In the 21st century, people’s perceptions have changed in almost every way. Several decades ago, women with sex appeal, good looks and seductive smiles became actresses, air-hostesses, receptionists or models. These jobs now offer little challenge, excitement or opportunity for advancement for an enterprising young woman. And these professions can hardly satisfy the intellectual appetite of today’s beauties with brains who want a career that requires more than looking good, smiling beguilingly and charming clients.
An Arousing Position
If you find yourself in this position, have a good educational background, can speak two languages with fluency and think simultaneously, why not become a translator or an interpreter? Of course, a charming personality is an added bonus. But what exactly does an interpreter do and what is required to become an interpreter? You may also ask, why is becoming an interpreter or translator better than any other job?
The Perfect Figures
U.S Department of Labor finds that the job demand for interpreters and translators will increase by 46 percent from 2012 -22, whereas the average growth rate for all other occupations will remain a mere 11 percent. These figures alone provide an appealing enticement.
This demand for interpreters and translators is understandable. Due to globalization and the increasing trend of migration to the U.S, the number of non-English-speaking people in the U.S will steadily increase. Many immigrants, businesses and law firms need translation services. Not only in the U.S will this trend occur, but all over the world, providing an opportunity for travel and adventure.
Private Lessons or University Degree?
As an interpreter you will mainly interpret and translate a speaker’s words in business meetings, court proceedings, international conferences and seminars. To perform, interpreters must have a complete mastery over their native tongue as well as the target language. In spite of what you may think, a language degree is probably the least suitable degree for an interpreter. Since significant international conferences address social and political issues, a degree in law, economics, international affairs or political science offers an attractive background.
Interpreters and translators are needed in financial institutions, schools, hospitals and courtrooms. Often experience in business, a technical trade or a medical field can increase your value and open doors to additional opportunities and exciting experiences with new people and places.
Do It for the Money
Translators and interpreters usually make more than $21 per hour, with their yearly wages exceeding $40,000. Many translators and interpreters make over $100,000 per year. As an added bonus, they may travel throughout the country and around the world.
If you want to become a simultaneous interpreter, you will probably need specialized education and several years of training to become good. If hired by a translation firm, you will receive some on-job training. At first you will have small assignments before being sent to high profile meetings, conferences and legal proceedings, which demand experience and highly developed skills.
So, yes, the effort is worth it! The money and the added perks of travel and meeting, working and socializing with powerful people in excitement-charged places offers seductive attractions.
Love It for the Adventure
If you want an adventurous lifestyle and are looking to inject excitement into your career, interpreting might be right for you. Because local qualified interpreters who are available at a moment’s notice are hard to find, even in large cities, interpreters frequently assume temporary assignments across the country or around the world. You’ll work hard and you’ll play hard; the pace and expanse of your adventurous pursuits will allow you see and enjoy new places and exciting people such as CEO’s and foreign dignitaries.
Mingle with the Famous, Rich and Powerful
If you’ve ever dreamed of rubbing shoulders with business leaders, foreign dignitaries and other prominent people, you might find a job as an interpreter right for you. You will have opportunities to interact directly with the movers and shakers of society, often dining with them in hot spots and sitting alongside them in boardrooms, meeting halls and high-end night clubs where you will be passionately interpreting their ideas.
Success Is Calling You
You will be surprised to know that some of the most successful interpreters never planned to enter this career. Thus they have no special degrees to flaunt but they do have the right skills.
In addition to linguistic facility, interpreters must know current affairs and have good analytical skills. Because they work differently from translators, interpreters must analyze everything they hear so that they can communicate an accurate sense of the meaning to others in a linguistically and culturally intelligible context.
Flexibility and Adaptability Are Essential
Since the work environment of interpreters changes after they complete each specific assignment and each work environment tends to be unique, you must adapt easily to new people and situations to be successful. You must also quickly understand the subject, as well as the strange accents and styles of multiple speakers in a conference. Your attention span must be longer than the average person’s, since you can lose the thread of conversation in a brief moment of inattention, which may confuse everyone present. Apart from these skills, you must feel confident to face the public. In even the most stressful situations, you must remain calm and collected for the benefit of the listeners.
When you master these skills, you can pick and choose among jobs and take only the most appealing ones. This is a career you can make as adventurous, passionate, exciting and lucrative as you wish. The choice is yours. Are you sexy enough to take the risk?