컬럼・조회수 33462
How did you become an interpreter?
It was not really by a choice. In 1996, I found myself without a job and near zero balance in my bank account. Not a good combination. With an MBA degree I was getting good at leaching off of my parents. I told them that I would one day find a great job and pay them back with hefty interest for all their troubles. I am not sure if it was my beautiful marketing skills or pure sympathy on their part; my parents let me loaf around for a few months on their sofa.
Around that time, I was combing through the Classifieds everyday trying to find something that an MBA can do. Natta, zilch, zippo, nothing came through. Then, one day I found an ad for Korean Translating job. I called and got the job. It was about translating some Korean financial documents into English. Wasn't really a job suited for MBA; especially not for an MBA who graduated with 3.9 GPA. But it paid money. Moreover, I liked the job. I enjoyed working with two languages at once. The subtle differences in the original and the finished work; the nuances that come alive in different contexts; the weight some words carried while others seemed so trivial. The work was scintillating. It was challenging and infinitely intriguing. Holy God, I found my calling. I loved it.
Since then, I signed on with various courts to be a court interpreter. Also, I signed on with a few interpreting agencies. I caught a big break when the State Department decided to hire me as a contract interpreter. As far as I know, the State Department is the most prestigious institutions for interpreters to work for. The State assignments really opened up my eyes and gave me broadened perspectives on the role of an interpreter. The assignments took me to various cities in the U.S. and allowed me to work with people who had varying backgrounds and interests.
Around that time, I was combing through the Classifieds everyday trying to find something that an MBA can do. Natta, zilch, zippo, nothing came through. Then, one day I found an ad for Korean Translating job. I called and got the job. It was about translating some Korean financial documents into English. Wasn't really a job suited for MBA; especially not for an MBA who graduated with 3.9 GPA. But it paid money. Moreover, I liked the job. I enjoyed working with two languages at once. The subtle differences in the original and the finished work; the nuances that come alive in different contexts; the weight some words carried while others seemed so trivial. The work was scintillating. It was challenging and infinitely intriguing. Holy God, I found my calling. I loved it.
Since then, I signed on with various courts to be a court interpreter. Also, I signed on with a few interpreting agencies. I caught a big break when the State Department decided to hire me as a contract interpreter. As far as I know, the State Department is the most prestigious institutions for interpreters to work for. The State assignments really opened up my eyes and gave me broadened perspectives on the role of an interpreter. The assignments took me to various cities in the U.S. and allowed me to work with people who had varying backgrounds and interests.