Interpreters need to know the dates and times when their services will be needed so they can plan their schedules accordingly. Translators need to have deadlines, even if only tentative, so they can assign priorities. Do not expect work to be done overnight or even within a few days. The longer and more technical the text the longer the time required for a good translation. A surcharge may be levied for a rush job.
Most individuals can handle general material with minimal difficulty.
However, if your translation or interpretation assignment involves specialized terminology and industry knowledge, you will do well to seek out someone whose background and qualifications match your needs. For translation projects, it is helpful to provide as much information as possible about the documents and the intended audience. Be prepared to field questions regarding industry jargon, highly specialized terminology or text that is not clear in the source document. Specify clearly your timeline, any special formatting or desktop publishing expectations and how you would like the final translation to be delivered. With the advent of email, a large portion of translation work today is conveniently assigned and delivered electronically.