How to Work at Home as a Telephone Interpreter

Do you have what it takes to become a telephone interpreter? Many companies and individuals need the skills of telephone interpreters. People need telephone interpreters for a variety of reasons and in many different settings, including emergencies, health care, customer service, and legal matters. Some telephone interpreters work in call centers, but many are able to work from home. According to various industries websites, telephone interpreters make between 60 and 75 cents per minute of interpretation. The market for telephone interpreting is worth nearly $1 billion and growing, according to industry analyst estimates.

Instructions

1. Decide if telephone interpreting is the right career for you. Telephone interpreters must be absolutely fluent in the target language. You must also be able to take notes and have good overall communication and organizational skills. You must have cultural awareness and sensitivity, and be able to deduce meaning and emotion from tone of voice, volume, and other non-verbal, yet auditory, cues. You must be able to speak in a perfectly clear voice.

2. Create a home work space for telephone interpreting. The area needs to be quiet and free of distractions.

3. Call your telephone provider and have a second, dedicated phone line installed for your interpreting work.

4. Buy a good quality phone and headset. (You may want to wait on the headset, as some companies provide it.)

5. Contact telephone translation firms and offer your services. Googling "telephone translation" will bring up the big players in this industry. Ask about availability of positions and training.

Resources

• Telephone Interpreting