3 Simple Yet Important Steps To Become an Interpreter


By Site Admin | Aug 19, 2019
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What major should I choose if I plan to be an interpreter? This question, although frequently asked, is quite irrelevant as interpreters do not need to major in anything, but need to minor in many things. This blog will show you 3 steps to prepare yourself for the interpreting profession.

 

1. Self-assessing

It is fantastic that you are proficient in multiple languages, but being a good interpreter is an entirely different story as it requires many factors that you need to revise and sharpen every day. Interpretation is a highly demanding job, but it is also interesting and full of development opportunities. If you are interested in meeting people, travelling and accuracy, this is a job opportunity you don’t want to miss out on. But if you have struggles dealing with stressful or unexpected situations, you may need to reconsider choosing interpreting as your primary profession.

 

2. Decide what kind of interpreter you want to be

Now you’ve made your mind up, you must next be aware of two dimensions of specialization: industry and type.

Industry refers to the event’s theme, such as economics, manufacturing, banking, healthcare, education, etc. There are way too many fields for you to become well-versed in so instead, it is advised that you need to pick out a couple of key industries to specialize in (finance, banking, etc. always pay well), however be aware that where the demand is high and the pay is good, supply often gets crowded out and you will be in a red ocean with fierce competition.

Types, such as business meetings, M&A meetings, exhibitions, factory visits, MC, etc., are the format of interpretation. You will also be required to be familiar with some vocabularies and etiquette specific to each type.

 

3. Expose yourself to real-world opportunities as soon as possible