist for system integration, has already conducted the first rounds of training and is bringing new ideas into the project. New employees continue to receive introductory training to their working environment as has been the case in the past.
With respect to CAT tools (Computer-Aided Translation), from 2017 onward obligatory training courses will take place annually in order to maintain knowledge and flexibility at a high level. The annual training received by an employee depends on their level of knowledge with respect to the subject matter, and concentrates in individual cases on existing problems.

The so-called basis training in the CAT tools SDL-Trados Studio 2015, MemoQ 2015 and Across v6.0 is provided for new employees or those employees new to the programmes. There are also more advanced training courses for those employees with the corresponding experience.

There is also a training requirement in relation to the products of the Microsoft-Office Suite, the training courses that will be offered in this case are intended to close any gaps in knowledge which may exist among the employees.

In the case of significant problems and challenges, exclusive individual training will continue to be offered by the IT department and the WOK-Campus. All training courses will take place in the individual respective offices in Geisenhausen, Landshut, Leipzig or in one of the five foreign offices.

This month, the DIN EN 15038:2006-08 standard for translation services was replaced by the new DIN EN ISO 17100:2016-05 standard and adopted by Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen. It is also now valid internationally via the European framework.
The main points of the older standard were retained, while individual translation steps of are now illustrated in detail. While the four-eyes principle and the qualification requirements have remained the same, the remit of project managers has now been defined more clearly.
With this further step, new minimum standards which play an important role in translation processes have been set within the translation industry. Compliance with these standards guarantees Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen the implementation of professional language production, terminology work and quality control.

For 25 years in the Landshut area, there has been the "Bühne links der Bina” [Stage left of the Bina], a dedicated amateur theatre group, which has made quite a name for itself and every year creates a production with 10 stage performances.

This year, it is the classic crime comedy "Arsenic and Old Lace" by Joseph Kesselring. Some employees of the company are enthusiastic fans of this theatre and regularly go to see its performances. This year on22.04.2016, 15 colleagues went to see the performance and enjoyed a very amusing evening with deep black humour. One of the protagonists on stage is Christfried Heinze from the accountancy department, who has been a member of "Bühne links der Bina " since 1991. He played “Jonathan Brewster”, a wanted serial killer, who wants to go into hiding in his aunties’ house. But the seemingly harmless aunts have 12 skeletons in their closet...

He is 24 years old and the new trainee here in Geisenhausen. He comes from Birmingham in England, but was born in Karlsruhe and spent the first part of his childhood in Germany. He is of Polish/German and Bangladeshi descent and speaks fluent German and English.
You can see him in the picture with the cut-off tie (a Fat Thursday tradition) and the Geisenhausen carnival medal.
From the big city in England to Geisenhausen in Lower Bavarian. That is a difference that requires some getting used to.
According to Nadeem, the people are very different– no matter where you go, you are greeted with "Servus" or "Grüß Gott", even though you don’t know one another. The air is much cleaner here in the countryside. At night he could see the stars properly for the first time.

His first translation of a continuous text was of a divorce. Typical German technical terms such as "Terminbevollmächtigter" or "Versorgungsausgleichsansprüche" can take some time to translate. Colleagues, proofreaders and a mentor support him of course in his six-month learning process.

The year 2015 was particularly training-intensive. The company’s employees received training in more than 100 face-to-face and online courses. In addition, internal training clips, instructions and illustrated guides are available. The need for training for the individual tools is so high that waiting lists sometimes form.
Training and further education are absolutely vital in light of the software in use and modern translation methods.
As a result, experience alone no longer helps with fulfilling the increased requirements for translation quality and the effectiveness of processes in so many difficult specialist areas.
With the help of seminars, translators and proof-readers are able to develop the necessary foundations and specialisations.
The trainers have many years of experience in the field of IT and translation, and are thus able to draw on a broad trove of knowledge in order to answer individual questions in seminars and provide practical support.
All participants receive a corresponding certificate after completing the course.

On this subject, we granted our youngest trainee the chance to speak:

"My name is N. H. und I am currently doing a Bachelor degree course in the field of translation science for the language combination English/Spanish at the Heidelberg University. I am 20 years old, in my 5th semester and I come from a town near Nuremberg.
Doing a traineeship actually always implies learning something new, getting a glimpse of your dream job and learning about day-to-day work (in a company).
If you haven’t done that very often, it can get very exciting.

It was the same with me. My traineeship at Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen was only my second traineeship ever. When I came to the branch office in Geisenhausen to start my first day, I was understandably quite nervous. Where would I work? Which tasks would I be allowed to take on? And above all: would my colleagues be nice?

However, the good thing about it was that all the little worries and concerns were completely without reason. All of my colleagues were very kind and I was immediately greeted by each of them and Ms Wohanka with a friendly welcome, and I was introduced to the company’s processes very patiently. Even though my traineeship only lasted for the short period of two weeks, I was already allowed to take on more "demanding" tasks. Thanks to detailed instruction, this was easier than I had expected and as a result of the translation jobs which I was allowed to do – of course with help and a following thorough correction - I was able to get a real glimpse into the work of a translator, including deadlines, hard-to-read source texts und the many snags of subsequent formatting.
In the end, I can say that this traineeship was very useful in regard to gaining new experiences and impressions for my future career, and I can highly recommend doing a traineeship at Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen!"

I have been working for WOK for approximately 9 years (I had to think about that). I started as an intern in Leipzig and Geisenhausen and then continued working as a translator in Sheffield, where I actually planned to stay for just one year.

However, despite all the warnings I then fell in love with an Englishman, as a result of which I remained on the island. Since my boyfriend likes to change his job from time to time, I moved with him to Kent after a few years, where I started to work from home.

Then, in 2011, our daughter Matilda was born, and after maternity leave (which unfortunately lasts only 9 months in Great Britain) working from home was the perfect opportunity for me to continue translating. Since in Great Britain nurseries are not state-subsidised and are consequently very expensive, it was not possible to work more than part-time.

In order to continue nevertheless to manage my usual workload, this often meant translating until late into the night. However, the big advantage was that I had the mornings free and so I did not have to miss out on all the activities one does with one’s child as a young mum (baby swimming, music group, etc.).

Even on occasions when the child could not go to nursery due to conjunctivitis, stomach flu or other things, this did not continue to be a problem, since I had flexibility in terms of when I worked.

Following a further move to Oxford, we have now been back in Sheffield for approximately one year. At first, I had looked forward to working at the office again with my dear colleagues. However, I then realised that working from home is simply more practical.

And now I am on maternity leave again. Baby no. 2 is due at the start of June. I look forward to the break from work. As for what it will be like to work having two children...I will just have to wait and see.

Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen GmbH has already received a number of awards from the Bavarian State Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Family and Integration. The wide range of options that the company offers its staff for reconciling work and family life include the opportunity to care for relatives.

The company’s HR department and management have been focussing on the issue for some time, and expect growing numbers of staff to be faced with this work and family life challenge in the near future. We aim to offer packages allowing even full-time staff to care for relatives.

Flexible working hours are an important aspect of such packages, and there are no fixed or rigid models. Teleworking or home office agreements also allow employees to vary where they work, and to put in their agreed hours as suits them. Even those in full-time posts can therefore reconcile family demands with those of their job.

Just today, one of our employees wrote this: “I just wanted to say a quick thank-you for allowing me to work in England for three weeks to help my father organise carers for my mother. I greatly appreciate the flexibility that you offer and the trust that you place in us.”

