Career Videos

Video Transcript

If you are fluent in more than one language, you might qualify to join an elite workforce: Interpreters and Translators. They are needed anywhere cultures intersect. In courtrooms, schools, and health care offices… interpreters need to keep up with fast-talking speakers and signers who don’t realize how difficult it is to translate in real-time. Accuracy is vital, and interpreters must follow strict ethical guidelines to protect clients’ privacy. The opportunities can be quite varied, with jobs that take you to top-level business meetings one day, and school conferences the next. Translators spend more of their time in the office or working from home on assignments such as translating websites, operating manuals, and other written materials. They may need a special keyboard for different alphabets. For both interpreters and translators, the need for precision is paramount, as they are the link between those who wish to convey information… and those who need to understand it. A sensitivity to how cultural differences affect communication is essential to avoid embarrassing, or even dangerous, errors. Employers in these fields often look for a candidate with a bachelor’s degree in a foreign language or American Sign Language. These professionals build bridges to bring groups together that would otherwise remain separated.