I’m just back from a whirlwind trip to Washington, DC. While there, I had the opportunity to meet with representatives of the language services from many international organizations. I was also able to connect with my counterparts at several different universities in North America.
In my informal conversations with colleagues, I heard a story being told over and over again, and I would like to now tell you about it.
Repeatedly during my stay, I listened as others described what happens to recent graduates of interpreter training programs as they seek work. This information came from a few different sources. Not only was the picture that emerged consistent from source to source, but it also resonated with the experiences I had when I was first starting out as an interpreter.
Let me try to map out the process in a few short steps. It’s a pattern that other newly minted interpreters have used to establish themselves in their careers, and it just might work for you.
Step 1: Build Connections
When you are starting out, you need to get yourself out there. You need to let those who are likely to hire you know that you exist. This might mean contacting a cultivated list of consultant interpreters. It might also mean setting your sights on some of the big international organizations. In the latter case, you will have to pass their accreditation exams before they will consider hiring you. And it may take you several kicks at the can before you can do this. But seek out opportunities to make meaningful contact with chief interpreters and heads of booths. For example, if they speak at careers-day events, attend meetings of professional associations, or if they participate in industry conferences, find a respectful way to approach them. Don’t push, and don’t harass. But do be aware that you need to build connections. People can’t direct work to you if they don’t know you’re there in the first place.
Step 2: Irons in the Fire
At the start, you won’t have enough interpreting work to sustain yourself. So you will need to exercise other options to make ends meet. Do you have a background in translation? Can you make this work for you? Are there other skill sets that you can leverage? Your strategy here is to get enough money coming in from other sources to sustain yourself while you give your interpreting career a chance to take root. When I finished my training program, my personal finances were exhausted. Eventually, I got lucky. There was an offer of a staff interpreter position that was put on the table. But it didn’t happen right away, and I needed income. So I actually signed up with a temping agency. I got (rather boring) gigs temping in various private- and public-sector offices. But in between, I was able to fit the few conference interpreting assignments that found their way to me. These first few assignments gave me a chance to build up my skill set, while the temping work put a roof over my head.
Step 3: Be Ready for Your Opportunity
As the newbie, the consultant interpreters and heads of service won’t exactly have you on speed dial. You’re going to be on the bottom of the list. Consequently, you are not going to get a lot of offers. But bide your time. Sooner or later, a big windfall will hit. A really big conference will blow into town. All the international organizations will have a general assembly at the same time. At times like these, organizers quickly exhaust their lists of the usual suspects, and they will be desperate to cobble together complete teams for their events. It’s at this point that most of them will be willing to take a chance on an unknown quantity. Make sure you are available when the call comes. You may have to clear your calendar and juggle some other obligations. But you do need to seize your opportunity when it comes. It would definitely pay to keep an eye on the work cycles of the large organizations and on upcoming large-scale conferences. This will help you time things right.
Step 4: Your Time to Shine
When you do get that call, make sure you are able to do your absolute best work. Prepare your documentation strategically. Build your glossary for the assignment, and commit it to memory. Read up on the work of the client, so that you know as much as possible about nuclear safety, pandemic preparedness, foreign direct investment, or whatever the topic of the day should be. Practice good self-care. Get a proper night’s sleep. Exercise. Eat healthy foods. Do everything in your power to create winning conditions for yourself. This is your time to shine, and you can’t afford to blow it. Your first time at bat with a particular consultant interpreter or chief interpreter, you had better believe that your end clients won’t be the only ones listening to you.
Step 5: Keep at It
After you get that first big break, your problems won’t be over immediately. You may in fact need to “rinse and repeat” steps one through four. Don’t lose hope. It takes most of us more than a few turns of the hamster wheel before things really take off. But every successful conference interpreter out there today went through this process, and they were eventually able to establish themselves in the profession.
Unfortunately, interpreting isn’t the sort of profession where you can finish your degree and land full-time employment before both feet have even left the university campus. Sure, there are staff positions out there, but they are fewer in number than they were in the past. But this does not mean that there are no opportunities waiting for you.
To seize them, you will need to have a plan firmly in place. Sit down and commit some ideas to paper. How will you build your connections? What will your strategy be in this regard? What “irons in the fire” can you cultivate while you are waiting for interpreting to take off? Answer questions like these by formally drawing up a concrete plan. You’ll find the transition to your career path less stressful as a result.