A move that was not such a big challenge this time round. A suitable office became free in the neighbouring building on the Vondellaan industrial estate in Utrecht. This was a good opportunity for the IT department and other employees to bring the technological infrastructure right up to the very latest standards.

On a Friday, the Management together with all the employees rolled up their sleeves and got to work. The furniture was taken apart and the computers were disconnected.
Within the matter of just a few hours, all the furniture and technology had been moved and set up in the other building.

The cables were then relayed and all the computers and devices were connected up. A new position was also found for the most important device of all, the beloved coffee machine. Thanks to all our fast working and cycling employees in the Netherlands.

Our Italian branch is extremely popular, and staff at the office in Verona recently requested a more spacious facility. Management and staff soon found suitable modern, air-conditioned office space not far from the historic city centre.

Preparations for relocation are currently underway, and management hopes that the move will be completed by the end of March.

As in the previous years, staff at the Florian Kempinger tax consultancy have made contributions to the maintenance costs of the nursery school in Ngulu, Tanzania.

With the support of Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen GmbH, Barbara Wohanka has been running a nursery school in a very poor area of northern Tanzania for the past 8 years. The costs for the buildings and furnishings were covered completely. Now the teachers receive regular wages and the children a daily meal. The staff of the tax consultancy contribute every year with a considerable donation amounting to 1000 Euros.

Students like to use the school holidays to get familiar with a future job. Our department for trainees, managed by an experienced translator, Frau Föckersperger, enjoy taking the time to show the young people what it's like to work as a translator.
Giving a brief view of the highly demanding technical software requirements and the outstanding linguistic demands required from the professional translators, the young people gain an insight into the modern job setting. Students can observe the translators as they do actual, daily work. So a real taster is guaranteed in the diverse everyday working life.

Apart from the students practical training in making future career choices, our business also offers a practical training in the duration of a person's studies as well support for their bachelor or masters degree. This creates the opportunity for the business to secure important contacts. It enables students, interns etc. to convert theoretical skill and knowledge into experience , as well as applying these skills and developing them further.

Students like to use the school holidays to get familiar with a future job. Our department for trainees, managed by an experienced translator, Frau Föckersperger, enjoy taking the time to show the young people what it's like to work as a translator. Giving a brief view of the highly demanding technical software requirements and the outstanding linguistic demands required from the professional translators, the young people gain an insight into the modern job setting. Students can observe the translators as they do actual, daily work. So a real taster is guaranteed in the diverse everyday working life.

Apart from the students practical training in making future career choices, our business also offers a practical training in the duration of a person's studies as well support for their bachelor or masters degree. This creates the opportunity for the business to secure important contacts. It enables students, interns etc. to convert theoretical skill and knowledge into experience , as well as applying these skills and developing them further.

25.09.2014 – 26.09.2014: This year's ATC Conference took place in Brighton in the South of England. The British representatives of the translation industry were gathered there – together with one or two of the international players on the UK market.

The event was opened by Roy Allkin, the chairman of the British association. There was then a welcoming speech from the Mayor of Brighton, followed by two days of extremely interesting lectures and workshops.

According to the conference programme, the future of this economic sector consists of a mix of entrepreneurial opportunities in a globalised world, possibilities for diversification, and the seizing of opportunities offered by innovative technologies.

The ATC is one of the oldest associations in the translation industry and a founding member of the association of European languages service providers EUATC.
Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen GmbH is a member of the German association QSD Qualitätssprachendienste e.V.. Barbara Wohanka was pleased to attend the two-day conference of the British association, especially as the largest company in the Wohanka Group has two sites in Great Britain (Sheffield and Edinburgh).

The RISE internship scheme is an initiative in Sheffield, in which 39 Sheffield-based SMEs (small to medium enterprise with up to 250 employees) with support and funding to employ over 50 graduates. The internships are for a minimum of six months and both the businesses and the graduates are being supported by the RISE team during this time with development events, site visits and support for their internal training.

Last year, the RISE campaign has surpassed all expectations, both with the range and number of Sheffield businesses involved and also from the Graduate applicants keen to remain in the city and kick start their career. The scheme is funded by the three core partners: Sheffield City Council, the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University, and as such the majority of the internships will be in the Sheffield city boundary.

Wohanka & Associates Ltd. are a global business in the translation industry, with a base right here in Sheffield. With just over 180 employees worldwide (and key partners in Western and Eastern Europe as well as in Asia and America), it is one of the larger translation companies in the industry. The business is made up of highly qualified translators and journalists with many years of experience. They translate and interpret in different subject areas and language combinations – primarily covering commercial, scientific and technical areas of work. In the last few years, the company has also received several prestigious economic prizes and awards, making it a real leader in the field.

Interns are working as part of a team of highly experienced and knowledgeable translators, learning all of the basic skills of this profession. All of their work is be revised by senior proofreaders, who provide you with feedback on the quality of the work, giving intern the chance to learn quickly and fine tune professional skills. Typical activities in the role include: Professional terminology research, maintenance of databases, translation work from German/French into English and vice versa, proofreading, editing, professional training and then working with computer aided translation tools (SDL, Trados, Across, MemoQ, Wordfast etc.) by experienced tutors, opportunities to travel, undertake work or training in Edinburgh, Verona, Utrecht, Mulhouse, Lyon, Leipzig and Geisenhausen near Munich or Leipzig

Usually, an intern has solid academic training in translation and is looking to start their career in this area. The successful person for the role has a Masters in Translation Studies covering technical, scientific and commercial subjectsThe RISE internship scheme is an initiative in Sheffield, in which 39 Sheffield-based SMEs (small to medium enterprise with up to 250 employees) with support and funding to employ over 50 graduates. The internships are for a minimum of six months and both the businesses and the graduates are being supported by the RISE team during this time with development events, site visits and support for their internal training.
Last year, the RISE campaign has surpassed all expectations, both with the range and number of Sheffield businesses involved and also from the Graduate applicants keen to remain in the city and kick start their career.

The scheme is funded by the three core partners: Sheffield City Council, the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University, and as such the majority of the internships will be in the Sheffield city boundary.

Wohanka & Associates Ltd. are a global business in the translation industry, with a base right here in Sheffield. With just over 180 employees worldwide (and key partners in Western and Eastern Europe as well as in Asia and America), it is one of the larger translation companies in the industry. The business is made up of highly qualified translators and journalists with many years of experience. They translate and interpret in different subject areas and language combinations – primarily covering commercial, scientific and technical areas of work. In the last few years, the company has also received several prestigious economic prizes and awards, making it a real leader in the field.

Interns are working as part of a team of highly experienced and knowledgeable translators, learning all of the basic skills of this profession. All of their work is be revised by senior proofreaders, who provide you with feedback on the quality of the work, giving intern the chance to learn quickly and fine tune professional skills. Typical activities in the role include: Professional terminology research, maintenance of databases, translation work from German/French into English and vice versa, proofreading, editing, professional training and then working with computer aided translation tools (SDL, Trados, Across, MemoQ, Wordfast etc.) by experienced tutors, opportunities to travel, undertake work or training in Edinburgh, Verona, Utrecht, Mulhouse, Lyon, Leipzig and Geisenhausen near Munich or Leipzig

Usually, an intern has solid academic training in translation and is looking to start their career in this area. The successful person for the role has a Masters in Translation Studies covering technical, scientific and commercial subjects.

