USTC Employee of the Quarter

This week we have the distinct pleasure of highlighting our latest Employee of the Quarter, Ryley Tapscott. Ryley was nominated by her manager, Amy Clements, for this achievement. In Amy’s words:

“Ryley is an outstanding employee and an invaluable member of the QA/DTP team! Her personal commitment to quality is obvious in her daily actions, and is what helps our team be successful. The QA/DTP team has a monotonous job, but her positive attitude shines through.

Ryley has the ability to pick up on new skills quickly and with ease. She works with little supervision, and her work ethic speaks for itself. She welcomes the challenge of a complicated project – I know that I can give her a difficult project and she will tackle it head on.” – Amy Clements

With such an impact on the team and company as a whole, it’s no wonder Ryley has earned this title over the past several months. Next, we asked her to answer some obligatory “you’re awesome, now tell us about yourself” questions!

What is your role at USTC and what are your primary responsibilities?

I am one of the Quality Assurance and Desktop Publishing (DTP) Specialists. In my position, I am the last person to go through our translation projects to ensure consistency between the source files and target language (translation) files. This means checking that punctuation, spacing, design, layout, etc. all match the original file from the client.

What is one of the most challenging aspects of your role?

From my experience, I would say finding tiny inconsistencies is the most difficult. Something like an extra space between words may seem like a small thing but will still be marked as an error because it could change the outcome of the client’s project. So, finding even the smallest difference is important in my role but definitely one of the most challenging parts that I face daily.

What is one of the most rewarding and/or enjoyable aspects of your role?

Using problem-solving skills to make the documents match is a rewarding part of my position. I love when I figure out a complex/troubling problem during DTP. Discovering why a certain word jumps to next page when it shouldn’t or finding hidden text underneath upper layers is a very satisfying feeling and definitely one that drives me to keep going in my position.

Do you have any tips for people in a similar role to help them be successful?

Never assume anything!!! Since we are constantly dealing with foreign languages, it’s never safe to assume. My rule is, if you aren’t sure of the answer, send it back to the translator for a question, or ask the project manager. There are times when something isn’t translated, and it should be. Instead of assuming, it’s always best practice to send it back to make sure it should/shouldn’t be translated. This practice is what enables our error-free rate to be so high!

What is your greatest strength that you can apply to your tasks?

Some of the projects we get can be pretty lengthy. Being able to break down intimidating tasks into smaller, more manageable steps is a strength that I frequently use in my position. Getting a 100+ page document can be really overwhelming. Instead of panicking, I choose to break every project into smaller portions to be completed one at a time, staying focused and at ease through every step of the way.

What accomplishment are you most proud of?

Receiving employee of the quarter!! Everyone at USTC works hard to make sure we are providing the best service to our clients. Though every person is a vital part of the team, having my hard work and positive attitude recognized definitely makes me feel valued.

What are some of your favorite activities or hobbies outside of work?

I absolutely love cooking and trying new food! I also really enjoy playing with makeup, I watch tons of “beauty gurus” online to learn about new techniques and products. Netflix and napping are also two of my very important weekend hobbies : )

What’s something that people would find surprising to know about you? (figured this was a fun one, but no pressure!)

I have two younger brothers; they are 10 and 13 years younger than me!! I was an only child until I was 10 years old and was so happy when I finally got a sibling. Even though the age gaps are pretty big, my brothers are definitely my best friends, and I love spending time with them.

Thank you Ryley for your continued effort on the U.S. Translation team and for making each day count!