{"id":6544,"date":"2019-05-09T16:25:03","date_gmt":"2019-05-09T14:25:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/phraseapp.com\/blog\/?p=6544"},"modified":"2023-09-22T13:14:40","modified_gmt":"2023-09-22T11:14:40","slug":"a-day-in-the-life-of-a-software-localization-engineer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-software-localization-engineer\/","title":{"rendered":"A Day in the Life of a Software Localization Engineer"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>If you\u2019re interested in coding, languages, and being at the forefront of software development, the position of a software localization engineer might be the perfect fit for you. Let\u2019s dive into what software localization engineers do daily, the challenges they face, and which skills you need to succeed in this role.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_69_1 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Overview<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-software-localization-engineer\/#what-exactly-does-a-software-localization-engineer-do\" title=\"What Exactly Does a Software Localization Engineer Do?\">What Exactly Does a Software Localization Engineer Do?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-software-localization-engineer\/#preparing-for-localization\" title=\"Preparing for Localization\">Preparing for Localization<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-software-localization-engineer\/#supporting-the-translation\" title=\"Supporting the Translation\">Supporting the Translation<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-software-localization-engineer\/#building-and-testing-the-localized-product\" title=\"Building and Testing the Localized Product\">Building and Testing the Localized Product<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-software-localization-engineer\/#standardizing-the-process\" title=\"Standardizing the Process\">Standardizing the Process<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-software-localization-engineer\/#what-are-the-daily-challenges-of-a-software-localization-engineer\" title=\"What Are the Daily Challenges of a Software Localization Engineer?\">What Are the Daily Challenges of a Software Localization Engineer?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-software-localization-engineer\/#fixing-bugs-and-errors\" title=\"Fixing Bugs and Errors\">Fixing Bugs and Errors<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-software-localization-engineer\/#balancing-the-technical-and-non-technical-side\" title=\"Balancing the Technical and Non-Technical Side\">Balancing the Technical and Non-Technical Side<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-software-localization-engineer\/#working-with-remote-teams\" title=\"Working with Remote Teams\">Working with Remote Teams<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-software-localization-engineer\/#what-skills-should-a-software-localization-engineer-have\" title=\"What Skills Should a Software Localization Engineer Have?\">What Skills Should a Software Localization Engineer Have?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-software-localization-engineer\/#understand-code\" title=\"Understand Code\">Understand Code<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-software-localization-engineer\/#know-the-right-tools\" title=\"Know the Right Tools\">Know the Right Tools<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-software-localization-engineer\/#pay-attention-to-detail\" title=\"Pay Attention to Detail\">Pay Attention to Detail<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-software-localization-engineer\/#solve-problems\" title=\"Solve Problems\">Solve Problems<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-software-localization-engineer\/#communicate-and-work-in-a-team\" title=\"Communicate and Work in a Team\">Communicate and Work in a Team<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-software-localization-engineer\/#wrapping-it-up\" title=\"Wrapping It Up\">Wrapping It Up<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"what-exactly-does-a-software-localization-engineer-do\"><\/span>What Exactly Does a Software Localization Engineer Do?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In a nutshell, a software localization engineer takes apart all the elements of software that are to be localized and puts them back together once the localization is done. Sounds simple, right? Well, there\u2019s a lot more to it. Let\u2019s look at the tasks in more detail.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"preparing-for-localization\"><\/span>Preparing for Localization<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The first step you\u2019d take in a localization project assigned to you is to check if the software has been sufficiently <a href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/i18n-a-simple-definition\/\">internationalized<\/a> to enable the localization. The source code of the software should be separated from all localizable elements so that you can extract them easily.<br \/>\nThat\u2019s exactly what the next step is about \u2013 extraction. You\u2019ll pull out all files with translatable text and any other elements (e.g. images) that need to be localized. These are then compiled into a localization toolkit for translators, together with instructions for translation.<br \/>\nThis toolkit is crucial as it gives translators the context they require to do their job well; they need to know if there\u2019s a limited character count and if they are translating a headline or a simple body text, for example. Without it, they would be relying on guesswork and their gut feeling.<br \/>\nOnce the toolkit is handed over, it\u2019s time to sit back and relax. No, not really! Your translators might need some support in the process.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"supporting-the-translation\"><\/span>Supporting the Translation<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Software localization engineers are team players. You\u2019ll likely need to answer a few queries from translators. Maybe they need clarification on a particular element, or there\u2019s a problem with their localization tool that needs immediate attention.<br \/>\nWhen you get a bit of room in your schedule, it\u2019s the right time to update and optimize the translation memory, a database that stores previous translations for later use and translators rely heavily on to increase speed and consistency.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"building-and-testing-the-localized-product\"><\/span>Building and Testing the Localized Product<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The translators have submitted their translations on time, and you have verified that all files are in order. Now, it\u2019s time to put all elements back together. You\u2019ll integrate the translated files into the software to create a new localized version of it. When done correctly, the software should \u201cspeak\u201d a new language.<br \/>\nNow comes a somewhat tedious but critical task of the job: Testing the new version of the software. One error in the code and the software can look broken. A wrong translation of a Call-to-Action-Button and a user is put off immediately. If you enjoy finding and fixing bugs, then you\u2019re at great advantage here.