Career Overlap Transition record
RecordMove

Translator to interpreter

A translator already meets 49% of what the interpreter role asks for. The move turns on 10 required skills not yet in the profile.

Fig. 1 · Skill transfer ESCO v1.2.1 · directional
From translator
49 % overlap
Partial match
To interpreter
27 You already bring
10 Still to learn
54 Skills in the target role2
Learning distance Substantial retraining

59.8/ 100

1 How much of what an interpreter is expected to do is already part of a translator’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the interpreter role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.

Why

Why this move works

An interpreter role treats 9 of its required skills as things a translator already does. You would walk in with these on day one.

  • 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

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 27 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An 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.

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 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

Table 3 · What you may need to learn

The 27 missing skills fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.

Skill to pick up Tier
01 communication, collaboration and creativity 7 required, 10 supplementary
  • still to learn perceive context when interpreting required
  • still to learn manage a good diction required
  • still to learn perform bilateral interpretation required
  • still to learn preserve meaning of original speech required
  • still to learn interpret spoken language between two parties required
  • still to learn translate spoken language consecutively required
  • still to learn 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
02 arts and humanities 1 required, 4 supplementary
  • still to learn 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
03 information skills 1 required
  • still to learn memorise large amounts of information required
04 management skills 1 required
  • still to learn follow interpreting quality standards required
05 assisting and caring 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held answer incoming calls optional
06 health and welfare 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held medical terminology optional

1 further area in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries an interpreter 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 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
Skill to pick up Tier
07 working with machinery and specialised equipment 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held operate audio equipment optional
17 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to pick up Tier
  • 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
Skill Type
  • 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.

Skill to pick up Tier
  • still to learn 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
Index

Other moves recorded from translator

Full index of moves from translator

FAQ

Common questions about this move

Can a translator become an interpreter?

Yes, and it is a substantial move. A translator already covers 49% of what an interpreter is expected to do: 27 skills carry over, 9 of which the interpreter role treats as required.

What skills does a translator need to become an interpreter?

10 required skills are missing, plus 17 optional ones. They fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is follow interpreting quality standards.

How hard is the move from translator to interpreter?

Its learning distance is 59.8 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.

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.