I'm 29 and British by birth. My parents come from Spain and at home we've always spoken in Spanish, so in effect I'm totally bilingual. I completed a degree in English language and literature, but my real passion is interpretation (though not translations). I love the thrill that goes with it. How can I enter the field if I have no specific qualifications? Thanks for your help!

Im thinking to opt interpretimg as my career. I dont have any formal qualification in it and no experience at all. With few agencies i registered but i havent got any call from them .i failed in an interview for telephone interpreting which made me very disappointed. Should i go for a course? How to gain an experience ? I cant find any voluntary jobs near my area! How can i gain a voluntart experience in telephone interpreting?

• Having good memory.
• Being able to work under pressure.
• Having excellent knowledge of native language.
• Being able to concentrate for long periods of time.
• Having knowledge of different fields.
• Being impartial and objective.
• Having interpersonal abilities.
• Being able to react quickly.
• Being reliable and trustworthy.
• Being analytical.

Several job placements for Interpreters usually do not have specific academic requirements. It is recommended to have a degree in translation or modern languages. Another path for this area is having a degree in science, economics, engineering, business, technology, or law and then having a postgraduate training in interpreting. Entry requirements for these courses are usually two A levels and five GCSE´s (A
*-C) including languages or equivalent subjects.

There are some cases where candidates need advanced degrees for application process. Examples of these cases are United Nations and the European Union that require professionals with a Masters degree recognised by the Directorate General for Interpretation.