Translator Community Spotlight: Christoph Niedermair

Here at Lilt, we’re focused on providing the highest quality translations possible, and that requires a large professional network of translators.

We've spent years building a community of experienced and quality translators, and we're excited to showcase the incredible individuals helping to lead the charge. Much like our Employee Spotlight series, we're sharing the backgrounds of the talented professionals in our community in our newest series, the Translator Spotlight Series. 

This week, we’re happy to introduce Christoph Niedermair, an industry veteran who has been crafting his skills for over two decades. We sat down with Christoph to learn more about his background, how he started his translation journey, and how he balances his work and life.

What languages do you speak or have you studied?

English, German, Spanish, and French.

How and why did you become a translator?

I always loved languages. I took English and French at my German high school, after a few years of Latin before that. I then decided to look for a job where I could apply my knowledge of  languages, so I went to the University of Mainz/Germersheim in Germany and studied to be a translator/interpreter, eventually deciding on the translator track. I've been working as a translator ever since.

Do you like to listen to music while you work? If so, what kind?

Rarely while working, I find it somewhat distracting and I like focusing on the work in front of me. In my free time, I love music - I listen to it a lot throughout my everyday life.

What led you to join Lilt's translator community?

I was actively recruited by a then Lilt-PM who had worked with me on projects for another client. It was easy to apply and I’ve been working with Lilt ever since.

What does your day to day look like?

During the pandemic, all of the days somewhat blend together! In general, I get up, check my email, answer urgent emails, then I brew a pot of coffee and have some breakfast. I used to take kids to school, but now they are older/driving themselves or home (due to the pandemic), so I rarely leave the house in the morning and start working immediately. I usually stop by four or five, go for a run or walk the dogs with my wife, then cook dinner - something I love to do.

What do you like to do outside of work? How do you maintain a good work/life balance?

Family. Cooking. Hiking/Outdoors. Traveling. Theatre (used to). Movies. I try to not work more than 7 hours a day. I usually translate quite quickly and I feel spent after about that amount of time and need a break. My wife often laughs when I tell her my brain is completely fried after work, but it's the truth!

What's one fact or skill that you've learned recently?

Honestly, I learn new ones every day. Lots of facts about Covid, recently, both due to jobs I have done in the fields as well as a generic interest in medical topics. I wish I had time to learn to play the piano - I used to play the guitar and mandolin, but not so much the last few years. 

Has the translation industry changed in the last 10 years? Do you think it will change in the next 10 years?

Yes and yes. The industry has changed a lot. Machine translation, big LSPs buying smaller ones, general pressure on price, and more. I have been in this business for 25 years or so and have witnessed a lot of change.

What's the best career advice you've ever received?

Make sure you like what you do. Trust in your own ability. Watch out for your work-life-balance.

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Keep an eye out for our upcoming posts in both our Translator and Employee Spotlight posts! We'll continue to highlight people from across the company and our wonderful translator community.

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