Translation and Interpreting
This page has been designed to give a starting point for those looking into careers in translation and interpretation.
What is translation and interpreting?
Translators convert written material from one or more languages ('source languages') into their mother tongue ('target language').
Translators usually need an excellent command of two or more languages and normally work with the official languages of the European Union and the United Nations.
Interpreters convert spoken statements from one language to another in various settings. Interpreters facilitate effective communication between clients. For example: international events and conferences, court hearings and police interviews (Prospects).
Prospects
Prospects is a graduate careers website with job profiles including,
interpreter, translator.
www.prospects.ac.uk/types_of_jobs_information_services
European Commission
The European Commission's Directorate-General for Translation is the largest translation service in the world. Find out information about career opportunities, as well as definitions of translation and interpreting.
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/translation/index_en.htm
Institute of Translation and Interpreting
Click on Getting Stated for downloadable guides for careers in translation and interpreting. This site also includes a directory of Translators and Interpreters.
www.iol.org.uk
Chartered Institute of Linguists
Find-a-Linguist service, use this to find translators, interpreters, and language tutors or industry and commerce language specialists.
www.iol.org.uk/linguist/default.as
How do I get into it?
Getting started in the translation and interpreting industries can be tough. The competition is fierce and only the really skilled, professional and business-like will succeed.
Translation and interpreting opportunities do exist in Sussex. The main community languages used in Brighton & Hove are Arabic, Bengali, Cantonese, Farsi, French, Mandarin, Portuguese, Polish and Turkish. Organisations such as Brighton and Hove City Council make use of translation and interpreting services including:
Sussex Interpreting Services (SIS)
This is an independent social enterprise and charitable company working to relieve the poverty of individuals from Black and Minority Ethnic communities (BME) by providing community interpreting and translation, communication services, confidential advice, assistance and information.
www.sussexinterpreting.org.uk/
For more information read our pages on the Sussex and South East labour market and Finding work in Sussex and the South East.
The following links to information in this section will answer many of the questions that arise when embarking on this demanding but rewarding career. (Institute of Translation and Interpreting).
Chartered Institute of Linguists
Information about qualifications.
www.iol.org.uk/qualifications
Association Internationale des Interpretes de Conference (AIIC)
Routes into conference interpreting.
www.aiic.net/Vega
Look for courses at the university
See the courses database for University of Brighton courses in this area
http://courses.brighton.ac.uk/
Finding a job or employer in this sector
EU Careers
Opportunities in European Institutions.
http://europa.eu/
Chartered Institute of Linguists
This section of the website details current vacancies.
www.iol.org.uk/jobs/default.asp
Multilingualvacancies.com
Job board solely focusing on language
positions.
www.multilingualvacancies.com
Top Language Jobs
Top Language Jobs is an specialised online job board for language jobs in London, UK, and Europe.
www.toplanguagejobs.co.uk
Times Higher Educational Supplement
United Nations
This is the United Nations website. They have a vacancy section with jobs in this sector.
www.un.org
VLS Languages
A local company recruiting translators and interpreters in a wide variety of languages
www.vlslanguages.com/recruitment
See our webpages on looking for work
Further Information and Useful Links
Prospects
- Using your language skills www.prospects.ac.uk/links/languages
Institute of Translation and Interpreting
The comprehensive ITI website includes downloadable guides to getting started in translation and interpreting, lists of courses and how to work freelance.
www.iti.org.uk/indexMain.html
Chartered Institute of Linguists
The Institute serves the interests of professional linguists throughout the world and acts as a respected language assessment and accredited awarding body.
www.iol.org.uk
Languages Work
This website is the on-line information portal supporting a wide range of products designed to show the true value of languages in the workplace and beyond.
EUROPA
The European Union Online.
http://europa.eu
The Translators Association
Specialist group of the Society of Authors. Their website has details of how to become a member and benefits of the association.
www.societyofauthors.org/
Lingo24
Lingo24 would like more graduates to enter translation and the language services industry in general, and to this end has created a career guide to translation for languages graduates.
www.lingo24.com/careerguide.html