Entry Level Qualification 

12

Career Fields 

Education & Teaching

For Specially Abled 

,

Career Entrance Exam 

SSC JHT

About Career 

Translator/ Interpreter is a specialist who knows more than one language and translates one language orally or by written means to the other language. This profile can be divided into:

1. Translator: 

Translator is a specialist who translates written text from one language to another. A translator has a good ability to understand the source language along with basic knowledge of that country. Also, they have a good command over the language in which the text is to be translated. They also have a wide vocabulary of the target language. So apart from linguistic and cultural knowledge, they must be good at writing too. Majority of the translator only translate from one language to another and not vice versa although they know both languages. In most cases, they translate into their mother tongue or 1st language only.

2. Interpreter: 

Interpreter is a language specialist who translates orally from one language to another. An interpreter has a good ability to hear and comprehend language instantaneously. He or she is a good orator too and has good translation speed without any external help. An interpreter also interprets language in both ways. As an interpreter you will listen to the oral source, you will simultaneously translate it in your mind and speak out it in a new language.

As a translator/ interpreter you will be working in different sectors. Some of you will work for embassies, cultural bodies, museums, inter-cultural organisations, etc. While others may work with official government agencies where 2 more languages are officially used, MNCs, newspaper, publishing houses, hospitality, travel and aviation sectors.

Key roles and responsibilities

As a translator/interpreter, depending on your profile, you would have the following roles and responsibilities:

Translator

1. You will be handed daily tasks of translating from source language to target language.

2. You will maintain a daily record of translation.

3. You will send the written translated work to the person in charge.

4. You will read the source material and research about industry-specific terminology.

5. You will use a dictionary and other resources to get more information.

6. You will convert both text and audio sources.

7. You will ensure that the translated text conveys the same original meaning and tone.

Interpreter

1. You will be responsible for providing interpretation between two people or bodies/ agencies.

2. You will be responsible for handling communication in two languages simultaneously.

3. You will assist both parties who do not speak a common language in understanding each other.

4. You will translate into both languages at the same time.

Career Entry Pathway 

Class 10 all subjects as per scheme of studies – Class 11-12 with any subject as per scheme of studies – UG in language of your interest – PG in language of your interest – Ph.D. in language of your interest

After Class 11-12 with any subject as per scheme of studies, study for an undergraduate degree in language of your interest (Honours or specialisation is an advantage) followed by a master’s degree in Arts stream in Language of your interest. After a Master’s Degree, you can take a Ph.D. in the language of your interest.

Class 10 all subjects as per scheme of studies – Class 11-12 with any subject as per scheme of studies – UG in language of your interest – PG in language of your interest – M.Phil. in language of your interest

After Class 11-12 with any subject as per scheme of studies, you can study any stream in your higher secondary school and then study for an undergraduate degree in language of your interest (Honours or specialisation is an advantage) followed by a master’s degree in Arts stream in Language of your interest. After a Master’s Degree, you can take a M.Phil. in the language of your interest.

Class 10 all subjects as per scheme of studies – Class 11-12 with any subject as per scheme of studies – UG in language of your interest – PG/ PG Diploma in language of your interest

After Class 11-12 with any subject as per scheme of studies, you can study any stream in your higher secondary school and then study for an undergraduate degree in language of your interest (Honours or specialisation is an advantage) followed by a master’s degree/ Diploma in Arts stream in Language of your interest.

Class 10 all subjects as per scheme of studies – Class 11-12 with any subject as per scheme of studies– UG in language of your interest

After Class 11-12 with any subject as per scheme of studies, you can study any stream in your higher secondary school and then study for an undergraduate degree in language of your interest (Honours or specialisation is an advantage). If you are learning an international language, then now you can give a language proficiency test conducted by various approved bodies like Alliance Francaise for French.

Class 10 all subjects as per scheme of studies – Class 11-12 with any subject as per scheme of studies – UG in any subject – Certificate in your language of interest – Post Diploma in your language of interest

After Class 11-12 with any subject as per scheme of studies, you can study any stream in your higher secondary school and then study for an undergraduate degree in any subject. Simultaneously along with your studies, you can take a certificate course in language of your interest. And then study for a Post Diploma course in same language. If you are learning an international language, then now you can give a language proficiency test conducted by various approved bodies like Alliance Francaise for French. Note that many International institutes like Max Muller (for German) do not offer Certificate or Diploma rather Levels like Level I, Level II, etc. in the language.

