Reaching for the Stars - the First Five Years

This 75-minute workshop will explore the challenges and rewards of entering the translation/interpreting field by focusing on the career trajectory of panelists Masashi Ishikawa, Thomas Kaiser, and Lucy Takato. Masashi Ishikawa became a financial translator after working at foreign-affiliated financial institutions and established his own specialist financial translation company in 2004. Thomas Kaiser has worked full-time as a translator since 2011 in primarily in-house positions and is currently working as a translator at a patent law firm. Lucy Takato is an NAATI-certified translator who has been translating  since 2009, primarily in the food and beverage industry. The panel will be moderated by Lucinda Lohman-Oota who recently became a legal translator after 25 years of law practice. Topics covered will include the qualifications and experience you need to get started, what kinds of jobs are out there, the importance of specialization., and the pros and cons of freelancing vs. in-house jobs. This is a great chance for newbies to ask candid questions and for old-timers to share their valuable experience and insights.