Table 1Transition record

interpretertotranslator

A interpreter already meets 45% of what the translator role asks for. The move turns on 13 required skills not yet in the profile.

From interpreter

45%

Overlap1

To translator

27 Skills carried over

13 Required, not held

63.5 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 63.5

This move: 63.5 of 100 · substantial

1 Share of the translator role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the interpreter profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 27 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A translator role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a interpreter background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held follow an ethical code of conduct for translation activities communication, collaboration and creativity
already held update language skills communication, collaboration and creativity
already held translate spoken language communication, collaboration and creativity
already held develop a translation strategy information skills
already held translate texts communication, collaboration and creativity
already held court interpreting arts and humanities

All 27 carried skills, including the 11 the translator role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 33 missing skills fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.

Skill to acquire Tier

01 communication, collaboration and creativity 8 required, 8 supplementary

required, not held comprehend the material to be translated required
required, not held review translation works required
required, not held revise translation works required
required, not held translate different types of texts required
required, not held translate tags required
required, not held apply grammar and spelling rules required
required, not held proofread text required
required, not held provide written content required

optional, not held make abstracts optional
optional, not held work with authors optional
optional, not held improve translated texts optional
optional, not held make surtitles optional
optional, not held perform sworn translations optional
optional, not held adapt text culturally optional
optional, not held analyse text before translation optional
optional, not held coach employees optional

02 information skills 2 required, 4 supplementary

required, not held maintain updated professional knowledge required
required, not held use dictionaries required

optional, not held keep up with language evolution optional
optional, not held develop terminology databases optional
optional, not held identify new words optional
optional, not held decode handwritten texts optional

03 information and communication technologies (icts) 2 required

required, not held information confidentiality required
required, not held office software required

04 management skills 1 required, 2 supplementary

required, not held follow translation quality standards required

optional, not held follow work schedule optional
optional, not held perform project management optional

05 arts and humanities 2 supplementary

optional, not held literature optional
optional, not held types of literature genres optional

06 working with computers 2 supplementary

optional, not held use computer-aided translation optional
optional, not held use translation memory software optional

2 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a translator role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 27 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held consult information sources skill
already held develop a translation strategy skill
already held follow an ethical code of conduct for translation activities skill
already held grammar knowledge
already held master language rules skill
already held observe confidentiality skill
already held preserve original text skill
already held speak different languages skill
already held spelling knowledge
already held translate texts skill
already held update language skills skill
already held conduct scholarly research skill
already held court interpreting knowledge
already held create subtitles skill
already held develop technical glossaries skill
already held linguistics knowledge
already held scientific research methodology knowledge
already held semantics knowledge
already held technical terminology knowledge
already held translate language concepts skill
already held translate spoken language skill
already held type texts from audio sources skill
already held unseen translation knowledge
already held use consulting techniques skill
already held use word processing software skill
already held write research proposals skill
already held write scientific publications skill

The 2 learning areas not shown above

Skill to acquire Tier

07 business, administration and law 1 supplementary

optional, not held transcreation optional

08 social sciences, journalism and information 1 supplementary

optional, not held postediting optional

20 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held keep up with language evolution optional
optional, not held make abstracts optional
optional, not held work with authors optional
optional, not held develop terminology databases optional
optional, not held identify new words optional
optional, not held improve translated texts optional
optional, not held make surtitles optional
optional, not held perform sworn translations optional
optional, not held postediting optional
optional, not held transcreation optional
optional, not held adapt text culturally optional
optional, not held analyse text before translation optional
optional, not held coach employees optional
optional, not held decode handwritten texts optional
optional, not held follow work schedule optional
optional, not held literature optional
optional, not held perform project management optional
optional, not held types of literature genres optional
optional, not held use computer-aided translation optional
optional, not held use translation memory software optional

27 held skills the translator role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role answer incoming calls skill
not needed by the target role body language knowledge
not needed by the target role chuchotage interpreting knowledge
not needed by the target role communicate by telephone skill
not needed by the target role communicate with target community skill
not needed by the target role follow interpreting quality standards skill
not needed by the target role interpret languages in conferences skill
not needed by the target role interpret languages in live broadcasting shows skill
not needed by the target role interpret spoken language between two parties skill
not needed by the target role interpreting modes knowledge
not needed by the target role liaise with government officials skill
not needed by the target role manage a good diction skill
not needed by the target role medical terminology knowledge
not needed by the target role memorise large amounts of information skill
not needed by the target role operate audio equipment skill
not needed by the target role perceive context when interpreting skill
not needed by the target role perform bilateral interpretation skill
not needed by the target role perform sight translation skill
not needed by the target role perform sworn interpretations skill
not needed by the target role phonetics knowledge
not needed by the target role preserve meaning of original speech skill
not needed by the target role provide advocacy interpreting services skill
not needed by the target role provide interpreting services in tours skill
not needed by the target role show intercultural awareness skill
not needed by the target role tape transcription knowledge
not needed by the target role translate spoken language consecutively skill
not needed by the target role translate spoken language simultaneously skill

6 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to acquire Tier

required, not held information confidentiality required
required, not held office software required
optional, not held postediting optional
optional, not held transcreation optional
optional, not held literature optional
optional, not held types of literature genres optional

Index

Other moves recorded from interpreter

Full index of moves from interpreter

Note

How this record was compiled

Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.