Required Qualification & Competencies 

To become a Translator or an Interpreter, you should at least have a Bachelor degree in the language in which you want to become an expert. Master’s degree is also often useful. For translation, you should master both the languages, that the language to translate from and the language to translate to (often called the source/original language and translation language). You may also learn a language by attending successive levels of proficiency. Some of the languages in which it is easier to find an opportunity are:

1. Assamese

2. Bengali

3. Chinese

4. English

5. French

6. German

7. Gujarati

8. Hindi

9. Italian

10. Japanese

11. Kannada

12. Malayalam

13. Marathi

14. Odiya

15. Punjabi

16. Spanish

17. Tamil

18. Telugu

19. Urdu

COMPETENCIES REQUIRED

Interests

1. Investigative: You should have interests for Investigative Occupations. Investigative occupations involve working with ideas and quite a lot of thinking, often abstract or conceptual thinking. These involve learning about facts and figures; involve use of data analysis, assessment of situations, decision making and problem solving.

2. Artistic: You should have interests for Artistic Occupations. Artistic occupations mostly involve working with creative ideas, art and designs. These occupations involve abstract or conceptual thinking, creative self-expression and often do not follow any set processes or rules for getting things done.

3. Social: You should have interests for Social Occupations. Social occupations involve helping or assisting others; these involve working with and communicating with people to provide various services; these may involve educating and advising others.

Abilities

1. Abstract Reasoning: The ability to understand ideas which are not expressed in words or numbers; the ability to understand concepts which are not clearly expressed verbally or otherwise.

2. Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules and common logic to specific problems to produce answers that are logical and make sense. For example, understanding the reasons behind an event or a situation using general rules and common logic.

3. Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

4. Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

5. Verbal Reasoning: The ability to think and reason with words; the ability to reason out ideas expressed in words.

6. Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

7. Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Knowledge

1. English Language: Knowledge about English grammar, words, spelling, sentence construction, using English to communicate with others, reading in English, etc.

2. Foreign Language: Knowledge about the grammar, words, spelling, sentence construction, etc. of a foreign language and using the language to communicate with others, reading, etc.

3. Vernacular Language: Knowledge about the grammar, words, spelling, sentence construction, etc. of a local language and using the language to communicate with others, reading, etc.

Skills

1. Active Learning: Focused and continuous learning from various sources of information, observation and otherwise for application in getting work done.

2. Communication in English: Skills in communicating effectively in writing as well as verbally with others in English language.

3. Communication in Foreign Languages: Skills in communicating effectively in writing as well as verbally with others in a foreign language such as French, German, Japanese, Chinese, Italian, Spanish, etc.

4. Communication in Vernacular Languages: Skills in communicating effectively in writing as well as verbally with others in a local or indigenous language such as Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, Bengali, Assamese, etc.

5. Critical Thinking: Skills in analysis of complex situations, using of logic and reasoning to understand the situations and take appropriate actions or make interpretations and inferences.

6. Reading Comprehension: Skills in understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

7. Writing: Skills in communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the readers.

Personality

1. You are a soft-hearted person sometimes.

2. You trust others sometimes but not always.

3. You are helpful to others sometimes.

4. You are self-satisfied sometimes but some other times you don't feel satisfied with your life and situations.

5. You are imaginative sometimes.

6. You prefer to experience new things and have new experiences sometimes.

7. You act independently sometimes but do not do so in some other times.

8. You are caring, supportive, sympathetic and kind to others sometimes.

Career - Job Opportunities & Profiles 

1. There are numerous sectors and industries that have a demand for translator and or interpreter. Many of you can get jobs with publishing companies. But remember that permanent jobs are few with publishing companies.

2. You may get a job with the Central or State Government Ministries, departments, agencies and organisations. Most jobs are as Hindi Translator or as Bengali/Gujarati/Tamil/Telugu/Kannada/Malayalam/Assamese/Odiya Translator.

3. If you join as an Associate Translator, you will find job opportunities in Online Retail companies like Amazon, MNCs from non-English countries like Hyundai, Content agencies, Lawyer firms, and Government agencies for sending official documents to different states in respective languages, cultural centres like Alliance Francoise, International Embassies, Hotels, Airlines and Tour Agencies.

