Conference Interpreter

What does a conference interpreter do?

• Simultaneous interpretation:
  Sitting in a soundproof booth, the interpreter listens to the speaker through headphones and immediately expresses their message in another language into a microphone. The technical installation transmits this interpretation to the headphones worn by the listeners. Today, interpreters are also required to interpret remotely for speakers during hybrid or online meetings.
• Consecutive interpreting:
  The interpreter is present in the room alongside the speaker, listens to and takes notes on the speech and then renders it in another language at the end of the speech.
• Whispered interpreting:
  Whispered interpreting is simultaneous interpreting without a booth. The interpreter, seated close to their listeners (one or two at most), interprets in real time in a low voice.
• Preparation:
  Before each assignment, interpreters must gather information about the content of the meeting or conference where they will be working in order to familiarize themselves with the subject, the speakers, and to understand the issues at stake. Usually, terminology preparation is also necessary.

What are their main skills?

• Interpersonal and communication skills
• Fluency in several languages and in interpreting techniques
• Excellent general knowledge
• Strong analytical and summarizing skills

What are the main interpersonal skills required of a conference interpreter?

• Empathy
  These professionals must demonstrate empathy in order to put themselves in the speaker’s shoes and grasp the full nuance of their message. These nuances are conveyed not only through words, but also through the context of the conference, the speaker’s tone of voice, and even their body language.
• Curiosity
  This profession requires deep intellectual curiosity and an interest in national and international political, cultural, and economic affairs. Interpreters must thoroughly research the subject matter of the conference or discussion they will be interpreting.
• Endurance
  Simultaneous interpreting requires a high level of concentration, as interpreters must receive, understand, digest, and reproduce information at a rate of approximately 150 words per minute. This is why interpreters take turns approximately every 30 minutes, or even more frequently when working remotely.
• Communication
  In interpreting, communication is immediate and involves interaction between speakers, delegates, and interpreters. This profession is therefore both language-related job and communication-related.

What are the working environment and status like?

Freelance conference interpreters are hired on short-term contracts for specific assignments and by successive clients. They are thus required to interpret on a variety of subjects and work with a wide range of correspondents

• international organizations
• ministries
• public and private sector companies, including the media
• associations
• professional conference organizers, etc.

Staff interpreters work for a single employer, usually an international organization, for which they have most often been recruited by passing a competitive examination. They enjoy a regular income but have less freedom to organize their work than freelance interpreters. Consultant interpreters recruit teams of interpreters for the needs of a particular client or event.

Remuneration

Range of remuneration at the start of a career:

An interpreter’s income varies according to their status and the intensity of their activity and depends on the interpreter’s language combination, their professional domicile, and the quality of their work. In international organizations:

• The daily remuneration of a freelance interpreter starting out, net of social security contributions and tax, is approximately €330.
• The daily remuneration of an experienced freelance interpreter, net of social security contributions and tax, is approximately €420.

Career prospects

Over the course of their careers, interpreters broaden their areas of expertise and the range of clients or recruiters they work for. They can also expand their language combination by adding new working languages.

They may also choose to become international civil servants after passing competitive examinations organized by the language services of international organizations (OECD, NATO, UN, European Union, etc.). This gives them the opportunity to advance their careers to managerial functions.

They may also choose to become Consultant interpreters, advising private companies or events agencies which organize high-level multilingual events. Their role is to provide a team of interpreters to answer the needs of the specific event.