Being a well-rounded translator is not a bad idea, but many translators have their own specialty that they have developed and focused on for their entire career. Sometimes though, translators and interpreters might want a change of pace, and break into different fields. While this isn’t easy, it’s also not impossible to start fresh in a new specialty field. So long as you have the determination and patience necessary to change your specialization, you can do it.

Depending on the field that you are switching to, what you will need to do will change. For example, if you want to go into a technical field such as information technology, you should focus on gaining knowledge of the field to be able to adequately translate or interpret the materials given to you. The best way to do this is to go back to school, or perhaps take a course at a community college. The latter choice would be a relatively inexpensive and an easy way to get the necessary knowledge of information technology. If there are any gaps in your expertise that need to be filled, you can try to contact experts and ask them to give you advice and answer any questions that you might have.

For everything else, there is the internet. For example, if you are trying to learn about the finance, there are many online resources such as investopedia that highlight the intricacies of financial documents. Other fields such as technology—especially more specific fields that deal with things such as data centers, contact centers, cloud services, and cyber security—have very specific terminology that translators who do not specialize in the field might have trouble translating correctly. For these, it might take you some time to read and research online.

For legal and medical matters, it is not as easy as just going back to school. You also need to take required training and have enough experience to satisfactorily translate or interpret matters of the law or medical fields. Experience is tricky to gain without having prior knowledge or specialization, but you can try working as an interpreter in training and begin trying to get your knowledge and experience that way. Try to expose yourself to opportunities and learn on the job, or go back to school and try to learn more about legal or medical terminology. Furthermore, do your best to build a portfolio of your work so that you can quickly show employers what you can bring to the table. Sometimes some work that you’ve done has elements that stand out in other work. With a portfolio, you can easily point to the work you’ve done and prove that you are capable of working in the field.

Insurance Companies

Insurance companies are being pushed out of business, and reacting with panic. In particular, Worker’s Comp providers have been hard hit as it becomes increasingly difficult for companies to rule out or prevent employees’ exposure to Covid-19. Some providers have begun cancelling Workers Comp coverage at just the suggestion that employees could be at risk of exposure.

Media

In a situation like the current one, it’s important to stay up to date and have access to information from trusted news sources. Unfortunately, media outlets are not immune to the effects of the outbreak, and in its wake publishers across the country have been forced to reduce their print schedule, or stop printing altogether. According to the New York Times, local media outlets in particular have been crippled by the outbreak.

Translation and Interpretation

The effects of the outbreak on the T&I industry have been unmistakable to both translators and interpreters themselves, as well as language service companies.  With business across the country screeching to a halt, and more and more areas ordering citizens to shelter in place, last week saw a string of cancellations from clients across the board – depositions, business meetings, tech presentations, medical appointments have been postponed indefinitely, and freelance translators and interpreters face an uncertain future.

We are all being affected by the outbreak of Novel Coronavirus, and for our part, Monterey Language Services will continue to keep an eye on developments across industries as the situation progresses. Stay safe and keep healthy!