Richard
Job Title
Freelance translator/interpreter
Company and location
Hertfordshire
Industry sector
Language Services
Background: Teaching and law
What does your job involve?
I translate from French, Spanish and Portuguese to English, translating various texts (legal, commercial, financial/economic, insurance, etc.). Occasional interpreting assignments (mostly law-related, e.g. in the Courts)
What skills and qualities are required for your job?
Translation: Excellent knowledge of the languages you are tranlsating from and English. Good English written style. Familiarity with subject-matter (in considerable detail). Good word-processing skills. Reliability and awareness of time constraints. Ability to work without supervision.
Interpreting: The first three above plus good oral and aural skills, and the ability to think quickly. Sympathetic approach to "clients".
What do you like most about your job?
Being my own boss, doing what I am best qualified to do, earning well
Do you have any advice for people entering a similar career to yours?
Language work is almost always "applied" rather than "pure", so you need to have knowledge of a specialist subject for which there is a demand for translation (e.g. medicine, law, engineering, electronics). Interpreting may involve a social, legal or commercial environment. For this reason the practitioners who find it easiest to
make a career in translation/interpreting are those who already have some background in another area of activity. You may need to be very patient while waiting for a breakthrough - but if you're good the work will come.