Be a Successful Phone Interpreter
The field of phone interpretation is growing as we become more globally connected and live and work in multi-ethnic societies. There are advantages and challenges to phone interpreting as any other profession. One big plus is you can work from home. You have flexibility with work hours. It's also rewarding to build bridges between different cultures and languages. The main challenge is getting clear communication across based solely on auditory responses ... not so easy when about 70% of human communication is non-verbal. Still, with practice and experience, anyone with multilingual skills can become good interpreters.
Steps
- Take some classes on how to be a professional interpreter. Becoming certified is even better. There are rules and proper methods to interpreting. Without some training, you will likely make many mistakes and that means complaints about you and no more calls from your interpreting agency.
- Have a phone line just for interpreting purpose only. Good to have three-way calling capability as this need comes up time to time and increases your chance of getting more work.
- Create a quiet, organized working space. You don't want dogs barking or kids crying in the background while you are on the phone.
- As you interpret, write down certain information because you might be asked to repeat back to clarify what was stated. Afterwards, it would be wise to shred sensitive information you may have gotten while interpreting. Also, any information you interpret is confidential so don't share it with anyone such as a friend or a family member.
- Interpret verbatim but keep in mind that in certain languages, the word-for-word approach ends up confusing and nonsensical. If a word or phrase is unfamiliar, do not guess or skip it. Although an interpreter may be afraid to come across incompetent, it's the best policy to acknowledge what you don't know and ask for explanation. Most people are nice and understanding... even the attorneys!
- Don't assume, guess, or have preconceived notions about people or issues being interpreted. This is essential to being a neutral, fair, and effective interpreter.
- Always be courteous, neutral, and calm regardless of attitudes of other parties involved in the interpreting process. After all, you are dealing with people and they may have those "bad mood" days. Sometimes, you may interpret for people who have been involved in traumatic auto accidents. That means high emotions are normal occurrences.
- Continually educate yourself. Learn new terms and developments in the field (e.g., medical, legal, corporate, etc.) you specialize in or other areas, as it makes you more marketable.
- Maintain good working relationships with interpreting agencies. Be dependable and honest. Be available and be on time for appointments. Remember, they hire you and pay you.
Tips
- Study and practice your phone speaking patterns by recording yourself.
Things You'll Need
- Telephone
- Quiet and distraction-free work space
- Pen and notepad
- Dictionary for reference