“At midnight on May 29th this year, more than 1,200 runners in Rotterdam (Netherlands) stood at the starting line for the "Nacht van de Vluchteling" (Night of the Refugees), a marathon from Rotterdam to Den Haag that stretches for over 40 kilometres. The goal of the event is to collect money for refugees all around the world. The proceeds of this year's marathon go to the people who have fled from the violence in their home country of Syria.

I ran this marathon for the first time this year. And I was happy to do it for such a good cause. The marathon was also a good opportunity for me to train for the Nijmegen March in July this year. I have often run distances over 40 kilometres. This marathon, however, was particularly challenging because we ran it at night. You notice that the body has a hard time adjusting to the altered day-night rhythm.

Our team was made up of 16 runners. Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors, we raised € 3,646. The event was a huge success. Altogether, € 507,842 was raised for the Syrian refugees. I would like to sincerely thank the sponsors and especially my company for its donation.
Ruud van Graven”

The Leipzig branch has been around for over ten years. Tables were crammed together in the two-story building at Kippenbergstraße 10. We had to plan new hires down to the office chair because of limited workplace resources.

The new office spaces at Körnerstraße 68 in the attractive Südvorstadt part of town are bright and friendly. The 400 square metre unit is walking distance from downtown, the universities and has two subway stations right by.

The company's IT department installed the infrastructure for the communication network and the electronic/technical equipment sometime ago. In total, over 1,600 metres of cable were installed.
The first department moved into the new offices two weeks ago and a group of translators and proofreaders followed suit this week.

The process will be wrapped up by August. Everything will be business as usual at the Leipzig office in the autumn. An open house is planned and employees from other locations, translators who work from home, external employees, family members, etc. are welcome to attend.

The new offices offer a lot of space for new projects and employees!

We, two employees from the Wohanka branch in Edinburgh, had the opportunity to stop by the Utrecht branch in the spring. Before that, we tacked on a day in Amsterdam because that's where the closest airport is and kicked off our Dutch adventure with a stay on a hotel boat. The next day, we took an affordable train ride to Utrecht and were there in no time because of how close it is to Amsterdam.

Once in Utrecht, we enjoyed the canals, windmills, house boats, pleasant weather and of course the creative way of life. The office was bright and friendly and easy to reach by foot. Here, I would like to say thanks again to Ruud and Nina for making our stay such a pleasant one!

Utrecht is much more than just "kaas" and "patat". During our short time there, we also discovered a rich and vibrant culinary and cultural scene with many terraces.

If you're ever interested in going to a cool university town with plenty of charm and a zest for life, don't hesitate to visit this location. The city is at its most beautiful when the sun is out of course. So go check it out.

Utrecht definitely didn't see the last of us!

For a long time, the existing two-floor space in Kippenbergstraße 10 has been bursting at the seams. In the Leipzig office, flexibility regarding limited office resources has been a balancing act for some time now.

And so the management made the decision to acquire a 400 square metre property in Leipzig's attractive Südvorstadt neighbourhood, to the south of the city centre.

The company's IT department technicians are currently installing the communication network infrastructure and the electronic/technical equipment in the new rooms, and kitchen fitters and plumbers are also hard at work.

The actual move from Kippenbergstraße 10 to Körnerstraße 68 will begin in mid-June of this year and take place gradually, finishing by August. In Autumn, it will be business as usual in the Leipzig office.

So what are we going to create with these 400 square metres? Modern and contemporary rooms and workstations for all existing and new employees, as well as for training and seminars. As usual, there will be common rooms, shower facilities and several kitchens stocked with free drinks.

Even though the planning and preparation of the big move is going to be lengthy and a little stressful, we are all looking forward to our new premises!

The Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen GmbH data processing centre is located at the Geisenhausen headquarters near Landshut. The IT Department provides around 180 employees with IT services in order to support the administration and translation processes.

In order to protect data confidentiality and enable secure remote access, Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen have implemented the IDENTIKEY Authentication Server for client access with the DIGIPASS GO 6 hardware token from the company VASCO which uses one-time password technology.

The information saved and processed in a translation firm (both from clients and staff) is of a sensitive and confidential nature.

For this reason access must be subject to particular security regulations. For years, Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen have facilitated home office spaces by setting up safe VPN connections using thin clients.
These home office spaces have been first and foremost for members of staff with families.

On top of this, hardware tokens can be hired out on a short-term basis from each branch, giving all colleagues the chance to take these home and complete something on the system during the evening or weekend, or to work at home if they are waiting for an appointment.

PLANS FOR THE FUTURE
In due course all home office spaces should be replaced by the DIGIPASS GO 6. Our goal is to create family-friendly work places and offer even more flexible working conditions for our staff.

Laura Rothe, Head of Proofreading and Quality Control in Leipzig, made the journey to Landshut and Geisenhausen, where she gave evening seminars to project managers and translators on the fundamentals of proofreading. In these sessions she gave a detailed account of the process of proofreading as well as all of the factors which influence this process.

The training sessions also looked at different categories of error and their respective importance. Enquiries from clients are an important issue which is not to be underestimated. Laura was able to explain the processes in place at Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen in respect to this issue.
Finally she spoke about the internal rules for communication between translators and proofreaders.

Spreekt u Nederlands? No? Then you should call in an experienced Dutch translator!

Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen GmbH and Wohanka & Collega's B.V. (Utrecht) employ motivated specialists for the most varied of subjects, from operating instructions to websites, product information and official documents. The main language combinations offered for this are Dutch – German, German – Dutch, English – Dutch and Dutch – English.

So near and yet so far. Even business connections in Belgium are not a problem! Dutch is not the same everywhere. Of course, thanks to the Wohanka group, you can also shine with business correspondence in Flemish: German – Flemish, English – Flemish and Flemish – German.

Dutch seems like an easy language, but don't let that fool you! Always trust the experts.

The WOK-Campus is offering training in the CAT tool memoQ, as well as many other topics, for beginners and advanced users alike.

These practical training sessions have already been very popular with colleagues, as putting information learned in training into practice is a better way to internalise that information. Furthermore, the number of participants is kept very low so that each participant can receive personal attention.

Finally, it is of course possible to ask questions at every session and situations which can not be resolved during the training are dealt with retrospectively and the solution is made available to everyone on the company Intranet.

This year, an opportunity arose unexpectedly for me to go to Australia for a year. It was quite clear that I couldn’t let such an opportunity pass me by.

The great thing is that with Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen GmbH it was not a problem at all – completely uncomplicated through secondment and a software token for working at home, it was immediately clear that I could quite easily take my work station with me to the other side of the world.

After all bureaucratic and organisational matters were sorted out, at the end of September I set off for Melbourne with packed cases and an insatiable thirst for adventure.
Since then more than two months have literally flown by. We have found a pretty little flat in the beach suburb of St Kilda where I can let myself be inspired by the screeching of exotic parrots in the neighbouring botanical garden as I am translating and we have settled down in no time. As Australians are so friendly and cheerful it was not really that difficult.
And so we spend our weekends discovering Penguin Island, visiting museums, driving along scenic roads and trying all culinary delicacies of the diverse immigrant cuisine. And not to forget the koalas of course who live on eucalyptus trees in great numbers and relax there for twenty hours a day – you only need to look up.

