What made you decide to go into translating and interpreting? Was it easy to find a job in this sector?
I remember coming to my final year at Bristol and still not knowing what I wanted to do in life. I didn’t want a job that would merely allow me to use my languages every now and then; I wanted to do something in which they would be the focal point. I started considering a career in translation. Then, after hearing more about interpreting from students doing the Masters in Interpreting and Translation at Bath University at a careers talk, I decided to apply. They accepted me and the year I spent at Bath confirmed that this was the career for me. When I came to the end of the Masters, I knew that if I wanted to both interpret and translate, I would have to become a freelancer. I also knew that it would be difficult to find steady interpreting work as I lacked experience and contacts. So, fuelled by the additional desire for a steady job (and salary!) after 5 years of study, I decided to go to Italy and look for an in-house translation job there. Shortly after arriving, I found a job working as a translator at a law firm. I was lucky to find work almost straight away and whilst this is no reflection of the labour market - especially in Italy where things are very difficult for a lot of young people at the moment - I do think there are still opportunities for qualified native English speakers, especially in Milan where a lot of international businesses are based.
How easy was it for you to find a job in which you could use your Italian?
As I was looking in Italy, very easy! As well as working with written Italian, translating documents into English and replying to emails, my job involved me speaking Italian all day, from having a chat at the coffee machine to asking lawyers for explanations of obscure Italian legal concepts, which was even more difficult over the phone! I even relied on my Italian to correct emails and letters written in (often poor) English, when trying to detangle the more puzzling phrases.
You currently interpret for the EU institutions; how are you finding this?
Challenging, especially as I’m still fairly new to the English booth, but extremely interesting. What’s great about interpreting in general is that it gives you the opportunity to learn all sorts of things you might otherwise never come across. At the European level, it also gives you little glimpses into what the institutions are doing at any given time and a better idea of how the EU operates as a whole. There are so many meetings on so many different topics, from Commission Directorate-General meetings on agriculture, customs and fisheries to Council of the EU meetings on the environment, air passenger rights and trade. Just when I think I’ve done a bit of everything, a meeting on something completely new pops up in my programme. I particularly like meetings on things that affect European citizens directly, such as air and rail passenger rights. A few weeks ago I was even in a forum organised for young people on youth unemployment, which is so relevant for our generation. As for the interpreting itself, it is challenging and can be a bit nerve-wracking, especially when you see a wave of people reach for their headphones when it’s your turn to work; there are usually several delegations listening to English interpretation, not just the UK and Ireland! However, it’s also incredibly satisfying when the message gets across. Another exciting aspect of interpreting for the European institutions is that it comes with travel opportunities. I haven’t been on any missions to anywhere really exotic but during the year that I was based in Italy after passing the accreditation test that you need to pass in order to freelance for the institutions, I went on missions to Latina, Rome and Catania.
What did you do on your year abroad? Did it influence your choice of career at all?
I spent the first four months of my year abroad doing Erasmus study in Bordeaux and the second half working at an agriturismo in the Chianti region of Tuscany. It was an agriturismo specialising in the production of wine - Chianti Classico, among others - so, as well as translating tourist information and taking care of guests, I gave wine tours and led wine tastings which was a lot of fun.
Graduate Interview with
Phoebe Murray
il dipartimento
Photography: Moyan Brenn - Flickr