As a professional interpreter, it is vital that you always look and act like the experienced, well paid pro that you are. Interpreters who dress too casually are seldom taken seriously by the agency or the client and can be judged as “unprofessional” simply because they were not dressed to impress.

Interpreters are very well paid individuals; most make in a few hours what a well-paid, middle class individual makes in a day, so why shouldn’t they look like it? Dressing to impress is not the same as showing off or making yourself look more important than others; it is simply a way to show that you are a dedicated professional with high standards and that you take your profession seriously.

To help you avoid common pitfalls, here is a short list of DO’s and Don’ts

• Always dress in business attire (the style can range from business-casual to formal, but never dress in regular clothing unless specifically instructed to do so).
• Never wear flashy colors or jewelry, or dress provocatively in any way. Good interpreters are inconspicuous, great interpreters aren’t even noticed. Avoid flashy ties, overdone make up, pinky rings, wigs, wearing sun glasses indoors, bringing lap dogs….you get the picture.
• Never wear jeans, regardless of how fancy or expensive; it can still be deemed as disrespectful, unorganized and tasteless.
• Never wear tennis shoes or sport shoes, unless specifically instructed to do so. Ladies, never wear very long heels; this too can be considered tasteless; you are there to interpret not to find a rich boyfriend.
• Clothing must always be pressed and look relatively new. Wearing a suit from the 80’s (I don’t care if it’s Chanel) can (and does) give the impression that you are down on your luck. Down on their luck interpreter = doesn’t make enough money = must not be that good = maybe he overcharged me = I’ll have to check around to make sure he really is a pro.

As a seasoned Conference Interpreter, I’ve often found myself quite appalled by all the faux pas and blunders that are so common amongst fellow “professional” interpreters. I have lost count of the times I was stuck inside a booth, dreading the next few days as I dealt with an individual who consistently arrived late, made it a point to put down the technicians (bad idea, my friend! Who will get you out of a pickle the next time you trip over a cord and your entire console shuts off mid-session?), disappeared out of the blue to go talk on their cell-phone, grudgingly carried out their 30 minutes of interpretation and the list goes on!

So when I stumbled upon this little gem of an article (courtesy of the AIIC), I knew I had to share it. Read it over and then print it out and save it for a rainy day…you never know when you’ll be stuck with a primadonna next and you can always pull it out and show it to him/her with a saccharine smile pasted on your face.

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In the booth

• Remember that an interpreting booth is a confined space. Act accordingly;
• Keep the documents neat and orderly;
• Do not smoke;
• Switch off your mobile phone;
• Take care not to wear jewelry that can make noise, like wrist bangles;
• Agree on preferred seating and lighting arrangements with colleague(s);
• Turn volume down on your headset if you leave the booth;
• Keep quiet when not working (microphones pick up all background noise so do not shuffle papers, be careful when pouring water, do not eat or make other unpleasant noises);
• Talk into the microphone (some colleagues who regularly work for TV can offer precious advice). But don’t speak too close to the microphone as this will distort the sound;
• Check the team’s language combination and preset the relay switches;
• Make arrangements in relation to working time and changeovers and do not leave the booth when off mike unless it is necessary. Do not disappear for too long.
• Agree the length of your working stints as suits the meeting – but change over during a natural break in speech;
• Be prepared to help your colleague, but not intrusively. It is usually clear when someone needs help with finding a document or a new term;
• Make sure you know how to operate the equipment;
• Try to work with the headset volume low so you can modulate your voice and make sure you monitor what you say either uncovering one ear or leaving both half covered. Remember that adjusting the bass and treble can help as much as increasing volume;

Teamwork

• Get to the meeting on time; a good rule of thumb is to get there 30 minutes before it begins, at least on the first day;
• Introduce yourself to colleagues and the technician;
• Do not hesitate to help your colleagues on the team with difficult or obscure terms; they in turn will help you;
• Tell your colleagues if you’re a beginner; they will be supportive;
• It is bad manners to brandish your business card at a meeting you haven’t organized. Let the consultant interpreter/team leader do the PR work;
• Don’t be worried about not knowing something. Languages are difficult;
• Remember you’re part of a team, so be supportive of your colleagues;

Survival kit

• Don’t forget your spectacles
• Notebook
• Pens and pencils and pencil sharpener. Highlighter
• Wipes for cleaning the headset
• Bottle opener
• Throat sweets/voice tablets (avoiding crinkly paper)
• Paper clips/stapler
• Binoculars are useful in big conference centres where the interpreters are a very long way from the speakers and screen.
• Bring along a printed invoice in advance if you’ve been asked to. A scribbled bill on scrap paper looks unprofessional.

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For a detailed guide of booth etiquette, you can also visit this link: http://aiic.net/page/1489

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Interpreter Skill Map: http://www.nationalnetworkforinterpreting.ac.uk/tasks/int_skills/player.html

Tact & Diplomacy: http://www.nationalnetworkforinterpreting.ac.uk/tasks/tact_diplomacy/player.html

Training Resources: http://interpreters.free.fr/