Borders are disappearing more and more and companies and organizations are becoming increasingly international. As a result, translations are needed more often. Those who do not want to deal with foreign languages on a permanent basis look for interpreters or translators for these tasks. There are many large companies in this area, such as Alphatrad Austria – a translation agency in Vienna – that translate documents of all kinds into a wide variety of languages. But what is the difference between the two jobs? And what qualifications are required?
Interpreter or Translator?
A major difference is that the interpreter translates orally and on site, for example at conferences, meetings or conversations, usually from the foreign language into the native language. They therefore almost always work live and in front of an audience. These translations are often known from television, where during important events the interpreter translates the texts live on camera. Interpreters need strong powers of concentration as well as great mental resilience. If mistakes or hesitations occur, they cannot be undone.
Translators, on the other hand, transfer written texts into a foreign language or from a foreign language into their native language. This is less about speed or quick reaction and more about accuracy and meticulousness. It is often important to render the technical or cultural context optimally for the target audience. If you read a legal text in German, it quickly becomes clear what experience is required to translate such content.
However, when choosing between these branches of the profession, one must be aware that the chances of finding a permanent position as an interpreter or translator are very small. The majority of this professional group work freelance. Anyone who wants to build a livelihood in this field should have a fair amount of self-promotion skills as well as some business management know-how. Interpreters must be adaptable, resilient and possess a polished manner. Translators, by contrast, must be prepared to work quickly and thoroughly into various specialist fields. The chosen language combination is very important in any case, because English is and remains the most frequently requested language. If you want to find and establish a niche, exotic languages are a good choice.
Job as a Translator at Alphatrad Austria
At the translation agency Alphatrad Austria, the minimum requirement for collaboration as a freelance translator is training as a translator or interpreter and at least 5 years of full-time experience. In Austria you need a completed degree in the humanities and cultural studies as part of translator and interpreter training. Alphatrad also works only according to the mother-tongue principle – which means that translations are always done into the native language, even if the foreign language is very well mastered. Alphatrad employs around 3,500 freelance translators from all over the world and is currently very busy. If you still want to apply to Alphatrad, you can apply online at the following page: www.duction.com
