5 minutes with Miranda
Job title
General Manager
How long have you worked at Andiamo?
21 years and it’s flown by!
Andiamo! is 30 this year! How are you celebrating?
We’ve got a lot in store for our 30th year, most of which is still under wraps. Customers should keep an eye on our social media for big discounts though and we also have lots of events including a staff party to look forward to in the summer.
What’s your favourite part of the job?
Without a doubt – positive feedback from clients! Also, winning new contracts, the variety of jobs, the support the team all give each other and how committed everyone is.
What is your most memorable moment at Andiamo! to date?
There are too many to mention but one comical office one stands out… I was rather naïve in thinking we could have an office dog who would lie obediently under my desk and I’d go for walks at lunchtimes. I brought my border collie in to work when he was a puppy but he got rather too familiar with his environment and each day would jump up enthusiastically at everyone to say hello. One day, when it was nearly Christmas, he saw all the shiny baubles on the tree and took a flying leap at them. Not to mention he learnt very quickly how to open the double doors and escape. I think he lasted two weeks in the office from memory!
Has the language industry changed a lot since you started?
Hugely. It’s hard to believe that when I started we were hand-delivering translations or faxing them, we weren’t using the internet or email and it’s incredible how technology has just sped up the entire process. ‘Urgent turnaround’ then had an entirely different meaning! Now it’s hard to imagine how we’d manage without translation memory or QA tools and all the up-to-date research material and dictionaries that are available instantly online.
Have you always been interested in languages?
As soon as I started learning French at school and going to France from a young age, I loved it. Breaking down barriers and being able to communicate with others while on holiday was a real eye-opener. We tend to expect wherever we go that people will speak English but learning even the basics to communicate whilst on holiday shows respect and you get far more out of a trip if you can understand and communicate. If you worked at a restaurant in England and a Japanese or Portuguese tourist say, started asking you questions in their language expecting you to understand, isn’t it the same as us being in their country and just talking to them in English expecting the same?
What’s your favourite place in the world?
Ooh, I’d have to say Italy. I absolutely love the scenery, from the Lakes to the Amalfi coast, to the Tuscan fields, the wine, the warmth of the people, the food etc etc.
Where do you want to travel to next?
I’ve never been to Eastern Europe or Scandinavia so they’re definitely on my list!
What else do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Apart from travelling – walking our crazy dog in the beautiful Yorkshire countryside and as I’m a Guide leader, I enjoy camps and seeing all the girls have a great time being away from their mod cons and just being outdoors. On my wish list is learning sign language so I am on the lookout for a beginners’ class near me.
