300+ [UPDATED] Translator Interview Questions

1. How Do You Qualify To Work As A Translator At Our Organization?

As you mentioned in your advertisement, you are looking for someone who is trilingual – I am proficient in three languages, including English, French and Spanish. And I have extensive experience in translating information from one language to another, which makes me a great person to work as a translator at your organization.

2. What Do You Do To Maintain The Efficacy Of A Translated Document?

• It is one of the most challenging jobs to do this. However, it is also the most important thing to do. I make sure that I maintain the essence of the document that I am translating by not changing anything in it even though we translators have been given some leeway in this regard. I do not believe in literal translation – my aim is always to translate what needs to be said.
• But sometimes, one does have to translate in a literal manner.
• True. But I know exactly when this is needed. I read and re-read the document many times so that I can understand what is written and then translate it accordingly. Literal translation is only done when there is no other way to interpret the document.

3. As Far As Translating In Real Time Is Concerned, What Is Your Experience?

I have translated conversations during meetings and seminars quite extensively. By listening intently to what the source language speaker is saying, I can quickly process the information that he or she wants to relay, and translate it into the target language.

4. If Given A Chance, Which Fourth Language Would You Learn? And Why?

I would opt to learn Chinese and all its variations. This is because Chinese is the next most important language after English, taking over the world through trade and business. It will come in handy.

5. What Do You Think Is The Most Important Thing To Do When Translating Between Two Languages?

Apart from maintaining the essence of what needs to be said, it is important to effectively relay concepts and ideas between languages.

6. Who Is A Translator?

Translator is a person whose job is to translate languages in the form of a written communication.

7. What Resources Do You Use For Translations?

Tell them that you use CAT (Computer assisted translation) for eg. Google Translate.

8. Who Is An Interpreter?

Interpreter is a person whose job is to translate languages in the form of a spoken communication.

9. What Is So Special About Being An Interpreter?

Being the facilitator of language and communication is a crucial role no matter what the information or content might be.

10. Tell Me Do You Feel You Have What It Takes To Perform The Role As An Interpreter Successfully?

I do have a very good knowledge for the thing that I am doing. Also with more study and learning more about the job description I can be very successfully.

11. Tell Me Are There Any Pitfalls To Avoid In The Translation Business?

There are plenty of unscrupulous individuals, businesses and organizations out there that take advantage of translators and pay them for their work only after many months have passed, if at all. I’ve always found this practice to be unconscionable because translators – at least the professional ones, anyway – work hard to meet their deadlines and turn in their work on time, and the least their clients can do, if they value their translation talent at all, is to return the favor by paying them in a timely manner. Subscribe to a resource such as the ProZ.com Blue Board, the TCR List, or the Payment Practices List to find out who the prompt payers, the slow payers, and the non-payers.

12. Describe About Your Typical Work For The Position Of An Translator?

The job of a translator is to convert a given content from one language to another in a written format, Convert concepts in the source language to equivalent concepts in the target language and Compile information, such as technical terms used in legal settings, into glossaries and terminology databases to be used in translations.

13. Why Do You Want To Join This
Translator’s/interpreter’s Job?

Companies are searching for people who work with full efforts and are passionate about their job. Tell them about how your skills are best for this job.

14. Do You Feel You Have What It Takes To Perform The Role As An Interpreter Successfully?

I do have a very good knowledge for the thing that I am doing. Also with more study and learning more about the job description I can be very successfully.

15. How Well Can You Understand Different Dialects And Accents?

I have two nationality with huge knowledge of the arab languages which it make me the best one for this job.

16. Explain What Advice Would You Give To An Up And Coming Translator?

If you’re freelancing, get out from behind that computer and network, network, network. Then, when you’re sick of all that networking, network some more. This is how you get work. After you’re well established and word of mouth has gained a momentum of its own, you won’t need to pound the pavement nearly as much, but in the beginning you definitely need to dedicate every spare moment you can to marketing your services.

Also, don’t generalize; pick one or two specializations you enjoy and carve your niche in those specializations. If you do that, clients will turn to you again and again as the “go to” person for those specializations, and you’ll get to work in a subject you like. To paraphrase a popular saying, do what you love and the money will come later; if it doesn’t, hey, at least you’re doing what you love. I have a passion for wines and actually have an intermediate certification in wines and spirits from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET), so from time to time I’m approached by wineries to translate their marketing materials for an American audience.

17. Tell Us Something More About How Cat Tools Works?

Computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools, in which a computer database of previously translated sentences or segments (Translation Memories) may be used to translate new text. CAT tools allow translators to work more efficiently and consistently.

18. What, If Anything, Would You Do Before An Interpretation Session?

I will make sure that I am comfortable with both the languages, I will also keep some reference sources such as a dictionary for technical words.

19. Suppose You Got A Client Who Wants The Things Translated From Spanish Or Any Other Language To English, But You Don’t Know That Language. What Would You Do?

Say them that you will use some CAT tools such as Google Translate, understand and simplify things and give it to the client.

20. Describe About Your Typical Work For The Position Of An Interpreter?

As an interpreter I will be given some content which may be one language and I will have to translate it orally into some other language, Relay the style and tone of the original language and Render spoken messages accurately, quickly, and clearly.

21. What Would You Do If You Were Interpreting And A Person Used Gestures Which Are Not Understood In The Culture Of The Other Person?

In medical training program, I learned that we have to interpret everything the patient say or what ever gesture they do. In the role of interpreter, I just interpret exactly what ever gesture they make.

22. Did You Perform A Job Shadow Or Mentor-ship/internship?

As an interpreter no, but I did shadowed language tour guides to learn how to conduct tours in foreign languages.

23. What Have You Learned From Your Mistakes In Your Last Job Or Project Taken?

Do not committed mistakes, be honest and just share a small mistake which is not more related to your job and share about what all positive things you learnt from it.