A lot of time is spent on the beach of course (as long as the famous Melbourne weather permits as all four seasons not only pass by in one day but in one hour). Whether you want to go surfing, stand-up paddle boarding or simple breast-stroke swimming – everything is possible here or will be made possible. Australians really are grandmasters of sporty leisure activities.
Well, so that it doesn’t sound as though I don’t get around to translating because of my stressful leisure time, I would like to write a few lines about my work. Working from home poses hardly any challenges in spite of the time difference of eight to ten hours (whether in the winter or summer time) and offers many an advantage. As soon as you’ve got used to working alone, you will come to appreciate this new flexibility. The project managers are incredibly cooperative and accommodating so that no important failures, incidents or mental breakdowns have yet occurred. I mainly work on large assignments whereby the time difference and the short overlap between our working hours hardly pose a problem. And the working day is substantially quieter as in Germany everyone is asleep and no e-mails or telephone calls come through.

After the first nine weeks, there are only good things to say and I am incredibly happy to have had the opportunity to get to know such a remote country in such an uncomplicated way. And with my small Wohanka office, I have simply taken a piece of home with me to Australia and everything feels not so far away after all.

The exchange of experience workshop between professionals and novices was initiated by our own employees. The aim is to bring together experienced and young translators to encourage an exchange of experience between long-serving translation employees and aspiring junior translators.

The important thing is that the workshop should not only be a one-sided learning relationship. First and foremost, the workshop serves to promote young talented translators. But also experienced translators can reflect on their own methods through this workshop and make use of a change of perspective and the potential of the newcomers to further develop their own knowledge.

The internal further education initiative "WOK Campus" (WOK for Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen) brings together all internal training programmes and co-ordinates them in a goal-oriented way. In addition to seminars for users, training courses for project managers on CAT tools, such as "SDL Studio", are also offered.

Last week, under the instruction of trainer Carmen Binder from the IT team, the project managers learnt the basic functions and expanded on them. How to work with translation memories was explained and FAQs and applications were clarified.

All participants agreed that the subsequent exchange of experience between the different project management teams, which was briefly interrupted for a break during which everyone enjoyed some fresh pizza, was very instructive.

Further training courses at the branches in Germany and abroad are already being planned.
In the photograph (from left to right): Barbara Hoos, Steffi Moser, Lisa Gamel, Carmen Binder, Julia Lutzenberger and Martina Schindlbeck.

Translation is a highly complex, functional and yet creative task.
Complicated CAT tools, various presentations of the target text, time pressure and limited opportunities for correction are a challenge for translators and proof-readers.

In order to assign the most suitable translator to the right translation assignment, a targeted analysis of an employee's skills and abilities, as well as the subject area and technical difficulty of the source text or translation processes, is necessary.

The mentoring programme which was introduced one year ago aims to analyse the performance of highly qualified specialist translators and their translation processes in order to allocate suitable assignments to them.

A mentor, usually a project manager, is responsible for a maximum of two translators and is in close contact with them. After a detailed analysis process which is based on regular feedback, a success plan is drawn up. Other project managers are kept informed of the results. The aim is to increase the efficiency, quality and volume of the employee's work, and therefore also their success.

The project manager then gives the translators assignments according to these analyses. If necessary, specialist areas or technical subjects are established and training on CAT tools is given in order to increase flexibility.

The first translators have now successfully completed the programme. The feedback from the translators has been noting but positive.
Some have even asked if the programme can be extended.

It is no longer possible to imagine going without training and further education with regard to complex translation methods and processes or software. In the face of international competition, those who will succeed in the medium term will be those who have mastered these methods and apply them consistently.
Experience alone is no longer enough to meet the increased demands with regard to the quality of translations and the effectiveness of processes in all subject areas.
For this reason, at Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen, we are committed to putting this into practice for all of our employees at all of our branches through a central solution.
With the help of seminars, translators and proof-readers are able to acquire the necessary basic knowledge in order to understand fundamental processes.
The instructors have many years of experience in IT and translation and are therefore able to draw on a large store of knowledge in order to answer individual questions during the seminar and to provide practical assistance.
All participants receive a corresponding certificate after completing the training.

The aim of the traineeship is to integrate a translator or proof-reader who does not have relevant professional experience into our company in Germany and abroad as quickly as possible with a view to a permanent position.

The trainees gain an insight into the daily workings of the business and are able to put their theoretical knowledge into practice and develop themselves.

The atmosphere in the workplace is friendly, uncomplicated and modern. The tasks are diverse and varied. There is an opportunity to learn something new every day. We run training sessions with certificates through the WOK Campus.

Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen offers a guarantee of employment for all participants in a formal six-month traineeship in Geisenhausen, Landshut and Leipzig because the company is convinced of the quality and the content of its traineeship programme!

The requirements for this are:

• A successful six-month traineeship at one of the main branches with support from mentors
• Completion of at least three WOK Campus training sessions with certificates
• A quality rate of below 10
• Willingness, skill and ability to achieve a performance rate of 66% in at least two language combinations and three subject areas (Junior Translator/Junior Proof-reader)

If one or more of these conditions are not fulfilled, the guarantee is no longer valid. However, the chances of being taken on if required or of an extension of the traineeship are high.

The "Fest der Begegnung" (meeting celebration) held by the organisation "Buntes Miteinander Geisenhausen" (an organisation involved with asylum seekers and migrants in the area) took place at the beginning of October 2013. In addition to asylum seekers and families from migrant backgrounds, an impressive number of long-term residents from Geisenhausen also came to the event. The aim of the meeting was to put people in contact with new residents and to ask the population to help with the organisation's work.
Due to the "highly international" nature of the event, the two chair people of the organisation "Buntes Miteinander" had collected together a whole group of interpreters to translate their words of welcome into English, French for guests from North Africa, Arabic and Afghani. Two translators from Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen GmbH voluntarily helped with this.
Other employees are now also involved in voluntary work. The management sees this engagement very positively.

Dr. Tim Lewis, Director of Postgraduate Studies at the Open University's Faculty of Education and Language Studies, Department of Languages, is well known in his field modern languages and translation studies in Great Britain for his research and development.
During the British university summer holidays in 2013, he decided to brush up on his practical skills by spending a few very successful days working at the Sheffield branch of the translation company Wohanka & Associates Ltd., where he professionally translated several projects in his language combinations.
The company was able to give the considerable revenue that the university lecturer brought in to the German Red Cross in the form of an online donation to help Syrian refugees http://www.drk.de/weltweit/asien-nahost/syrien-fluechtlingshilfe.html.

Dr. Tim Lewis combines exemplary teaching and theory with practical work, all for a good cause!

At the 2013 Chamber of Commerce and Industry election, managing director Florian Obermaier, who ran as a candidate of the voting group "Service Industries", was elected to the board of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Landshut. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry for Lower Bavaria represents the interests of businesses enterprises in the region. With this voluntary involvement, Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen GmbH is taking an active role in the regional economy

After several months of preparation, the time has come: the new Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen GmbH location in Lyon is opening. Strictly speaking, it is the group's tenth location in Europe and its second in France.
Lyon has a population of almost 500.000 and is the third largest city in France. The old town and part of the Presqu'ile district were declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1998.
Famous residents of Lyon include the physicist André-Marie Ampère, the writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the world famous chef Paul Bocuse, the pioneers of modern cinema the Lumière brothers as well as the surgeon and Nobel prize winner Alexis Carrel.
Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen didn't choose their second French location after Mulhouse for its cultural aspects however. What's important are its transport connections with Paris and accessibility from Germany.
There are very high quality translation study programmes on offer at three different Universities in Lyon.
Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen have been welcomed to the city with open arms. We're already looking forward to much success in our (still) small but lovely office.

