translatortointerpreter
A translator already meets 49% of what the interpreter role asks for. The move turns on 10 required skills not yet in the profile.
49%
59.8/ 100
1 Share of the interpreter role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the translator 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.
Why this move works
A interpreter role treats 9 of its required skills as things a translator already does. These are the ones it depends on most.
- develop a translation strategy
- follow an ethical code of conduct for translation activities
- grammar
- master language rules
- observe confidentiality
- speak different languages
What stands in the way is 10 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 27 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A interpreter role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a translator background worth leading with.
- 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 court interpreting arts and humanities
- already held develop technical glossaries information skills
All 27 carried skills, including the 9 the interpreter role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you would need to learn
The 27 missing skills fall into 7 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.
- required, not held perceive context when interpreting required
- required, not held manage a good diction required
- required, not held perform bilateral interpretation required
- required, not held preserve meaning of original speech required
- required, not held interpret spoken language between two parties required
- required, not held translate spoken language consecutively required
- required, not held translate spoken language simultaneously required
- optional, not held interpret languages in conferences optional
- optional, not held interpret languages in live broadcasting shows optional
- optional, not held perform sworn interpretations optional
- optional, not held provide interpreting services in tours optional
- optional, not held perform sight translation optional
- optional, not held provide advocacy interpreting services optional
- optional, not held communicate by telephone optional
- optional, not held communicate with target community optional
- optional, not held liaise with government officials optional
- optional, not held show intercultural awareness optional
- required, not held interpreting modes required
- optional, not held chuchotage interpreting optional
- optional, not held tape transcription optional
- optional, not held body language optional
- optional, not held phonetics optional
- required, not held memorise large amounts of information required
- required, not held follow interpreting quality standards required
- optional, not held answer incoming calls optional
- optional, not held medical terminology optional
1 further area in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a interpreter role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 follow interpreting quality standards skill · occupation specific
- 02 memorise large amounts of information skill · occupation specific
- 03 perceive context when interpreting skill · occupation specific
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 27 skills that carry over
- 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 speak different languages skill
- already held spelling knowledge
- already held translate language concepts skill
- already held update language skills skill
- already held conduct scholarly research skill
- already held consult information sources skill
- already held court interpreting knowledge
- already held create subtitles skill
- already held develop technical glossaries skill
- already held linguistics knowledge
- already held preserve original text skill
- already held scientific research methodology knowledge
- already held semantics knowledge
- already held technical terminology knowledge
- already held translate spoken language skill
- already held translate texts 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 1 learning area not shown above
- optional, not held operate audio equipment optional
17 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held interpret languages in conferences optional
- optional, not held interpret languages in live broadcasting shows optional
- optional, not held perform sworn interpretations optional
- optional, not held provide interpreting services in tours optional
- optional, not held chuchotage interpreting optional
- optional, not held operate audio equipment optional
- optional, not held perform sight translation optional
- optional, not held provide advocacy interpreting services optional
- optional, not held tape transcription optional
- optional, not held answer incoming calls optional
- optional, not held body language optional
- optional, not held communicate by telephone optional
- optional, not held communicate with target community optional
- optional, not held liaise with government officials optional
- optional, not held medical terminology optional
- optional, not held phonetics optional
- optional, not held show intercultural awareness optional
33 held skills the interpreter role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role adapt text culturally skill
- not needed by the target role analyse text before translation skill
- not needed by the target role apply grammar and spelling rules skill
- not needed by the target role coach employees skill
- not needed by the target role comprehend the material to be translated skill
- not needed by the target role decode handwritten texts skill
- not needed by the target role develop terminology databases skill
- not needed by the target role follow translation quality standards skill
- not needed by the target role follow work schedule skill
- not needed by the target role identify new words skill
- not needed by the target role improve translated texts skill
- not needed by the target role information confidentiality knowledge
- not needed by the target role keep up with language evolution skill
- not needed by the target role literature knowledge
- not needed by the target role maintain updated professional knowledge skill
- not needed by the target role make abstracts skill
- not needed by the target role make surtitles skill
- not needed by the target role office software knowledge
- not needed by the target role perform project management skill
- not needed by the target role perform sworn translations skill
- not needed by the target role postediting knowledge
- not needed by the target role proofread text skill
- not needed by the target role provide written content skill
- not needed by the target role review translation works skill
- not needed by the target role revise translation works skill
- not needed by the target role transcreation knowledge
- not needed by the target role translate different types of texts skill
- not needed by the target role translate tags skill
- not needed by the target role types of literature genres knowledge
- not needed by the target role use computer-aided translation skill
- not needed by the target role use dictionaries skill
- not needed by the target role use translation memory software skill
- not needed by the target role work with authors 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.
- required, not held interpreting modes required
- optional, not held chuchotage interpreting optional
- optional, not held tape transcription optional
- optional, not held body language optional
- optional, not held medical terminology optional
- optional, not held phonetics optional
Other moves recorded from translator
- localiser 78% covered · adjacent
- translation agency manager 68% covered · moderate
- lawyer linguist 56% covered · moderate
- sign language interpreter 54% covered · moderate
- lexicographer 52% covered · moderate
- proofreader 46% covered · moderate
- foreign language correspondence clerk 43% covered · moderate
- scopist 39% covered · substantial
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.