As a court interpreter, are you reaching your full potential?

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As A Court Interpreter, Are You Reaching Your Full Potential?

As a court interpreter you perform your duty not only in court rooms, but also for other legal proceedings.

You may also work at police departments, prisons and immigration authorities etc. You are bound by a specific set of codes of ethics. Meanwhile you have to sort through all communicative conflicts and challenges.

Legal translation is very demanding. As a court interpreter, you have to possess a very high level of language competency, including a strong grasp of legal terminology. And you have to pass the exam often authorized by the court system.

While keeping up with your language training is crucial, you should also pay equal attention to self-promotion.

Be cautious when you market your service. It’s not a good idea to market at the court house or during any legal proceeding.

A court interpreter is bound by legal protocols. You have to remain impartial and appear to be so. This significantly limits your opportunity to contact any party including the lawyer for your own gain.

But if you do an outstanding job, people will remember you and they will find you.

So the best marketing strategy for you is to impress all the parties by giving 110% every time you perform your duty. Your best chance lies in word of mouth. And best of all, it doesn’t cost you anything.

Always bring business cards with you. You may be asked for cards by lawyers, court reporters and clients. If you are sent by an agency, just bring the agency cards with you. Have them ready to hand out when someone asks for it.

How do you impress people? Easy -- follow these rules, 9 out of 10 times you’ll be remembered and called back for more work.

Translate exactly what is said, do not add nor omit anything.
Make notes of anything and everything that helps you achieve the above purpose.
Reduce your accent as much as possible. Speak clearly and slowly.
Do not get into any side conversation with the client.

Well, that’s nothing new to a court interpreter, you say. But do you actually follow these rules?

Treat every assignment like it's your last chance to impress people. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the favourable feedback.

Still want to secure more interpreting jobs? Attend social gatherings or volunteer events where you can meet lawyers, court reporters and other professionals.

Join international associations. Take part in their functions and get acquainted with them.

Never underestimate the power of your family members, friends and peers. Let everyone around you know what you do. You never know where your next client comes from.

But wait! Your expertise is worth more than the hourly rate you make for these one-on-one proceedings. You need to find other ways to attract clients and create other sources of income.

Get to know your target market. Find ways to appear in front of your target market as often as possible.

What is that they need from an expert such as you? Can you repackage your knowledge so that more people can benefit from it?

Are you taking advantage of the latest technology? Do you use social media networking? Do you have a blog or even a website of your own?

As a court interpreter, there are two things you should never stop doing: