14438_ITI_Career_Bulletin_2017_v2 (5)

interpreting
Interpreting – a snapshot
International conference, business and legal interpreter Kirsty
Heimerl-Moggan explains why interpreting is her perfect job
Kirsty Heimerl-
Moggan has
worked as an
international
conference,
business and legal
interpreter since
1994. Her
interpreting
experience includes
G8 and EU
meetings. She is a
senior lecturer and
course leader for
the MA in
Conference
Interpreting at the
University of Central
Lancashire and a
director and
headtrainer at
Interp-Right Training
Consultancy.
Interpreting has been all I ever wanted
to do and, in over 20 years in this
profession, I have never regretted my
pursuit of my dream. It is one of the
most exciting professions I can think
of. No two days are ever the same and
interpreters travel, meet people from all
walks of life and are privy to some of
the most interesting events and
happenings.
There are three main categories of
interpreting work: conference
interpreting, business interpreting and
public service interpreting (sometimes
referred to outside the UK as
community interpreting).
Conference interpreters can be
hired as in-house staff interpreters by
large international organisations such
as the UN and EU, or they can be
freelancers working at international
events and conferences, as well as at
political events, European Works
Councils or trade fairs.
Business interpreters interpret for
business people, often at smaller
meetings or business negotiations.
They are something of a hybrid form,
as this work is sometimes undertaken
by conference interpreters or public
service interpreters.
Public service interpreters work
in a whole array of settings – legal (e.g.
for the police, courts and the Crown
Prosecution Service), health (e.g. in
hospitals and for GPs) and local
government (e.g. job centres,
education and housing).
If your appetite has been whetted,
your next question might be: How do I
become an interpreter?
Conference interpreters are
expected to have an MA in Interpreting
(sometimes called an MA in Interpreting
& Translation, European Masters in
Interpreting or similar). These are
offered by many universities in the UK
and abroad.
There is no specific university
training for business interpreters, who
tend to have trained as conference
and/or public service interpreters.
Public service interpreters generally
obtain the Diploma in Public Service
Interpreting (DPSI), an MA in Public
Service Interpreting (offered by some
universities) or a similar qualification
from abroad.
I recommend that you do what I did
and train to undertake as many types of
interpreting as possible. As my father
once told me: ‘Interpreting is the perfect
job for you: you are nosy, you like
listening in to other people’s
conversations and you love talking –
and now you are paid for doing it!’
16 ITI BULLETIN CAREERS SPECIAL
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