The more I do this job, the longer I could make the following list, because no two days are ever the same. I tried, however, to limit it to just the ones that repeat themselves most often. Let’s get down to it:
1. It’s one of the very few jobs where you get paid for swearing. On many occasions I had to use the foulest language at Court (when the defendant is convicted) or at a Police station (drunk suspects, intensive questioning). I won’t lie, it’s a pretty unique experience to look at a roomful of people and direct insults at them speaking in first person to the microphone. Sure, you get used to it pretty quickly, but I can’t think of many other jobs where you can get away with it.
2. Never drink ice-cold water before or during the job, especially on an empty stomach. You just don’t. Otherwise your stomach will start speaking out at the most inappropriate moment, making the strangest of sounds. Yeah, it’s quite funny, but usually not for you.
3. Bring some distractions with you to the assignments. Most of the jobs require at least some waiting around (it could even be a whole day in Court) so be prepared for down time. I never leave my house without my Kindle, so travelling or sitting around the waiting lounge is always more pleasurable with a good book.
4. You’ll have a perfectly normal conversation with someone right after interpreting for them in the most intimate contexts. It took me a while to get used to joking around with a client before and after an appointment at an oncology ward or psychotherapy session. It’s good. Once you learn when to switch between the “professional” mode and reality, it releases the tension like a charm and helps the client relax.
5. You get recorded or filmed somewhere almost daily. All suspect interviews, and court proceedings, most private medical appointments and many conferences are usually videotaped or voice recorded. Make sure you dress appropriately and take good care of your voice.
6. People offer you lifts, gifts, food, drink invites. Interpreting is a very sociable profession, and after you have helped your client in a stressful official situation, many times in gratitude they offer you transport, want to buy you a beer or invite you over to their house. Obviously, you usually have to turn all of these down, but simply knowing the offer is there makes you feel it was a job well done.
7. When you’re starting out, always appear like you’re busy and know and seen it all. Somehow, it always brings more business, gives the people you work with the idea that you know what you are doing, puts you in a position to negotiate better rates, the list goes on… One of my university lecturers once told me that you need to first pretend to be a pro in order to become one. Wise words indeed.
8. After some time in the translation business or researching interpreting assignments, your browser history looks dodgy at best. Only last month I translated, among others, an Italian fashion website, a chemotherapy report and interpreted in a sexual assault court case. Then, when looking something up in my browser history the other day I came across “male erotic underwear”, “testicle cancer treatment” and “maximum penalty rape UK”. Without proper context it can create an interesting image of you as a user.
If you are a fellow interpreter reading this, is your experience similar? Or maybe I have missed something important here? Feel free to let me know.