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"standardizing-the-process\"><\/span>Standardizing the Process<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/how-important-is-localization-for-your-business\/\">Software localization<\/a> is not a one-off process. Each new update or feature brings changes to the software that needs to be localized too. You can take the lead in streamlining localization by standardizing the process and establishing consistency, for example, through terminology management, glossaries, and style guides.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"what-are-the-daily-challenges-of-a-software-localization-engineer\"><\/span>What Are the Daily Challenges of a Software Localization Engineer?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The software localization process is usually not all smooth sailing. You\u2019ll encounter challenges that need to be passed with flying colors.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"fixing-bugs-and-errors\"><\/span>Fixing Bugs and Errors<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>As everyone working with software can attest, handling code can be rewarding and frustrating at the same time. Files get corrupted, small errors sneak into the code, and suddenly nothing is working anymore. Having a knack for experimenting, troubleshooting and persistent problem-solving definitely come in handy here.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"balancing-the-technical-and-non-technical-side\"><\/span>Balancing the Technical and Non-Technical Side<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>You\u2019ll find yourself in between developers and translators with the challenge to let the work flow smoothly from one to the other and back. Translators typically won\u2019t understand code, so you might have to explain technical terms and issues to non-technical people.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"working-with-remote-teams\"><\/span>Working with Remote Teams<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/phraseapp.com\/blog\/posts\/check-list-localization-team\/\">Localization teams<\/a> are often geographically dispersed. You could be working from home, an office, or a combination of both. With today\u2019s possibilities, there\u2019s no real reason anymore to have everybody in the same place all the time. Working with translators or developers in different time zones comes with its challenges though. Your communication and coordination skills might be stretched to ensure that all work gets done on time and in the right quality.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"what-skills-should-a-software-localization-engineer-have\"><\/span>What Skills Should a Software Localization Engineer Have?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>By now, you\u2019ve probably noticed that a diverse skill set is needed to succeed in this role. Here are the crucial skills every software localization engineer should have.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"understand-code\"><\/span>Understand Code<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Typically, you won\u2019t have to code anything from scratch, but you should be able to read and write code as well as be familiar with a variety of programming languages.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"know-the-right-tools\"><\/span>Know the Right Tools<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>There could be a vast amount of tools involved in a software localization project. It\u2019s a big plus when you\u2019re already comfortable using <a href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/translation-management-system-how-it-works\/\">translation management systems<\/a>, computer-aided translation tools, content management systems, translation memories, and quality assurance tools.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"pay-attention-to-detail\"><\/span>Pay Attention to Detail<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The devil is in the details when it comes to software localization. Rigorous reviewing and testing localized software should become your second nature. After all, a lot is at stake. A bug in the code or a wrong translation can make the company look unprofessional.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"solve-problems\"><\/span>Solve Problems<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>You\u2019ll do great as a software localization engineer if you\u2019re not afraid to figure things out, even if something is new and unfamiliar. As technology gets more complex, you\u2019ll naturally have to be flexible and keep learning to stay on top of the game.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"communicate-and-work-in-a-team\"><\/span>Communicate and Work in a Team<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Localization is a lot about <a href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/top-5-ways-product-managers-can-encourage-team-collaboration\/\">team collaboration<\/a>. There are many moving pieces, and everyone has to work together perfectly to get a great result. When you\u2019re comfortable communicating with developers, translators, product managers, and even clients, you\u2019ll have nothing to fear.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"wrapping-it-up\"><\/span>Wrapping It Up<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Software localization engineer is an exciting, highly sought-after role. If you love to solve problems, are not intimidated by new technology, and can handle the technical as well as the non-technical side, then you\u2019ll likely thrive in this role. You can learn a lot about different languages, cultures, and how software is shaping the world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With more businesses expanding globally, the role of the software localization engineer comes to the fore. A deep dive into opportunities and challenges.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":2612,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_stopmodifiedupdate":false,"_modified_date":"","_searchwp_excluded":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"class_list":["post-6544","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-software-localization"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/phrase.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6544"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/phrase.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/phrase.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/phrase.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/phrase.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6544"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/phrase.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6544\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65109,"href":"https:\/\/phrase.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6544\/revisions\/65109"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/phrase.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2612"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/phrase.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6544"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/phrase.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6544"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}