In the Skin of a Language Professional
Ana Carretero, a Spanish freelance linguist, has been working in this industry since 2009 after completing her MA in Translation & Interpreting English & French to Spanish, she specialised in Conference Interpreting at the University Complutense in Madrid, Spain.
She was also appointed and certified as a Sworn Translator & Interpreter of English-Spanish by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2010.
Ana further developed her education by completing an MA in Community Psychology at Brighton University in 2014.
We caught Ana for a few moments to tell us about her life as a freelance linguist.
What inspired you to become a freelance linguist?
Since I was very young I always loved languages and was amazed at how they could very easily introduce you into completely different cultures, communities and ways of thinking. I liked the idea of being the bridge facilitating communication (whether oral or written) between two sides who wouldn´t otherwise understand each other.
How do you organise yourself on a daily basis?
For the last 5 years I have managed to juggle translating and interpreting with office jobs and university courses. It is never easy as some assignments come with very short notice, but since translations always work around a deadline it is always possible to fit some extra work to other daily tasks. Over the years, I have learnt that translators and interpreters do not have ordinary timetables. If you are really committed to your profession -which in my case it is something I am passionate about- there are no weekends, no 9 to 5 working patterns or bank holidays. So flexibility and adaptability are essential qualities that anyone considering becoming a professional should bear in mind.
What are the best and worst aspects of being a freelance linguist?
The best aspect of being a freelance linguist is that not only are you your own boss, but you also deal with different sorts of people from a wide range of backgrounds on a daily basis. I find it quite rewarding to have a job that is so versatile and varied in the topics that it can draw on. On the other more negative side, being a freelance doesn't always provide the same economic stability that you would have if you were on the translators’ payroll of the EU or the UN, but it is still worth it.
Have you got any anecdotes you would like to share?
Thanks to my involvement as a community interpreter I have had the chance of seeing four babies coming into this world. It isn't always pleasant to be an interpreter and witness cases of domestic violence, family abuse or neglect, people getting ill or facing court proceedings, etc.; so being able to make a contribution to something so powerful and life-changing as a baby being born is something that not only makes my day, but reminds me why I love being an interpreter.