In mid-June 2013 Barbara Wohanka, the company's director, had the chance, along with two other entrepreneurs, to take part in a long discussion with Horst Seehofer in the Bavarian State Chancellery.
Topics covered were questions such as housing construction, tax allowances for single parents, or for example the 2014 federal budget, which should be without structural deficits.
Barbara also broached the subject of Gauweiler. The issue of tax hikes was hotly debated. The Minister-President of Bavaria strongly opposes tax increases. "The state has to manage with what it has, "he explained. So does every entrepreneur!
Horst Seehofer dedicated a lot of time to the three executives. The highly interesting discussion lasted over 90 minutes!

The number of remote login workstations is increasing as employees of Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen seek flexible workplace models and/or working time models.
The advantages are: flexible work models for the employees, improvement of work quality and the productivity of employees, ongoing work even in extreme weather conditions, no time lost on commuting, particularly regarding interruptions of the working day (doctors or administrative visits), caring for sick family members, tailor-made and easy to implement solutions. Data protection is guaranteed since the employees work on the company network and cannot download or print any files.
Steffi Lang, Wohanka & Associates Ltd. Sheffield: "Thanks to the remote login tokens, which have been recently made available to us translators, I can now access our system as usual with my private PC, quickly and safely wherever I may be." As a result, the occasional work in my home office is not just easier for me, but also means no extra effort for the project managers who can send me emails and assignments just as usual."

After 5 years of an intensive degree course, I had imagined translating in practice somewhat differently. Not quite as difficult, the texts much shorter and the tempo somewhat slower. But with that, only a fraction as interesting. I dove into the various text types and subject areas with great enthusiasm. Terminology research was actually really fun and I was pleased to notice how, with everyday practice, I became faster and more professional.
Towards the end of the traineeship I had gradually got into a routine, however every assignment always brought something new. From text to text I became faster and more sure of myself. Then finally I was put into action as a Junior translator. Here I was supported by a group of friendly and helpful colleagues, IT experts and a management team who was always ready to help and open to discussion.
After a few months I had to make an important decision: I was only a beginner in the branch, yet I wanted to become independent. I handed in my resignation at my employer, Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen, and cautiously enquired if they would send me a few assignments.
I was then searching for clients, who would slip a beginner like me the odd assignment and thereby the opportunity to enhance my CV with a further project. Because no experience means no jobs... as I soon found out.
I did then get a few real jobs and I soon noticed that I was lacking a significant part of the expensive software, not to mention a few expediently paying clients. And above all: I didn't have enough clients, spent too much time idling and on organisational tasks.
I didn't really get any help or support (or assignments) from colleagues, my former employer, Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen, sent me a few assignments which helped to make ends meet.
After a year of freelancing I was finished. In total I had earned more than if I had been employed in-house. However, if we bring the costs and efforts required for insurance, taxes, technology, software, monthly fixed costs and a few purchases into the calculation, then not much is left. And paid holiday or sick leave where out of the picture.
After a telephone call with Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen I was in luck. A place had just opened in my language combination. Nothing like returning to in-house translation. Naturally I immediately thought of travelling on HOLIDAY. Now that I can afford it again.

For 10 years, the best IT solutions in small to medium sized businesses have been awarded the INNOVATIONSPREIS-IT. This prize is conferred to small and medium sized businesses with outstanding ideas and solutions in the area of information technology and communication.

In 2013, the IT team of Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen were awarded for their practice-oriented know-how and the information transfer of their data management system (DMS).

The team of "Initiative Mittelstand" personally handed over the trophy, documents and logo on the 5th of March 2013 at the CeBIT, whilst winners who were not present were informed over the internet.
Incidentally, in 2012 Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen GmbH received the BEST OF 2012 Seal of Approval for their excellent quality management system.

CEO Florian Obermaier passed this mark of distinction on to the successful IT department of Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen GmbH with pride.

It is not always easy to start a project on another continent, i.e. Northern Tanzania, and it is an even greater challenge to then guide it forwards and ensure its sustainability. Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen have two social projects at the moment, which bring both joy and (sometimes) worry.

Nursery Nuglu: The construction was completed by Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen in 2008. Operational costs and a meal for the children is provided for. This project is visited once or twice a year, mostly by Ms Wohanka herself, and the figures are audited.

Dispensary Mbosho: Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen have had a small hospital, threatened with collapse, demolished and then newly built.

A new building with two sick rooms and several beds and an examination room were completed in 2010. A second bigger building, which will serve as a maternity ward, is complete except for the interior fittings and should be operational by the end of 2013.

What do I enjoy most about Wohanka, Obermaier and Colleagues? That the company offers me the excellent opportunity to satisfy my wanderlust, to explore various European countries and brush up on my language skills at the same time.

It all began when, after my traineeship in Leipzig, I was offered a chance to work for six months in the then newly founded branch in Mulhouse. I could obviously not have refused.

I enjoyed life in France and had just arrived back in Leipzig when I found out about the planned expansion in the Netherlands. So I left my suitcase still packed and hoisted the sail in the direction of Utrecht. That was the start of my love affair with this sugar sweet city and my first visit, after which many others will follow. Even today, I regularly render the streets (and houseboats) unsafe.

After these thrilling excursions, the pull of wanderlust had me so firmly in its thrall that I had to pay a visit to the Italian branch in Verona and the main office in Geisenhausen.

And yes, at the moment I am also out and abroad again. This time I have been swept to the shores of bonny Scotland and the city of Edinburgh for half a year. This is naturally a very good opportunity to scout out the office in Sheffield, the last Wohanka location I have yet to discover. And then I can unpack my bags and finally settle down in Leipzig with a clear conscience. Well, we'll see...

I would whole-heartedly recommend it to all, pack your bags and check out some or other different location, above all because the switch between branches is so uncomplicated thanks to the support of the company. It is really worth it, but be careful – it is addictive!

Since October 2006 I have been working as a graduate translator of French, Portuguese and Slovak for the company Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen. At the start of this career my first daughter had just turned 1 year old and I was pleased that I was offered a family-friendly part-time contract. Nowadays I am the mother of 3 girls, who are now 7, 5 and 2,5 years old.
Back then I was always granted the possibility to work from home by the company's management when it was necessary, if, for example, a child was sick. After the year of parental leave with our third daughter, several months had to be bridged before a place was made free in the nursery and so I began to work permanently from my home office. I used the time during her mid-day sleep and the evening hours intensively. By now, an all-day place in the nursery was found for our youngest child, however I did not want to give up working from home. Everyday I save at least one hour by not having to commute, which is badly needed for household tasks like washing, shopping, tidying, cleaning. The girls are becoming more independent with their increasing ages, however since roughly a year ago and all the more with the enrolment in school of our oldest in September, the daily activities have been drastically increasing. Weather it be homework, music class, sport activities, children's friends' birthday parties, doctors visits, leaving off and collecting from school and nursery... many appointments must be organised and managed in the course of the every day life of a family of five. Without the flexible working hours in my home office working room I couldn't imagine being able to work 30 hours per week. Working with texts and languages is still fun for me and I need this balance - being solely a housewife and mother is not for me. These days time is a luxury good and I am pleased about the fact that, because of my flexible working hours, I can be there for my family when they need me. The family-friendliness at Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen as well as their modern technology make this possible! And when the children are out of the house in a few years, I will once again enjoy the shared coffee or lunch breaks, chats and cooperation with my colleagues in the office.

