After reading Modern Languages at Oxford, and training as a conference interpreter at the European Commission, Frances Calder has worked successfully on the institutional and private markets for forty years, and counting.

In this video she discusses the reasons why you might decide not to become an interpreter. It is intended to provide a counter-balance to much of the Internet’s content on interpreting as a career – this is sometimes a little too enthusiastic and starry-eyed, with little input about what you need to survive as long as she has in what has never been an easy market.

Having said that, she thinks that anyone who is not discouraged after watching the video should ignore her, and carry on, armed with a more realistic view of their future career. Start by paying very close attention indeed to the quality and outcomes of the courses on offer.

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