4. If you join as an Associate Interpreter or Guide, you will find job opportunities in Travel agencies, Guide Agencies, embassies, MNCs, Political Parties, Government Ministries, NGPs. Educational Institutes, UN and its agencies.

5. You can also get a plenty of options as a freelance translator. You can work from home as a freelance translator.

Work Environment

Translators mostly work in office and work during regular working hours. They have an easy work environment and as it is a profile where you need to research and read, mostly you will get a space to work quietly. The work pressure may be there sometimes when the volume of translation increases.
The interpreter works in different spaces. They might be present at official government meetings, election rallies, dinner table, office boardrooms, etc. They might work in different working hours as they need to be present for two people who are meeting. So sometimes as an interpreter, you might be at official duty during dinner time, sometimes, you might be travelling with your client to a different country.

SPECIALISATION TRACKS IN THIS CAREER

Translator

Translators convert written text or verbal text from one language (often referred to as the source language) to another language (often referred to as the target language). Translators have to understand the meaning of the text in the source language and then convert the text into the target language in a way so that the true meaning and the manner of writing in the source language is adequately and appropriately converted into the target language.

Interpreter

Interpreters generally covert spoken language from one language (often referred to as the source language) to another language orally (often referred to as the target language). Typically, Interpreters listen to what is being spoken by a person in the source language and then instantly convert it orally into another language which is understood by a listener. For example, Indian Prime Minister often speak in Hindi. So while he has a meeting with, say, with the Russian President or Chinese Premier, an Interpreter converts what the Russian President or Chinese Premier says in Russian or Chinese into Hindi and tell that to Indian PM. Moreover, when he speaks anything in Hindi, the Interpreter converts into Russian or Chinese and say PM's words to the Russian President or Chinese Premier.

Transcriber

Transcribers listen to what other people say (for example, what a witness says in a courtroom) or listen to a recorded speech and convert what she hears into text. She has to be an expert in language for this job and also has to have a very high typing speed or ability to write in shorthand. She may often work to listen to a recorded speech or a video (such as a doctor's prescription or a speech by a foreign political leader) and then transcribe that into text.

CAREER GROWTH

You may join as an associate translator and then you will be promoted to senior translator and then as a sub-editor. There is more salary growth in this career than profile growth. As most off your career, you will be working as translator/ interpreter. With Government Ministries, departments, agencies, and organisations, you will begin in the Assistant or Junior Translator role (similar to lowed division clerk's rank) and then progress as Senior Translator (similar to upper division clerk's rank). You can reach up to the level of Section Head (Translation) or Departmental Head.

Salary Offered  

1. At the entry level, you can earn a basic salary of Rs. 10,000 to 30,000 per month.

2. At the junior level with a work experience of 2-6 years, you would be earning anything between Rs.20, 000 to 50,000 per month.

3. At the middle level with an experience of 10-12 years, you would be earning anything between Rs. 40,000 to 1, 00,000 per month.

4. At the senior level of over 15 years of work experience, you would be earning anything between Rs. 55,000 to 1, 50,000 per month.

5. In Government services, depending upon your ranks, you will earn between Rs. 28,000 to Rs. 1, 60,000 a month.

MONTHLY EARNINGS IN INDIAN RUPEE 

1. Entry level: 0 - 2 years of work experience 

2. Junior Level: From 1 to 12 years of work experience

3. Mid-Level: From 5 to 20+ years of work experience

4. Senior Level: From 10 to 25+ years of work experience (there could be exceptions in some high-end technical, financial, engineering, creative, management, sports, and other careers; also in the near future, people will reach these levels much faster in many careers and in some careers, these levels will have no meaning as those careers will be completely tech skill driven such as even now, there is almost no level in a Cyber Security Expert’s job).

Famous Personalities 

Information not available.

Work Activities 

1. Communicating with co-workers and others: Communicating with people in writing, verbally or otherwise inside your workplace and various other people who have professional relationships with your place of work including vendors, government officials, etc. or with people at large.

2. Getting Information and learning: Observing, hearing, reading, using computers, or otherwise obtaining information and learning from it.

3. Translating and interpreting: Translating or interpreting information for other people who are written or spoken in languages that other people do not understand.

4. Updating and using relevant knowledge: Keeping updated with the latest knowledge relevant to your fields of work and use of the relevant knowledge in getting things done.

5. Using computers for work: Using computers for day-to-day office work; using computer software for various applications in day-to-day professional work; entering data and process information; for writing.