Like every year around this time, we are searching for trainees in Office Communication for the Administration department as well as IT Specialists for the IT department.

The training for the Management Assistant for Office Communication - according to the correct occupational description - lasts two to three years. It is highly interesting, because it covers all areas of office activities including accounting.

Sought after are perspective trainees with Abitur, Fachabitur or Mittlere Reife (roughly equivalent to grammar school A-levels, vocational school A-levels and O-levels respectively), good marks in German, good ability to express themselves and communicate, readiness of mind and pleasure in dealing with people.

The training for an IT specialist takes three to four years. Mittlere Reife, Fachabitur or Abitur (A-levels, vocational school A-levels or O-levels respectively) are prerequisites. Good marks in Mathematics are requested.
Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen are searching for a dynamic team-player, who can work well independently and in a targeted way, enjoys teamwork and demonstrates a good work ethic.
Applications to bewerbung@wohanka.com

Translation and terminology work is done at computers. The translator uses a mouse and keyboard in everyday office life. Suitable input equipment is therefore indispensible in order to take care of moving body parts like hands, arms, shoulders and necks. A good mouse fits well in a hand, is easy to navigate and reacts to the wishes of its user.
Wild flailing and waving about in order to get the arrow to a certain point must be avoided. With a conventional mouse, the forearm lies on the table. The wrist is bent upwards. With every mouse click, the finger tendons rub against the tendon sheath. Ergonomic mice demand only a light movement of the forearm. So the wrist is usually already straighter, without extra wrist rest, and the ulna and radius bones lie nearly parallel over each other. The pressure on the muscles is minimised.
With keyboards, a wrist rest can be advantageous, so that wrists do not have to be bent too far upwards. A divided keyboard makes for the most natural positioning. But not every translator gets on well with its unusual form.
In the translation rooms, ergonomic as well as vertical mice and divided as well as specially shaped keyboards are being tested and hotly discussed. We are looking forward to the results.

Being a relatively young company, Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen is particularly pleased about the fact they can be extraordinarily family friendly. Nearly 15 % of the translators work from home, mostly for family reasons. Various technical solutions are available to them in order to connect to the Wohanka data network.

Part-time work, flexible hours and time credits go without saying. The employees often gladly take advantage of these options. Young parents in particular enjoy the individual solutions. One of the employees, who will become a father for the fourth time, explained that he was happy to be so uncomplicatedly supported by Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen in his working from home.

Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen is equally pleased to have been able to, since a few years ago, honour employees that have been with them longer than 10 years.

This was also the case at the end of 2012. Managing directors, Barbara Wohanka und Florian Obermaier, pointed out how important this continuity was to such a young company. Both will be pleased to honour more long-term employees in 2013.

Geisenhausen, Leipzig, Edinburgh, Sheffield, Utrecht, Mulhouse, Verona, Basel: like every year: convivial get-togethers in the various locations in Europe.
At the end of November/beginning of December, it's that time of year again. In one office after another, cinnamon and chocolate biscuits start appearing in the kitchen, fir branches and Christmas decorations on the desks, someone has a candle burning and Christmas cards are stuck up on doors.
The managing directors, Barbara Wohanka and Florian Obermaier, travel from place to place and spend, in each country, an evening together with their employees in an agreeable atmosphere.
In Edinburgh, small gifts were exchanged anonymously, according to the German tradition, "wichteln".
Sometimes employees also travel to different locations, in order to visit a Christmas party in another office location. In the last week of Advent, at the latest, all the Christmas parties have taken place.
This doesn't mean, however, that all Wohanka translators are off on holiday. Throughout the holidays, the main language combinations can still be offered in house, thanks to some core translators.

Geisenhausen, Leipzig, Edinburgh, Sheffield, Utrecht, Mulhouse, Verona, Basel: like every year: convivial get-togethers in the various locations in Europe.
At the end of November/beginning of December, it's that time of year again. In one office after another, cinnamon and chocolate biscuits start appearing in the kitchen, fir branches and Christmas decorations on the desks, someone has a candle burning and Christmas cards are stuck up on doors.
The managing directors, Barbara Wohanka and Florian Obermaier, travel from place to place and spend, in each country, an evening together with their employees in an agreeable atmosphere.
In Edinburgh, small gifts were exchanged anonymously, according to the German tradition, "wichteln".
Sometimes employees also travel to different locations, in order to visit a Christmas party in another office location. In the last week of Advent, at the latest, all the Christmas parties have taken place.
This doesn't mean, however, that all Wohanka translators are off on holiday. Throughout the holidays, the main language combinations can still be offered in house, thanks to some core

On 14 November 2012, a lecture was held on the premises of Wohanka, Obermaier & Koll. GmbH in Leipzig on the theme, "Fit and Healthy on the job".

Ms Scheufler, a nutritionist from a big medical insurance company, was in Leipzig and provided useful tips and information on the topic of nutrition. A good number of interested employees paid close attention to the 90-minute long lecture. The participants listened excitedly to Ms Scheufler's presentation and were astounded by this or that detail regarding the daily eating habits of our society.

The particular importance of a healthy and balanced diet in an office environment was made clear by some of the statistics provided. It was not just surprise that was written on the faces of the employees about the lecture's subject matter at the end, the evening also brought realisations to all present.

As the theme "Fit and Healthy on the Job" was really only introduced with this lecture, there will certainly be, given further interest, a follow up on this topic. So we eagerly await it.

On 14 November 2012, a lecture was held on the premises of Wohanka, Obermaier & Koll. GmbH in Leipzig on the theme, "Fit and Healthy on the job".

Ms Scheufler, a nutritionist from a big medical insurance company, was in Leipzig and provided useful tips and information on the topic of nutrition. A good number of interested employees paid close attention to the 90-minute long lecture. The participants listened excitedly to Ms Scheufler's presentation and were astounded by this or that detail regarding the daily eating habits of our society.

The particular importance of a healthy and balanced diet in an office environment was made clear by some of the statistics provided. It was not just surprise that was written on the faces of the employees about the lecture's subject matter at the end, the evening also brought realisations to all present.

As the theme "Fit and Healthy on the Job" was really only introduced with this lecture, there will certainly be, given further interest, a follow up on this topic. So we eagerly await it.

Yoga has a calming and balancing effect on many people. Breathing exercises and meditation help to interrupt everyday thoughts and provide a positive serenity. Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen has implemented this concept in everyday company life. Once a week, two experienced and trained yoga teachers lead a professional yoga training programme in a specially equipped yoga room in the main location of the company.
Entry is free for Wohanka employees and the course is well attended. The company is sure that through this, it can achieve positive long-term results.

Once upon a time, there was a little village, not far from Munich, with around 6,500 inhabitants. Small you say? Certainly. You finish your degree, have got used to student life in the city. However, what if, in spite of all of this, you are tempted by the possibility to gain experience? What do you think about completing a six month internship in a translation agency, that is not like all the others?
Not a bad idea right?

Immerse yourself in the world of translations at Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen, a company, which was founded by Barbara Wohanka in 1993. In 2000, Florian Obermaier joined the management.

