One of the trickiest tasks we face in our work is translating job titles. This is particularly true when the job or the activity doesn’t exist much outside of the Nordic countries. A classic example of this is “omvärldsanalys”.

This refers to the fact that many big companies and organisations employ experts whose job it is to report on and analyse any events or developments in the business world, society or international politics which may affect them .

In a rapidly changing global world it is crucial for both individuals and organisations to have their finger on the pulse and be able to identify any relevant trends and innovations that will impact on their activities.

But how to translate it?

Googling will reveal that there are several translations in use. One of the most common is “business intelligence” which is a variation on military intelligence. Which is fine as far as it goes but it doesn’t cover non-business activity. “Market research”, also in use, is even narrower in meaning whereas “environmental scanning” sounds as though it has something to do with global warming.

To conclude, the translation you choose will depend on which professional area you work in.

Which brings me to what we do at WLC. We may be working on translation, proofreading or language training however our gathering of  “language intelligence” impacts on our work every day. What is happening in the English language? What’s in and what’s out? What changes should we and our business partners be aware of? We need to know the answers.

008 – Licensed to Translate. Yes, we’re the James Bonds of the language sector!