How to Start Earning as a Bilingual Freelance Interpreter: A Guide for Beginners
If you’re bilingual and looking to start earning money without prior professional experience, a career as an over-the-phone interpreter could be an excellent opportunity for you. As a fourth-year medical student in the UK, I earn between £2,700 to £3,000 a month by providing translation services for clients across various sectors, primarily through a translation service agency. Here’s a breakdown of what this job entails and how you can start earning money from the comfort of your home.
Overview of the Job
In my role as a freelance interpreter, I assist clients by translating languages over the phone. The bulk of my clients are healthcare professionals, such as doctors, nurses, and midwives. I also serve clients from organizations like the Metropolitan Police in London, the FBI in the US, and even companies in sectors like banking and utilities.
The calls I translate for can vary greatly in nature—ranging from medical consultations and police interviews to business-related matters. As an interpreter, my job is to translate spoken language from English to my target language and vice versa, providing clear communication between parties who might not share a common language.
What Is Over-the-Phone Interpretation?
The process of over-the-phone interpretation is simple but requires quick thinking and accuracy. For instance, when a healthcare professional calls, I translate their conversation with a patient who speaks a different language. I might explain the patient’s symptoms, medical history, or even translate instructions given by the healthcare provider.
Let me give you an example:
Interpreter: Hello, this is Zeliha, interpreter ID 000 for Turkish. This call may be monitored for training and quality assurance purposes. Is your customer with you, or would you like me to call them for you?
Doctor: I am a doctor working in a GP surgery and I’m here with my patient, a baby and his father. Could you please ask the dad what’s the problem and how can we help him today?
Interpreter: My son has been having diarrhea for the last 3 days.
This type of interpretation helps bridge the communication gap between professionals and their clients, making it essential in many sectors.
How Do I Get Paid?
One of the most common questions I get asked is how interpreters get paid. The simple answer is: you get paid for every second you’re on a call. Payment is not contingent on whether you’re actively translating the entire time. For example, if a doctor is examining a patient and there’s a pause in conversation, I still get paid for that waiting period. Similarly, if a banker puts me on hold to write notes, I continue to get paid during that wait.
Here’s an example of how payment is tracked: Each call duration is recorded in seconds. For example, a call lasting 673 seconds (approximately 2 hours) gets paid based on that time. This ensures that you’re compensated fairly for every moment you’re logged into the interpreter portal.
Companies You Can Apply to as a Freelance Interpreter
For those looking to break into this field without prior experience, there are several reputable companies that offer freelance interpreting jobs:
- Language Line Solutions
- This is one of the largest language service providers globally. When I first applied, I had no formal experience in translation, other than helping out my family and friends. Language Line Solutions is beginner-friendly and offers competitive pay (around £14.40 per hour).
- This is one of the largest language service providers globally. When I first applied, I had no formal experience in translation, other than helping out my family and friends. Language Line Solutions is beginner-friendly and offers competitive pay (around £14.40 per hour).
- Language Empire
- This company focuses on face-to-face translation services, though they also offer over-the-phone interpretation. Language Empire is a great entry point, as both my friend and I were able to land a job with them despite having no prior professional translation experience. The pay is a bit lower than Language Line, around £14 per hour, but they cover travel costs.
- This company focuses on face-to-face translation services, though they also offer over-the-phone interpretation. Language Empire is a great entry point, as both my friend and I were able to land a job with them despite having no prior professional translation experience. The pay is a bit lower than Language Line, around £14 per hour, but they cover travel costs.
- TransPerfect
- The world’s largest language service provider, TransPerfect requires professional proficiency in over-the-phone consecutive interpretation. Although it’s a bit more competitive, the pay is comparable to Language Line Solutions, around £14.40 per hour.
The Application Process
The application process typically consists of three stages:
- Uploading your CV: Tailor your CV to highlight language proficiency and any relevant experience, such as university coursework or volunteer translation work.
- Interview: During the interview, demonstrate your understanding of confidentiality. As an interpreter, you’ll be dealing with sensitive information, and companies want to ensure you can handle that responsibility. Emphasize your ability to protect clients’ privacy.
Short Translation Test: This is where they’ll test your language proficiency and ensure you can accurately translate medical, financial, or legal terms. Companies usually provide a list of key terms, and it’s essential to familiarize yourself with them.
Tips for Success in the Interview and Test
- For the Interview: Emphasize your commitment to confidentiality, as you’ll be handling sensitive information. Mention your experience with language and how you plan to ensure privacy in your work.
For the Translation Test: Prepare by reviewing key terms related to various fields (medical, financial, legal). Knowing these terms will help you pass the test with confidence.
Final Thoughts
Becoming a freelance interpreter can be a rewarding and flexible career choice, especially for bilingual individuals. Whether you’re interpreting for healthcare professionals, the police, or businesses, the job offers a wide range of opportunities. With the rise of online interpretation services, you can earn money from home while making a real difference in people’s lives. The path to starting this career is relatively straightforward, and with persistence and preparation, you can begin earning money in a meaningful way.
