Euan Borthwick

Could you briefly introduce yourself?

I’m Euan Borthwick, a graduate of the Intercultural Communication and Translation Master’s in 2019 and then the Conference Interpreting  Master’s in 2021. I’m currently a freelance independent conference interpreter FR<>EN and FR<GE, based in Paris.

Can you tell us about your academic and, if applicable, professional background up to your graduation from ISIT?

I came to ISIT in 2013 straight from an ES baccalaureate, following the curriculum which, at the time, was called MCT (Management, Communication and Translation) in order to enter the CIT Master’s program.  For this Master’s degree, I decided to take a gap year (MIPA) between my 4th and 5th year, in order to validate it by practicing my working languages: French, English and German. Finally, I went straight on to the Master’s degree in Conference Interpreting in the same languages, which I completed 2 years later.

In a few sentences, can you sum up the impact that ISIT’s Master in Conference Interpreting has had on your professional and personal life?

I’d wanted to become an interpreter since elementary school, but I didn’t really know how to go about it. I found out that ISIT offered a translation course, which I joined before embarking on my interpreting career. The teachers at ISIT advised me, enlightened me, reassured me and helped me to build myself up efficiently and to achieve what I had wanted since I started at the school. By giving me the right tools and the right advice, they enabled me to choose exactly the professional life I wanted, and my personal life has been all the better for it.

Can you describe your career path since graduating?

I’ve been working as a freelance interpreter for 2 years now. As a graduate of ISIT, one of the 2 specialist schools in Paris, I was able to meet and then join one of the 3 major interpreting secretariats in Paris, which opened doors to a large number of international and national institutions.

Within the first few weeks, I was able to work at the OECD, the Council of Europe, for certain ministries, and on the private market for major companies. Gradually, I made myself known to clients and colleagues, which enabled me to build up a network and accumulate more working days. As a result, I can now enjoy a routine that enables me to make a living from my work all year round, even when demand for interpreters is low (in January and August, for example).

What have been your most significant professional achievements since graduating from ISIT?

Being able to work for major international organizations, government ministries and companies in all areas of the private market is a great achievement in itself. It rewards the rigorous work you put into obtaining your diploma, which only recognizes interpreters who are capable of meeting these high expectations.

We sometimes joke about it, but passing academic exams can sometimes seem harder than high-level assignments. Everything is done to put us in conditions close to reality and to avoid us making serious mistakes in the professional world. Each new assignment is a source of experience and knowledge, of improvement, and some assignments seem more prestigious than others, but the simple fact of being well established in Paris, having an effective network and a professional and personal reputation that works in my favor is the best achievement I could dream of at this stage. As for names of stars, politicians or prestigious events, the rule is not to drop names!

What advice would you give to Master’s students in Conference Interpreting?

Conference Interpreting training is very demanding and can be dreaded by some. I would remind future applicants that we’ve all been there, and that no one goes into the admission tests and passes them thinking they’re already up to the job. In the light of what I’ve said above, I’d say to Conference Interpreting students that you should never give up hope. It’s true that this master’s degree is selective, but if you’re intimately passionate about interpreting, about using language as a direct bridge between the clients you have in front of you, and you’re not afraid to push yourself, to face stress and use it wisely, then you must persevere, even when you’re demoralized.

There is a certain amount of pressure in this master’s program, but it’s not aimed at selecting only the best and will be experienced less and less as a negative burden. The setbacks you encounter during your training are essential stages in your progress towards a diploma that will be a guarantee of quality and open doors to companies, institutions and administrations that need your linguistic services to interact with their environment.

In two or three years, your brain learns to perform a task it has never been asked to do before. It’s not natural, it’s not innate, but it’s not impossible. All it takes is practice, working on your languages, learning to manage stress, communicating well with your peers/colleagues and demonstrating professionalism in both know-how and interpersonal skills. Being an interpreter is a challenging but very rewarding job. Every day, every assignment is different, and it’s a job that allows us to learn constantly, to question ourselves constantly. You have to be rigorous, but above all you have to be passionate, and always feel a sense of pleasure in your work.

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