Life as a Professional Interpreter – Interview with Vanda
On October 2022, I interviewed interpreter Kenika Suwapanonth(Vanda) on her life as a professional interpreter. I’m super excited to be able to share with you her insights on firstly, her life of an interpreter and finally, what are the cutting-edge marketing strategies that are working best for her industry.
Check out the podcast episode through the link or the player.
Table of contents
The podcast will be split into two sections. In the first section, you will be learning about Vanda’s life as a professional interpreter and what she’s learnt along her journey. In second section , we delve into what are currently the cutting-edge marketing strategies that is present in the interpreter industry.
Transcript
Life of a Professional Interpreter
Podcast episode time: 28 minutes 37 seconds (38:37)
[0:00]
Jeet:
What’s going on guys, welcome back to the “Jeet Tan Copywriting Blog Show” and today we got an exciting guest, her name is Vanda and she is a full-time professional interpreter.
Now copywriting, and interpreter are very similar fields. One is using your words to promote your products and services and another is just translating words from one language to another.
But these are very similar fields and today Vanda, she will accompanying us and telling us about her life as interpreter about maybe some of the challenges she’s faced in her job, and how she became an interpreter, some of how she differentiates herself in the marketing – how she does her marketing, and finally we will be talking about what her business insights she has and she will be sharing with you today.
Welcome Vanda to the show.
[0:53]
Vanda:
Hi Jeet, pleasure to be here. So everyone, hi, my name is Kenika Suwapanonth. I’m Thai so that’s why I have two real names, like two names.
And the one (first one) is Kenika or you can just call me by my nickname, Vanda like Jeet.
[1:09]
Jeet:
Okay, that’s great. Can you maybe tell us a bit about what you do and how did you get started as an interpreter?
Vanda:
Okay, well, after I finished my university I decided to do an internship with an international company as a business development. Then, after I finished the internship, I started my career as a freelancer. I mostly like to work as an interpreter. But I also do other things as well, such as teaching host tests and staff. All things I do require you to think language, at least English, sometimes it could be Italian or Spanish.
So basically, this is what I do mostly.
Jeet:
Okay, great. And for those that don’t know, can you tell us the difference between maybe what’s a translator and an interpreter?
Vanda:
Oh, sure. interpreter and translator require totally different skills. First, I will talk about interpreter. Have you ever seen anyone who sits in the room or the box with a special headphone and immediately translate the message in the meeting events or seminar? So that’s what we call an interpreter. It requires more listening skills, and speaking skills than a translator.
For example, they hear the speaker of the event speak, the interpreter will listen. And they will say it immediately or after that, and in like a seminar, events or meeting mostly. So it requires more listening and speaking skill. Second, translator are most likely to work with books and paper, for example, have you ever seen some books or literature that have been translated into many languages?
Yeah, that’s more to a translator job. It requires more reading and writing skill. Yeah, but anyways, although these two things are always like this exactly. But mostly it would be like this. I just tried to get you a clearer picture.
Jeet:
Okay, so from what I’m hearing, right, the interpreter job is more like immediate, for example, in a meeting or in like one of those presentations you see in the UN where you need an immediate translation. Whereas a translator is someone where it’s more long, long term, you can just translate books or paper into from one language to another language. Is that what you’re trying to say?
Vanda:
Yes, exactly. There are two types of interpreter. The first, we call it a consecutive interpreter, which means you speak and after that the translator speak. An interpreter would speak after the speaker speaks, but another is called, simultaneous interpreter. You speak immediately after or while the speaker speaks.
So a speaker speaks, and you translate immediately. So that’s two different things, mostly we’ll see the best or clear picture of an interpreter in a meeting, but sometimes we can see them, like from what I do in the expo exhibition and wedding. Just basically anywhere who needs someone to be present there to try to explain, to deliver the right message from one person to another person.
Jeet:
Okay, interesting. So can you maybe share with us how did you get started as an interpreter and what’s the journey that you had to go through to become a professional?
[4:47]
Vanda:
Well, now I would have to say I’m not a professional, I just started not long ago. Precisely, I started in May this year 2022. I worked with the Peru Embassy. Suddenly they need someone to help them as an interpreter, then I applied for it (the job), I didn’t expect get accepted but got accepted anyway. And I worked with Peruvian businessman by translating from Spanish to Thai for Thai visitors or buyers. Honestly, I was super excited, I didn’t know if I could do it or not but step by step, from the little clients. I try.
Until, there was a time when my boss needed to talk business to business with a Thai pretty big company. Suddenly, he just did not speak English then he let me translate Spanish to Thai for him. I was so nervous but at the end, I did it. Everything went well and hopefully my boss already got a great business deal. I was so proud of myself and I feel so fulfilled so that’s where I started. After that, I started to apply to some roles as an interpreter for foreigner salesman in many Expo events.
Jeet:
Interesting. Very interesting. Thank you for sharing so much. Maybe can you share a bit how a typical day for you looks like?
[6:18]
Vanda:
Okay, so before a workday. I mostly receive the information about the company or the products I need to work with, I need to study it. Then, I will do study or research about them and their product because many times when you arrive or sometimes, they just don’t give you any information but you need to help them anyway. When the time comes, they will ask you for help.
So, I just want to try to be useful as much as possible and be prepared, be the most professional as I can do. So it is better to do research and study about words and language and everything and see the Thai words and language. If there is any inquiries like if there are any special words, technical word, jargon or something like that. So yeah, basically I have to prepare before one or two days or maybe more before a working day. So on the working day, I just need to translate the message that the salesman wants to deliver to the clients and visitors.
