Sit down with Dolores Irazabal, one of Haymillian’s oldest team members, who started as a subtitler and is now our Business Development Executive for Latin America.
A dedicated professional, Dolores is leading the company’s business development efforts in Latin America and Iberia. Eager to help and with a positive attitude, she excels at forging strong, lasting relationships with clients and colleagues alike.
Her background:
Dolores Irazabal is a Certified Translator of English from the University of the Republic of Uruguay. She started her career translating articles for the media and entertainment publication TodoTV, a position that helped her get acquainted with the media and entertainment industry. Later, she became a member of the publication’s sales team, building relationships with European, Spanish and US clients.
In 2012, she joined Haymillian as a subtitler and in 2016 she became part of the company’s sales team. As a Business Development Executive, Dolores is responsible for the company’s business development efforts in Latin America and Iberia and for developing and maintaining strong and lasting relationships with clients.
Let’s get to know her
What inspires you?
Nothing and everything at the same time. Every day I get inspired by different things. One day by my son or the sunshine, the next day by a potential deal which I didn’t expect, another day by the fact that it is Monday and I have a good week ahead …
What does an ordinary day at work look like?
My workday starts with a “mate” which is a bitter infusion that we drink here in Uruguay. Then I check my emails and I contact the Operations Team to coordinate any client or project needs with them. Afterward, I read the industry news, I contact companies that I want to start a relationship with, and I work on quotes. That’s what a normal day at work looks like.
What do you love more about your job and what is the biggest challenge?
I love it when clients come back to us saying that they loved the dubbing and subtitling we’ve created for them and when they compliment our services. The biggest challenge is to build a good relationship with them, since being in different countries poses some additional limitations.
What three characteristics are necessary for a person in a business development role?
You need to be extremely organized, have an eye for new opportunities, and be patient since it is not unusual for a new contract to take some time to conclude. I would also add that being attentive to the clients’ needs is an important asset for any business development role.
If you could share any advice that has helped you, what would that be?
Yes, two things. First of all: try to learn as much as possible from the people that know more than you; observe them as they talk with clients and try to put this into practice; and secondly: never, ever take anything for granted.
What do you like about working at Haymillian?
I like many things, but the one I like most is that Haymillian is a company that truly cares for its employees, and to me that’s priceless.
What would you like to accomplish within the next 5 years?
In the work sphere, I would like to be able to position Haymillian strongly in Latin America and continue to grow the business in the region, as well as, in Iberia.
What advice would you give to someone wishing to pursue a career in the localization industry?
I think that increasing one’s cultural insight offers a great advantage when trying to reach clients if one is working in sales. For translators, the best is to focus on one language and try to learn it and understand it as much as possible.
If you could turn back time, what would you do differently?
Hmm… I don’t like to think about what I would have done differently because it cannot be changed and I like to think that all my decisions, good or bad, were made for a good reason at the time I made them.
What motivated you to work in the translation industry as a subtitler?
To be honest, I started working as a subtitler by chance. I had returned from a year in Dublin and I needed a job, so I applied for a test at Haymillian and I passed it. And that’s how I started subtitling for a living.
Do you miss your subtitler’s days?
From time to time I like to help my sister Clara to subtitle a few minutes of a movie or two she is working on. But I love my job as it is now.
What is your favorite movie quote?
“I cross the street to walk in the sunshine”* is a quote I try to apply in my everyday life…
Which movie/TV series have you watched a million times?
Friends.
What do you love more about working in an international environment?
The fact that I am in constant contact with people from all around the world and I am always learning about their cities and their culture. I now want to travel to so many places that I will need another life to do so.
*Quote from the movie Eat, pray and love.
