ROAR

Welcome to a brand new season of ROAR! In this episode, we sit down with Annabelle Chang, a fellow TLM student who's also the Chapter Manager for Women in Localization (WIL) MIIS Chapter, as well as being in charge of project management and outreach for ROAR. Learn more about Annabelle through her journey navigating languages and MIIS, and lots more!

Join us as we talk to Rainbow Liao, a Localization Project Manager at Zoetis, about her path from studying at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies (MIIS) to managing complex linguistic assets in the animal healthcare industry.

In this episode, Rainbow shares how her MIIS coursework, professional experiences, and personal growth helped prepare her for her role, and what it’s like to apply linguistic skills and AI-driven terminology workflows in a global animal health company. Rainbow also dives into her journey of building a terminology management system from scratch, scaling from simple spreadsheets to robust professional tools.

AI is everywhere, but is it really replacing localization jobs?

In this episode, Jon Ritzdorf breaks down the reality behind the hype. From AI-driven workflows to career survival strategies, we explore what’s actually changing in localization—and what isn’t.

We also get real about job hunting, industry expectations, and why your first job might matter less than you think. Whether you’re a student, a future localizer, or just curious about AI and language, this is an honest conversation you don’t want to miss.

In this episode of the ROAR Podcast, host Victoria Shimkus sits down with Grace Kim, a recent graduate of the Middlebury Institute (MIIS) and a current Localization Project Manager at TransPerfect. Grace shares her unique journey of transitioning from the Translation and Interpretation (T&I) track to Localization Management, explaining why she traded the high-pressure "performance" of interpreting for the collaborative, workflow-driven world of project management.

Grace provides an inside look at the transition from student life to the professional sphere, detailing her day-to-day responsibilities in TransPerfect’s San Francisco office. She offers practical advice for current students on balancing a rigorous academic schedule with an early job search, utilizing resources like the Nimdzi's Top 100 list, and the importance of making meaningful connections at career fairs.

The conversation dives deep into the technical and soft skills required to succeed in a global agency, from mastering Windows keyboard shortcuts and complex Word formatting to managing the mental load of 7–10 concurrent projects. Whether you are a student preparing for your first internship or a professional curious about the medical benefits sector of the industry, Grace’s insights provide a roadmap for navigating the "high stakes" of the localization market.

In this episode of the ROAR Podcast, host Victoria Shimkus sits down with Aaron Long, a Localization Production Artist at Blueprint, to explore his unconventional path into the localization industry. From researching chestnut tree genetics to teaching English in Japan, Aaron’s journey is anything but typical. He shares how he pivoted from majoring in Biology and German to joining the Translation and Localization Management (TLM) program at the Middlebury Institute—and ultimately carved out his own niche in visual localization.

Aaron provides a deep dive into his specialized role, where he manages the visual localization of advertisements into 28—soon to be 29—different languages. From handcrafting name stylizations to navigating the complex diacritics of Vietnamese, he explains the balance of Desktop Publishing (DTP) skills and the "soft skills" required to collaborate with global language teams. He also offers a candid look at the hustle of starting a full-time career while finishing his final months of graduate school.

Beyond the technical, Aaron emphasizes the value of building a strong personal brand and staying true to oneself in a professional setting. Whether it’s sending video game-themed follow-up messages after an interview or sharing cow jokes with colleagues in Japan, his advice to students is clear: build a standout ePortfolio, master your tools through curiosity-driven projects, and don't be afraid to "remain goofy" while navigating the professional world.

In this episode, we sit down with Ella Barton, a second-year MIIS student and the Chapter Manager of Women in Localization at MIIS. From studying at UT Austin to stepping into the world of translation and localization, Ella has followed opportunities with openness and courage.

She shares the soft skills she believes truly shape effective leadership: empathy, communication, and the ability to build a supportive community. She opens up about the challenges of balancing studies with leading a student chapter, and how those responsibilities have strengthened her commitment to the localization field.

Whether you’re curious about building a career in localization, developing leadership skills, or simply want to hear her story , this episode is for you.

Join us as we talk to Zilong Yi, a Linguistics Compliance Intern at Light & Wonder, about his path from studying at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies (MIIS) to stepping into the game localization and compliance industry.

In this episode, Zilong shares how his MIIS coursework, professional experiences, and personal growth helped prepare him for his role, and what it’s like to apply linguistic skills in a global entertainment company.

In this episode, Rachael hosts a conversation with Minting and Jianjing about how volunteering can shape one’s localization career path and personal values. Through sharing their own experiences, they explore how TLM students can seek out volunteer opportunities while in school, what motivates them to get involved, and how these experiences can benefit their personal and professional growth.

Resources mentioned in the podcast:

Where to find volunteer work: https://www.volunteermatch.org/

Minting on her experience for subtitles translation for Translation Commons: https://mintinglu.middcreate.net/localization-and-translation/how-i-built-a-subtitle-localization-process-from-scratch/

The localization industry is super interesting, but it also comes with intensive schedules and pressure. In that context, prioritizing mental health is highly important for providing us with the energy to not only deal with the challenges in work but also care for our loved ones and ourselves. 

In this episode, we invited Laura DeCook, founder of LDC Wellbeing, which offers engaging and interactive workshops to support people's mental well-being. Before founding her own company, Laura had extensive experience serving as a well-being specialist in big tech corporations. 

We talked about how Laura moved from films and tech into mental health, how important it is to talk about mental health issues, and what students and people in the localization industry can do to boost their mental well-being. 

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Join us in this episode to learn what these 5 Japanese localizers do and how they make it to where they are today.