After my application was accepted, I moved straight to Geisenhausen, where the headquarters of the company is located. As a student, at the beginning of my internship, which is part of my masters degree, I was still an absolute novice in the real world of work. So, I was also very curious to familiarise myself with the work, which I was ultimately studying. I have to admit, that I was worried about the content of my internship. I feared that my area of responsibility would be limited to making photocopies and sorting the post. Quite the opposite in fact! Right from the first day, after all the greetings and fundamental explanations, I was entrusted with a real translation task.

Right until the end I was recognised as a translator. Throughout the whole duration of the internship, which primarily serves as further training, I received a great deal of help and support. And the trust that was placed in me, motivated me a lot. The employees of the company, whether other translators, project managers, employees of the IT department, or Barbara Wohanka and Florian Obermaier themselves, were always there to help and lend a sympathetic ear. The combination of humanity and effective work was what I liked the most about this company.

But do not be deceived: The work of a translator is and was never easy and relaxing. I got through many stressful situations in the course of my internship, and the ability to deal with stress, is absolutely necessary for this profession. But you learn that! I can confirm, that this pressure is a real drive, and leads to effectiveness, trust and esteem in your own work.

These six months were an all round tour of the translation world, and I would like to thank the whole team at Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen, for giving me this opportunity.

So, future translators, what are you waiting for? Try it, you will not regret it!
Emeline Mercier, 17 July 2012

The smell of popcorn in the air, a cold soft drink to hand, a complete cinema all to ourselves - these concepts became a reality for all employees at the Bavarian headquarters in Geisenhausen.

On Wednesday 6th February, all Geisenhausen employees, together with their partners, were invited to a cinema evening by the management at Kinopolis in Landshut - food and drink included

Although the film "Zettl" starring Bully Herbig received mixed reviews from the participants, everybody agreed on one point: the cinema evening was a great success.

On 10th December 2011 it was that time of year again: The company's German branches met up for a joint Christmas party, as is the case every year. Having visited Waldsassen Monastery last year, this year's meeting place was Nuremberg Zoo.

Following a recuperating lunch of local specialties, the group of around 80 employees enjoyed a private guided tour of the zoo. Impressed by the sights and background information concerning the animals and the zoo, everybody warmed themselves up over mulled wine on an open fire.

At the celebratory dinner and with much applause and surprise at how quickly time passes, several employees with more than 10 years' service were honoured: Freia Richter, Regina Föckersperger, Anita Teschner, Ted Hassinger and Thorsten Moises. After much laughter, endless conversations and a few drinks, the evening came to an end all too quickly.

Thanks to everybody for a very successful day and for a good working relationship in 2011.

Geisenhausen, Leipzig, Edinburgh, Sheffield, Utrecht, Mulhouse, Verona, Basel: As early as October menus are studied, meals are planned and restaurants are being booked.

Then in December it is time. From branch to branch, cinnamon and chocolate biscuits begin to appear in the kitchens, holly and Christmas decorations on desks and Christmas cards on office doors.

The first party begins on schedule in the first week of December. For the smaller branches this means an evening in a cozy restaurant where a chat and a good meal is had by all and a short report of the year from HQ is given by the management.

Managing directors Barbara Wohanka and Florian Obermaier enjoy this time where they can travel from location to location and catch up with their employees in each of the countries in a relaxed environment.

Sometimes the employees travel to one of the locations to experience the Christmas party at another company location. All the Christmas parties are done and dusted in all the countries in the last week of Advent at the latest.

However this does not mean that all Wohanka translators go on holiday. In between the official holidays, the most important language combinations can be offered by some core in-house translators.

It is never too early to start reading English articles. This is the view of Florian Obermaier and Barbara Wohanka, who have taken on the sponsoring of the English-language teen-magazine Spot On for the library of Geisenhausen.

The library is visited regularly by school classes. A rich assortment of books and magazines provides entertainment for children, teenagers and adults.

The Management School is a 5 part series of seminars for entrepreneurs, company successors and (young) business people which was initiated on a regional level by the Hans-Lindner-Foundation. The practical report of 13.09.2011 at the University of Applied Sciences of Landshut was part of the opening event, in which seminar participants were given an insight into the personal experiences and day-to-day lives of a regional manager.

The talk by managing director and owner of Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen GmbH - Mr. Florian Obermaier - in front of almost 100 seminar participants described his personal career path from studies in IT, the setting up of companies abroad right through to the current status of the companies.

At Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen, we take that literally. Seven branches in major cities in France, Great Britain, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands provide jobs for highly-qualified, certified translators. And they are happy to use the opportunity to be able to work for the same company in a different country.

A permanent contract at Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen is also a type of job offer abroad. After a short training period in our headquarters in Lower Bavaria, employees are free to choose from any of our branches, with the support of our personnel department. Staying for at least one year in an overseas branch, employees get to know the country and their colleagues.

For many adventurous employees at Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen, a branch abroad is not enough. A translator enjoys learning or simply practicing a foreign language, and so some translators - with our support - change branch and country several times. There are no borders in Europe for employees of Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen!

In recent months we have been able to expand our in-house team of translators, proofreaders and project managers to around 180 employees, thanks to our great success this year.

Alongside its routine work with the corporate network, our IT team - with team leader Michael Kölbl - has had its hands full sustaining our development. They did this with bravura.

With his team, consisting of Dominik Oberpriller and Dominik Hareiner, particular focus was placed on data protection, reliability and data archiving. On top of this came the creation of numerous positions both in Germany and abroad, as well as upgrading the server architecture. Similarly, we have increased our number of dictionaries and CAT Tools licences.

And so, dear customers, we are pleased to be at your service with the latest versions of Trados, Across and Wordfast. The Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen team is looking forward to working with you!

A successful ISO 9001:2008 audit took place on Friday 20t May 2011 in our headquarters in Geisenhausen.

Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen Ltd. was put through its paces in an all-day inspection by an inspector from LGA InterCert Ltd. After employees from all departments (project management, translators, proofreaders, IT, accounting and management) answered the examination questions, we received the certification without losing a single mark.

With that, our company has been completely ISO certified since March 1999: more than 12 years, and at that time was one of the pioneers of Germany\'s translation market. Even today, this distinction is a true hallmark of quality which only a few translation agencies have managed to attain.

We would like to thank all of our employees at this point for the efforts they made.

Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen has in recent months expanded further its Eastern European language team. Czech and Slovakian are above all the languages most in demand. Here, we operate with a highly-qualified team of translators and proofreaders.

Through our employees, we are able to offer the following language combinations:

German - Czech
German - Slovakian
English - Czech
English - Slovakian
Czech - German
Czech - English

Translations can also be carried out with common software such as Trados, Across, FrameMaker etc. Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen is always at your service.

1. some quick information: age, place of birth, course of study, when did you graduate?

My name is Nanine Gross, I was born in Cologne and after various relocations all around Germany, I ended up in Magdeburg. Here, I studied International technical communication and specialised in technology and IT in Spanish and English at the University of Magdeburg-Stendal. I completed my studies at the end of September 2008. One month later, I started work with Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen as a translator, interpreter and proofreader. After just two months in the job, I got the opportunity to move to France (Mulhouse), where I spent a year. When the company opened a new branch in Scotland (Edinburgh), I decided to transfer there.

2. How were you able to lay the foundations for this job during your studies, i.e. for a job with the company, a job abroad? (Here you could mention various things: courses, internships, contacts through lecturers, assistant jobs etc.)

