Now that I remember, I brought my marriage certificate in Spanish. The clerk at municipal office made a copy of it. Then, asked me to highlight with a yellow marker the important data and write with a pencil the relevant descriptions and dates in French. I assumed that marriage made me go up in the tax rate, so the municipality was happy getting more tax, no translation required.
Same for the university, I brought previous certificates in Spanish and English. Got my Swiss Uni certificate without further questions or translations asked.
same page offers only one job for a delivery nurse, 88 for child care (KindergƤrtnerin), considering they got 170000 thatās not too many either. And yet arenāt we glad not everybody wants to be an IT-specialist or a commercial clerk.
In fact, the fact that there are so many offers for the last two might show, not many want to be just that?
Conversely it could mean that so many people enjoy being a translator that there are hardly any jobs left.
However, I think a carreer should not be chosen by the amount of jobs that are open (before even starting the education, meaning it could be totally different once the dipoloma is in the pocket) but by penchant, ability and desire.
The UN, and other international organisations in Geneva are not looking for Swiss employees. While there are a few they certainly donāt recruit them. There are many reasons for this beginning with the extra costs for AVS and health insurance but including quotas based on who knows what.
I once had to give a presentation in Brussels for an expert committee. We were in a circular room with delegates in the first circle and support staff behind them and in glass booths behind them were the translators. There was one guy, italian I think, that mimicked every move I made, every gesture, every smile, every frown. This despite me being the only one in the room that could actually see him. Never want to do that again.
But anyone with the three Swiss languages, and an EU passport, would get a job in a minute in Brussels.
People who end up as translators usually study languages - linguistics - philology and they can do other jobs too - e.g. language teachers.
If someone wants to study this why not.
My point is - there is no translators school, there are schools that educate you in the field of languages and once youāve graduated you can follow other paths. If something doesnāt work, thereās another possibility.
But Iām curious why do you think this is the case. How else can you have books by foreign authors? I surely hope theyāre not translated by google.
(Iām not personally interested but youāve got me thinking of translators; there is a saying about them ātraduttore, traditoreā )
Translators usually work on written texts. Interpreters usually translate orally and in real time, during conferences and meetings, that will often require impeccable trustworthiness.
I stand corrected then. There is (at least) one, but my point is still valid. You can work as a translator or interpreter after graduating those specialisations I have mentioned.
No, not personally. But trying to give a presentation, referring to my slides and conveying a fairly complex message while watching some guy, like heās in a mirror. It blew my mind.
Something to consider for my daughter, then.
Growing up in a German-speaking canton, has had French since 3rd grade, and now a focus on Italian in Gymnasium.
(try that in Germany)
)