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MARI HODGES

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TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETING EXPERIENCE

FREELANCE TRANSLATOR AND INTERPRETER

Translation

  • Work Rules and other employment policies
  • employment agreements and other contracts
  • CSR and Sustainability Reports
  • advertisements and marketing material
  • trade show and showroom material
  • press releases, company pamphlets and webpages
  • news and culture articles, etc.
  • Exhibition Guide, brochures, displays and press releases for EXPO 2005, AICHI, JAPAN Toyota Group Pavilion

Interpreting

  • Corporate meetings, import/export, tourism, property rental, dance instruction, etc.

RELEVANT WORK EXPERIENCE

CANON ARGENTINA, S.A. Buenos Aires, Argentina (2001 - 2004)
  • Translated and managed flow of product information in Japanese and English to Spanish for product launch.
  • Coordinated extranet development with Spanish-speaking team, making presentations and proposals to management in Japanese and Spanish.
  • Managed local technical service staff, reporting to Japanese management.
  • Composed employee communications from Japanese management in Spanish.
NIHON KEIZAI SHIMBUN AMERICA, INC., New York, NY (1998 - 2001)
  • Developed and wrote employment policies and procedures, job descriptions and evaluations.
  • Trained and advised managers on sexual harassment, equal opportunity law and interview techniques in Japanese.
  • Performed human resource function for local and Japanese employees, including counseling, employee benefits and interviewing, reporting to management in Japanese.
CANON USA, INC., IMAGING SYSTEMS GROUP, SERVICE DIVISION, Lake Success, NY (1997 - 1998)
  • Translated photocopier technical diagnostic material from Japanese to English.
  • Performed consecutive and simultaneous interpretation at diagnostics, training, business and business strategy related conferences.
  • Trained Japanese and local personnel and management in use of database developed jointly with Japanese team.
TOYOTA MOTOR CORP., BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIV. AERO-BUSINESS DEPT., Tokyo, Japan (1993 - 1996)
  • Conducted market research, quantitative analysis and presentations on aviation industry issues in Japanese.
  • Drafted international contracts in English from Japanese drafts for joint ventures and product development.
  • Translated, wrote and edited biweekly newsletter for directors and other departments.
  • Interpreted for top executives and directors.
  • Trained staff in computer use on Japanese system.
JAPAN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, Los Angeles, CA (1992 - 1993)
  • Assisted association members (Japanese and American executives) in Japanese and English.
  • Drafted correspondence in English.
PEBBLE BEACH COMPANY, Pebble Beach, CA
  • Greeted, directed and provided information for Japanese and other tour groups as bilingual concierge.
NHK (JAPAN NATIONAL BROADCASTING) & DIRECT CINEMA, Los Angeles, CA (1990 - 1991)
  • Performed leading role in English educational videos in Japanese, explaining points of English grammar.
TORRANCE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, Torrance, CA (1990)
  • Taught beginning Japanese to elementary school teacher assistants.

EDUCATION & CREDENTIALS
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
B.A. in Sociology, summa cum laude (1993)

Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan
UCLA Education Abroad Program (1991 – 1992)

Professional Certifiations:
JETRO Business Japanese Proficiency Test: Level 1 (most advanced)

Cornell University School of Industrial & Labor Relations, Human Resources Certificate (2000)