At any rate, my studies provided me with the basics for my current job, such as languages, translation techniques and basic technical know-how. Translating under time pressure was also an important part of my studies. But I basically think that as a translator, you only learn through real experience. A university course is limited on themes because of the limited time, and if you then specialise in one field, you shrink your own prospects even further. As a translator, you come into contact with topics and texts from all areas every day, and you need as much technical knowledge as possible. During studies it would never be possible to attain all this knowledge, so we were at least shown how to familiarise ourselves as quickly as possible with new subject areas, which is a great help in day-to-day work.

3. How did you arrive in your current job?

In March 2008, I went to Chile to do an internship with a translation agency, whilst at the same time writing my dissertation. I was amongst the first of those who wrote their dissertations in Spanish. I actually wanted to stay in Chile, but could not find a job. Since I knew that I would arrive in Germany just a few days before my final presentation, and wanted to find a job as quickly as possible, I began in Chile to look on the internet for a job in Germany. There, I came across an advert from Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen, who at that point were looking for several new translators. I had my first telephone conversation with Frau Wohanka from Chile, and just a few days after my presentation I was offered an interview in the Leipzig branch. One month later, I started work in the headquarters in Geisenhausen. Now, I have been with the company for more than two years, and I work in the third branch. I was lucky to have joined a company which was growing and which is still expanding. It is a great help after university to work in a team with so many translators, since you cannot put a price on support from experienced translators.

4. What is your everyday working life like?

My day mostly consists of translating and proofreading texts in English, Spanish and German. Even though I had specialised in technology during my studies, I now have comprehensive experience in all subject areas, and translate texts from almost all fields. Through the internal proofreading centre in Leipzig, where the majority of translations are proof-read a second time, new translators have the opportunity to work in new fields in the knowledge that any mistakes will not be passed on to the customers. You can therefore sail into uncharted waters without a second thought.

I have also assumed some administrative responsibilities in our branch, and take care of the IT as well as direct organisation in the office. This doesn’t just break up my working day, but also gives me an insight into other work areas.

5. Have you decided to work abroad or in Scotland? Why? What appeals to you?

My original plan was actually to remain in Chile, but that did not work out. I would have liked to stay longer in Magdeburg, but the job market for translators there is somewhat limited. Since I had spent a year in Australia when I was 20, Germany no longer really felt like my home, and I noticed that I expected much more from the world. After Chile and France, Scotland was a rather more incidental step of my journey, which presented itself through my job. I had not planned it, but then again Australia, Chile and France were not really planned either, but they worked out regardless.

6. Before your move to Scotland, you worked in France for a year - how difficult is it to frequently switch place, even country (from a professional and a personal perspective?)

When, in your life, you are constantly changing where you live and even the country in which you live, you get used to starting over again. I don’t think that there is a great difference between starting a new in a different town or a different country. Lastly, you are always on your own, so have to build a new social circle and find your own way. A foreign language only makes things harder. Certainly it is not simple, and the first few weeks are always spent with your heart pounding. But I think that it’s easier for me to change my place of residence, rather than to stay in the one place for a long time!

7. Do you want to move back to Germany at some point?

Never say never, right? Recently I have been imagining moving back to Germany, but I have found my feet in Edinburgh and am not yet ready to leave. It is the first city to really touch my heart. But, if life should bring me back, I won’t fight it. I have learned to love Germany from a distance, and at the moment don’t see myself as part of it.

8. How do you manage as a German person in Scotland? How are you accepted? In your experience, how does their mentality differ from ours?

Every new beginning is a throw of the dice. You have to put a lot of effort in appearing interesting to others, and in the end it depends on the people you meet on your way. I was unbelievably lucky here and found people who immediately accepted me and made me a part of their lives. Of course I have to let the odd joke slide now and again, but I take them in good humour. And the Scot with his very sarcastic and almost black humour is usually a ray of sunshine to cheer you up...

When Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen Ltd. opened its branch in Edinburgh in autumn 2009, we had a small office with three work stations.

The beauty of Edinburgh and the great team community led to a sharp increase in employees, so that in June 2010 we already had our own floor in a centrally-situated office building on Queen Street. By now, the team had increased to 14 employees, and our floor hit full capacity again.

Therefore, in January 2011 this year, we opened another floor, and are very happy that our team continues to grow. In the meantime, 20 work stations are available.

On this occasion, we would like again to warmly thank all those who helped. Removal during active work always requires a great effort, which again ran smoothly - all the practice of recent years is paying off!
Those interested in working in our Edinburgh branch can apply to us at obermaier@wohanka.de.

The Straubing tax consultancy „Huber - Meister - Kempinger“ now supports a project in East Africa with a donation of 1,000 Euros. Barbara Wohanka (left) accepted the sum from Florian Kempinger (right) on behalf of the action group Ostafrika. „We are happy to engage in this project during Christmas,“ said Kempinger. The donation will be spent on a nursery in East Africa, which will guarantee the necessary food and care. Entrepreneur Barbara Wohanka, from Geisenhausen, has been committed for many years, and makes annual visits to the East African nursery. The donations will be applied directly there, with no expensive administrative costs. Florian Kempinger also thanked Frau Wohanka for her unparalleled efforts on behalf of his colleagues Georg Huber and Johann Meister.

Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen Ltd. became the owners of new, additional office space on Kippenbergstraße at the start of the year.

Due to steady growth, the previous office space was somewhat cramped for all the employees at the end of the year. Furthermore, the team of permanent proofreaders was greatly extended in the previous year; something we shall continue this year.

We were able to rent the space, directly connected to the existing office, in January 2011, and configure it as we wished.

Through this, 25% more office space is available to office manager Mathias Mahn and his colleagues, which allows us to increase the number of work stations from 30 to 45.

In recent weeks, Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen has recruited further, in order to combat its steadily-growing volume of work.

We warmly welcome our new colleagues in project management:

- Julia Berndt
- Martina Schindlbeck
- Bianca von Selasinski
- Andreas Waxenberger

Additionally, we have introduced new e-mail addresses so that we can process your orders even faster:

angebote@wohanka.de - if you would like a quote from us
urkunden@wohanka.de - the direct portal for certified translations

We wish them every success and are pleased to now be able to count 15 project managers as part of our team.

Prize winners from the first category (Companies with up to 30 employees) are l. Fox Group, Kirchweidach (Altötting), 2. Leitner Ergomöbel, Lohnsburg (Upper Austria), 3. Pascom Network Technologies, Deggendorf. In the second category (Companies of 31-100 employees): 1. Ullrich Zwiesel (Regen), 2. Aumüller Druck, Regensburg, 3. Wohanka, Obermaier & Kollegen Ltd., Geisenhausen (Landshut). Category three (Companies with more than 100 employees): 1. Wintersteiger AG, Ried im Innkreis (Upper Austria), 2. Nemak Linz, Linz (Upper Austria), 3. Ebm-Papst, Landshut.

Together, the three regions between Passau, Budweis and Linz generate in total, with their three million inhabitants, around 80 billion Euros. „The „Best Business Award“ prize will contribute to strengthen links between the cross-border economic structures and companies, and to further strengthen bridges of cooperation which were build and consolidated over centuries,“ explained founder of the award Rudolf Fellner, from Passau. The special thing about the Best Business Award is that not just large companies, but also small and medium-sized enterprises in Bavaria, Bohemia and Upper Austria have a chance of winning this „economic Oscar“ for innovative entrepreneurship.