Glimpse of Argos: Evolving with the Industry

Check out the next interview in our “Glimpse of Argos” series. Today, our guest is Aida Roger, experienced translator, proofreader, and project manager.

In this interview, Aida talks about evolving from a junior translator in Spain in her early career to a freelance professional specializing in scientific, technical, and medical translation. She shares how her love for both language and science shaped her path, how adapting to new tools and workflows became essential over time, and why a focused, collaborative approach has defined her long‑standing partnership with Argos.

The interview

Tell us a bit about yourself.

Aida Roger: I started my career in the industry in 2001 as a Junior Translator at SDL in Granada (Spain). After two years, I joined Equus, where I spent nine years working as a translator, proofreader, and project manager. In 2012, I transitioned to freelance translation and have been working with several agencies ever since. I prefer to manage no more than 2 or 3 clients simultaneously, allowing me to focus more effectively on each project. Throughout the years, I have adapted to emerging tasks and tools. Currently, my work primarily consists of revision and post-editing tasks.

 What got you interested in this field?

Aida Roger: I have always been passionate about language, but at the same time, I have a deep love for science; I even considered studying medicine. This job allows me to combine both passions, as I specialize in scientific and technical translation and frequently work in the field of medical translation.

How did your partnership with Argos begin?

Aida Roger: I had the chance to work on various projects with Argos during my time at the agency. They were one of the first clients I contacted when I went freelance, since I have always enjoyed a fluid and productive relationship with them.

Why do you continue working with Argos? What do you find valuable about the collaboration?

Aida Roger: Working with Argos has always been a pleasure, as the project managers are always collaborative and attentive. I have been working with some of them for many years, and we have built a very warm and professional relationship. Argos has provided me with regular work for nearly 15 years, and I have never had the slightest issue with them. They have always been helpful whenever I’ve had questions or concerns, and everything runs perfectly with them. Furthermore, if I ever had a scheduling issue and needed to postpone a delivery, they have always been understanding, and we have always managed to find a solution together.

Are there any challenges or areas for improvement?

Aida Roger: In some cases, working with project managers in different time zones has led to communication delays. I also occasionally receive emails or project requests during late-night hours that I am unable to address until the following day.

Do you have any memorable projects or experiences with Argos?

Aida Roger: I have been working with one of their large life science clients for many years, which I find very rewarding. Last year, I also started a new project for a large agricultural construction company, for which I receive daily assignments. I truly enjoy it, as it has been fascinating to see how both the project and my own contribution have evolved and grown together; I am deeply invested in its ongoing development.

What are some of the biggest challenges you see in the industry overall?

Aida Roger: I realize the industry is changing at a pace I didn’t expect. As translators, we must adapt to this new landscape and take on different tasks than before. My main concern right now is that, although we remain essential, certain stakeholders may view us as more expendable. This is affecting how our work is valued and, consequently, the rates we are able to charge.

How do you see the industry and your role evolving in the next three to five years?

Aida Roger: The truth is that AI is evolving so fast that I can’t imagine where it will be in a couple of years. However, I want to believe that our work will always be necessary, as human review and input will always be essential for any text.

 Are there any innovations or technologies you’re excited about?

Aida Roger: I’m still processing the latest updates, so I haven’t really had time to think about the next ones. But I do hope the current tools keep improving, as they still have quite a few gaps. They seem to prioritize machine translation over spelling accuracy and comprehensive content review, for example.

How does Argos support your work and growth?

Aida Roger: A great example of collaboration and growth happened when I first joined this long-term project for the agricultural construction company. To be honest, I didn’t have much prior experience in agricultural machinery, and my initial performance wasn’t as good as I would have liked. But the team gave me the opportunity to stay on board, and I took that as a challenge to prove my value. I dedicated time to deeply understand the specific terminology and the technical requirements of this field. Over the past year, I’ve worked closely with the Argos team to align my output with their expectations. Today, the project is extremely fluid. We’ve reached a point where I handle high-priority, “same-day” or “next-day” requests with a high level of reliability. I’m proud of how I turned that initial learning curve into a consistent, successful partnership where the team knows they can count on me for even the most urgent tasks.

Can you describe a situation where collaboration led to a successful outcome?

Aida Roger: First, with clarity and communication, because they are always giving feedback and sending precise instructions. We really need that to do good work.

They also support our judgment. They trust our background, our experience, and our language skills. That makes me feel like we’re not just annotators, we’re partners. When you have that kind of feedback, you feel good, happy, and positive. And then you really want to aim for excellence.

What do you think makes a strong partnership in the language services industry?

Aida Roger: I believe there are several key points for a strong partnership: communication, flexibility, and a deep understanding of the client’s needs. First, communication between the team and the translator must be seamless and agile, especially when it comes to resolving potential issues. Flexibility is equally important on both sides, both in terms of adapting to different types of tasks and in managing time constraints or unexpected challenges. Finally, clear and detailed communication of project requirements and instructions is essential, as it allows the translator to fully align with the project’s specific goals.

What’s the most interesting or unexpected thing you’ve learned in your career?

Aida Roger: Honestly, throughout my career, I’ve had the chance to translate some fascinating texts—from instructions on how to implant a pacemaker to vaccine leaflets that have saved thousands of lives. I really can’t complain.

What advice would you give to someone starting out in language services?

Aida Roger: My advice for someone who’s entering this industry is: be ready to be versatile. The beauty of this profession is that it’s full of opportunities to develop your skills in unexpected ways. You’ll often find yourself working on tasks you might never have imagined at first, as this industry opens doors you wouldn’t expect. My advice is to embrace that. This sector is always evolving and you need to be ready to evolve with it.

How do you envision the future of your partnership with Argos and the industry as a whole?

Aida Roger: I’m looking forward to keeping growing and evolving, just like I’ve done throughout these past 15 years in Argos. I’m excited to learn and tackle new challenges, see how AI changes our way of working, and I’m definitely ready to step up to any new tasks that come my way. I believe the industry is evolving rapidly, and the translator’s role will increasingly shift towards review, transcreation, proofreading, and even linguistic consulting. We must evolve with the times, and I am fully prepared to do so.

Aida Roger

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