An interpreter explains the meaning behind a foreign tongue to a native speaker and vice versa. Interpretations can be made virtually due to technology growth.
Healthcare providers call on interpreters to increase understanding between patients and providers. Government agencies rely on interpreters to better serve the public and build stronger relationships within communities.
Being an interpreter is a demanding job: it takes skill, discipline and hard work. Professional interpreters often deal with difficult situations and have to maintain professionalism whilst thinking and speaking in different languages.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Being an Interpreter
Here are the pros and cons of being an interpreter:
Pros:
- Big demand as more companies conduct overseas business
- Exciting and rewarding work
- Make a positive difference in people’s lives
- Work with a variety of individuals and organisations
- Help people understand each other and communicate efficiently
Cons:
- Can be stressful
- Need extensive knowledge of multiple languages
- Maintaining professionalism is challenging
An interpreter plays a vital role in bridging linguistic gaps and ensuring clear, accurate communication.
Benefits of Being an Interpreter
Key benefits include:
- Provide accurate and reliable communication
- Convey messages faithfully
- Essential in settings like legal and medical fields
- Aid cultural understanding between parties
Working as an interpreter also allows you to:
- Travel globally and interact with diverse people
- Develop connections that aid future translation jobs
- Have flexibility to work from home
Career Prospects
The demand for interpreters has not decreased and positives of pursuing this career include:
- Prestige
- High earning potential
- In-demand profession
The significant benefit of an interpreted language is that it does not have to be compiled for each hardware target separately. However, the disadvantage is that it makes the code execution slower.
Interpreted code runs slower than compiled code because the interpreter must analyse and convert source code before execution.