Birthdays tend to be a time for reflection, don’t you think?
For my birthday, I’d like to reflect on my career as an interpreter and share with you a few reasons why I love my job.
1. The endless surprises. I still get excited every time I receive an email for an interpreting assignment because I never know which location is going to pop up next.
2. Working with colleagues. Sharing your booth with a nice, empathetic colleague makes the work so much easier and more fun. I can’t express my gratitude at having a partner who will suggest a word here and there or actually go and grab a coffee for me while I’m interpreting. Thank you!
3. Travelling to unconventional places. I’ve worked in all kinds of interesting locations from CERN in Geneva (the birthplace of the World Wide Web) to a salt mine in Cluj Napoca in Romania, a Porto wine cellar in Portugal and a Fragonard perfumery in Grasse France. Interpreting is a great opportunity for sightseeing!
4. It never gets boring. You could be staying in the most luxurious, 5-star hotel one night and a 1-star hotel the next. While it’s always fun and interesting, it also keeps you motivated, humble and grateful.
5. The wide range of thought-provoking topics. I have the pleasure of interpreting all sorts of intriguing topics on a regular basis, ranging from sports to finance to fashion to pharma. It’s never dull and you get to learn so many things each day. It feels very enriching.
An Oriental proverb quite aptly states, Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life!
Now you know why I love being an interpreter, I’d love to hear why you do too!
Can you add anything to my list?