Well, well, well. Guess which profession in the top 20 jobs for 2013? Translation and interpreting!
The list was complied by US News, which ranks the top 100 jobs on the basis of their
mosaic of employment opportunity, good salary, manageable work-life balance, and job security.
To which I would add: job satisfaction. Which, notwithstanding the occasional grumble, you get a lot of in the translation business.
Here, in short, is what they say about translation and interpreting:
Whether it’s sign language, spoken language, or written language, interpreters and translators are utilizing an invaluable skill. If you are fluent in a second language, you could find yourself working in a lucrative, secure, and growing position. The Labor Department predicts more than 42 percent employment growth in this profession over the coming decade.
And here’s the longer report on the translation and interpreting professions.
What do you think, folks? Is your job in the list? And if it isn’t, should it be?
See also: The Jobs of the future… include translating
By Marian Dougan
8 Responses
Buono a sapersi 😉
Buon Natale a te, a Vito e ai vostri figli, spero stiate tutti bene.
Martina
PS: love the snow here!
Yes, it’s good to know!
Thanks for commenting, and have a lovely Christmas! (Where are you now – in London?)http://wordstogoodeffect.wordpress.com/wp-admin/edit-comments.php?p=6221&approved=1#comments-form
Thank you. Yep, still in London, but I’m going home tomorrow. I’d better start packing soon 🙂
Thanks for flagging that, Marian. It’s nice to see translation (and interpreting) up there on the media radar screen. However the US News compiler/reporter seems a little confused: surely translation as performed by many (most?) professionals is a business service — and here s/he’s got it under “Best Social Services Jobs”. Or maybe s/he’s just been hitting the eggnog early.
Thanks for commenting, Chris. Yes, the classification is a bit odd. Unless we’re doing a social, as well as business, service to our customers by saving them – and their reputations – from the cowboys. Or, as you say, just the eggnog taking effect.
I must say, I just find it so refreshing to see translation and interpreting mentioned at all – most business classifications don’t give us a mention. I wonder how many other professions always end up under “Other”…
I’d always thought that translation and interpreting jobs are decent occupations.
I think they are – I certainly enjoy translating!
It’s interesting to see translation in a list like that. When people ask me about my profession and I tell them I’m a translator, I can see clearly that they have no idea of what I do
I think it’s funny and actually I like that, since it becomes a topic of conversation.