John
Job Title
EU Translator
Company and location
Brussels
Industry sector
Language Services
Background
Bachelor degree course in languages (German with Spanish). Postgraduate studies in interpreting and translation. Four years as a staff translator for Siemens, a large electronics company in Germany. Six (successful!) years as a freelance translator in Germany. Staff translator at the EU since 1999.
How did you find working for Siemens compared with working for the EU? What were the main differences?
Both jobs have had their similarities. The environment at Siemens was fairly cosmopolitan, and the employment status was viewed as similar to that of a civil servant (although I gather things have changed since I left). The main differences are in the variety of languages and subject areas – at Siemens I dealt exclusively with German texts on computing and telecommunications; at the EU we cover a variety of languages and just about every subject relating to life in the EU.
What do you like most about your work?
Working from a variety of texts (from legislation to letters to technical reports) in a variety of languages. The challenge of getting a translation right. Being in an international environment. Doing my little bit for the EU.
What kind of skills do you need?
The ability to write. An analytical mind – being able to cut through the waffle and blurb, or correctly interpret a badly written text. Persistence - in finding the right term or phrase. Familiarity with the language you’re working from.
What are the advantages of working as a staff translator rather than a freelance?
A distinct division between working and private life. Stable income. The time to do sufficient research. At the EU in particular, opportunities to learn new languages (since working here, I have been able to learn, and now translate from, Greek and Turkish. I am currently learning Croatian.)
How are translators selected for recruitment by the EU institutions?
To work as a staff translator for the EU, you must have a university degree and an ability to translate, which you have to demonstrate by passing several entrance exams, both written and oral. These entrance exams take the form of competitions, organised by the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO). It is not essential to have a degree in languages or experience as a translator.
Anything you would like to add?
My careers teacher at school told me to avoid languages, since they offered no career opportunities. I’m glad to have proved him wrong!