Phil Hammond

Background

About Phil Hammond

Contact me at phil@hammondtranslation.comOne constant in my career has been a quest to learn new things. Armed with a proficiency for languages, particularly Russian, I began my post-academic career as a Project Manager for a translation agency in Houston whose main clients were in the oil and gas field. At this point, I knew essentially nothing about the petroleum industry, but I had to learn on the job – and quickly! This was the start of the oil boom in Russia and many US companies were interested in getting in on the action. Despite my lack of an engineering or geology background, I had access to professional journals, the early Internet, and – most importantly – engineers and other experts who could teach me about such things as Christmas trees, pigs, and cat crackers, and the importance of getting these terms right. An engineer can immediately tell when a technical document lacks authenticity, and using industry-specific language imparts the patina of authenticity to a deliverable. This is perhaps the best lesson I've learned in the technical documentation field: Using the right language is key.Later I worked in support of the International Space Station Project and learned the importance of efficient document control, the positive impact of clear, written procedures for all tasks, the need for regular consultations between technical personnel and document creators, and the absolute necessity of a single agreed-upon set of terms to be used by all project partners – in this case, the so-called "Lexicon". There's no time to argue over the name of a switch while hurtling through space at miles per hour!So what I would like to offer employers and clients is my demonstrated ability to learn new technologies on the fly, my linguistic skills, my ease in working with a multicultural, international team of personnel from all types of backgrounds, and my absolute commitment to doing a job properly and on time.I would love to talk to you more about how I can help your organization best utilize language and communications in support of its mission. Language in this case comes in many forms and is a vital part of any organization's operations and reflects its credibility. Poor language and communications are an avoidable pitfall when the right personnel are hired for the job. I look forward to being that person for you.