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How to become a Professional Interpreter?

The demand for foreign language interpreters has been increasing as the years pass. To make yourself even more competitive in the field, here are 5 key qualities every professional interpreter should have.  These are just as imperative to the question of how to become an interpreter.

So read on for more suggestions that you should adopt as you get your interpreter certification and strive to be a sought-after interpreter.

1. A professional interpreter must use emotional resilience

If you want to become a court interpreter for a murder trial, or if you have a medical interpreting certificate and work in a hospital or doctor’s office, it is possible that you’ll be exposed to images, language, or conversations that may be uncomfortable or even disturbing.  To remain professional, you need to remain composed in such circumstances and always be ready to adapt to difficult or upsetting situations in the future.

2. A professional interpreter must have excellent people skills

Even though a medical or  court interpreter should remain unbiased, conveying emotions and tones during a conversation is imperative. People have different personalities and as professional interpreter, you need to be able to become an effective extension of their personality through your verbal skills.  You can do this by making your voice louder or softer or injecting some of the emotion that the speaker has into your own interpretation.

3. A professional interpreter must have thorough knowledge of the relevant industry terminology

The healthcare or legal industry are known for their complicated terminology. Therefore, a medical interpreter course or a court interpreter certificate is required respectively.

An effective interpreter must be aware of the terminology of the field that he/she represents to have a contextually sound understanding of the conversation at hand.

4. Professional interpreters enjoy what they do

As many people claim ‘’If you don’t love your job, you are not going to be good at it!’’ Interpreters must realize that they not only convey messages between two people, but also connect two different cultures. Interpretation should not be considered just a job.  It is a meaningful service that is imperative to the success of many businesses, organizations, and people.  Show pride and find fulfillment in your work and the product will always be better for it!

5. Professional interpreters must be punctual

A trained interpreter is a professional who maintains professional behavior at all times while assisting clients. A professional interpreter must arrive 15 minutes before the appointment
 

 Get the necessary, in person training in order to become a competent professional interpreter. Register now for one of our interpreter training programs: Medical Interpreter TrainingLegal Interpreter Training or Community & Business Interpreter Training.

See the course schedule here:  Schedule >>>
Contact us for more information:
Phone: (617) 277-1990
Email: support@languageconnections.com

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