Korean Job Discussion Forums

chaz47 · Joined: 11 Sep 2003

Anyone on the board ever work or know anyone who has ever worked as an interpreter? I recently bombed my first ESL gig, I flaked after one day, but really am impressed with the language and want to continue to study it and apply it one day. I was thinking that I would rather work in Japan and visit Korea though.

Thoughts, opinions and flaming rambles are welcome.

Bulsajo · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

"Interpreter" to me means a job where you are expected to be able to do nearly simultaneous translation, live and in real-time. I can only imagine that, aside from the obvious prerequisite of being 100% fluent in the languages to be intrepreted, it takes a special sort of person.

just because · Joined: 01 Aug 2003 Location: Changwon - 4964

Yeah...it takes about 10 to 15 years of study or to be immersed in the culture to be a proper interpreter. That is from the basics.

To be a good interpreter you have to know the naunces of the language and also be fully up on slang from both sides. This is the biggest problem in interpreting, not knowing the language as this could be done in a few years.

rapier · Joined: 16 Feb 2003

interpreting: yet another career option for the korean "lifer".

mithridates · Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2004 4:54 am Post subject:

A much better option as an interpreter is an 'embedded' one, one that works in a company and always goes along on business trips. It's much better as you get to research your company inside and out and thuse don't have to prepare each time a conference comes up. Also a lot of people expect a translator to be a human calculator at the same time.

"So we were thinking of proposing a 547 000 000 Won deal here..."
interpreter - (Damn! What's 547 000 000 Won in Chinese Yuan? That's 8.4 to the US dollar, 547 000 000 won is some 500 000 US I think, and...)

It can be very tiring though.

kangnamdragon · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Location: Kangnam, Seoul, Korea

mithridates · Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2004 6:03 am Post subject:

No, I prefer writing and keeping a low profile. I don't like working at one place for a long time, a bad habit of mine, but I always like to feel that I can stop what I'm doing at any time and go walk for a month or two if I feel like it.

Arthur Fonzerelli · Joined: 22 Jan 2003 Location: Suwon