Mostly they will ask about the price the products information about detail, order detail, minimum order, are there any distributor, etc. Maybe something else you know. I help them with other things too as well such as collecting the clients information if some companies requires. Yeah, it was a very fun job I got to learn a lot about many products, such as Brazil nuts, Peruvian garlic, water dosing pumps, machines, vegan pepperoni, vegan cheese and variety dipping sauce, cosmetic and other things, etc.
Yeah, I got to learn many things. I got to know many people, I get to work with people from around the world. I enjoy doing this very much. However, I want to be more than an expo or booth interpreter, an interpreter in the booth. I want to transform myself to be a professional interpreter.
Jeet:
Right right. Interesting. Yeah, it sounds like a typical day for you look sounds very busy. You get to meet lots of clients and you got to meet a lot of interesting people and translate a lot of work as well. So it sounds like a journey for you to get to here. if I’m hearing this correctly, you doing interpret as Spanish right? That’s your main language, is this correct?
[8:44]
Vanda:
Ah, I think my main language will be English, because you know not always Spanish word comes. Most likely the words are in English, but sometimes I do host tests for an Italian person as well. It depends, because sometimes it’s rare to find someone who speaks Spanish or Italian. So, some person already arrived speaking English, so they need someone to speak English. So it depends, but mostly the word that I can find is English, but sometimes it happens to be Spanish and Italian as well.
Okay, so do you speak a lot of languages then from what I hear, probably Thai, English, Italian, Spanish. So you speak four languages?
Vanda:
Yeah. A little bit of Chinese but don’t consider that *laughs*
Jeet:
Wow, five languages. So how do you learn all these languages? Because this is not like, oh, you just learn it as a hobby right? You’re actually applying it to your job in a professional environment. So can I hear the backstory of this?
[9:50]
Vanda:
Of course, well, if you guys don’t know I speak Thai, English, Italian and Spanish. As Jeet said, I’m a native Thai by the way. *laughs* Back then there, 10 years ago, my dream was to become a polyglot, this was inspired by my English teacher because he spoke so many languages, then that time I believed that by understanding other languages, it makes you understand about other people in different countries. When I was a little girl, I will always wonder how other people in other countries live their lives.
The only channel I could think of was YouTube, which requires you to understand English because otherwise you have to watch it in Thai, from a Thai perspective, from a Thai person. But if you want to watch something else from another country, like listening, the easiest way to understand is to practice yourself and make yourself good in English, you know?
So that is where I started to learn English, not say where I started, but my motivation to study English. So that’s the first one, I just had a strong belief that there must be something more than my daily life, like going to school, following all those school rules, listening to what the family says, and what others live like what you should live in this society. Something like that. Yeah, so that’s why I have always questioned how other kids in other country lives their life.
So language is the door for me to learn to understand and to answer all of my curiosities. Apart from Thai, English is the first language I learned. I learned from school, tutor, by myself. Yeah, because I was really into it and want to understand. Second, I learned Italian because I was an exchange (student) in Italy for almost a year. I went to Social Studies School and studied Italian in a foreigners free course provided by the Italian government. And the reason why I decided to be an exchange student, because I wanted to be a polyglot. As I told you before. So that’s why I looked for a third language.
Yeah. So I just want to pick somewhere, people seemed friendly in Europe. Italian seems nice to me. So that’s why I picked Italian. And the third one is Spanish. Of course, I learned Spanish when I was in university. My motivation came after I met many people from South America. I was so curious, like, why?
Why are they are all from different countries. But when they arrive in Italy, they speak the same language, how could this happen? And why their cultures are so similar? Another curiosity happened, so that’s why I decided to study Spanish. I want to understand my friend, I want to understand the culture. Yeah. So that’s why like, mostly, I’m more.. I just feel like I follow my curiosity. So that is my journey until now.
Jeet:
Great, thank you for sharing, it seems that you have a curiosity for many cultures, for people as well. And for you to be able to learn all these languages at such a young age is also fairly impressive, actually.
So I assume that you’ve probably have a lot of interesting projects that you have worked on so far due to your, multi-cultural background, like you learning Spanish, you learning Italian? And you also you know, having studied abroad having been in the exchange program before So can you maybe, share with us some of the interesting projects you have worked on so far?
[13:46]
Vanda:
Okay, as I said, I have been an interpreter, translator, but more interpreter, teacher and host test. And some people might consider me as a salesperson as well. But the most exciting things for me to do is to prepare myself to be an interpreter for Mexican parents at their wedding. And preparing the student for their university entrance exam. Teach them English, teach them Spanish. I prepare some of students who will depart to Italy, prepare them like the basic language in Italian. So yeah, so that’s pretty much what I do, what I did, and what I have done.
Cutting-edge marketing in the interpreter field
Jeet:
Okay, interesting. So it seems that you have a..like a multidisciplinary approach, meaning that you have many skill sets in many areas as well. So you’re also tutoring students in the language skills you have and the interesting thing you mentioned, was that some people consider you a salesperson, is that correct?
Vanda:
Yes.
[14:53]
Jeet:
Yeah. So it’s really interesting because as you know right, in business, I think number one most important skill is selling yourself, right? It’s to sell your products and services. It doesn’t matter if you’re a copywriter, if you’re interpreter, if you are an entrepreneur, you still need to know how to sell yourself.
So it’s really interesting that you touched on that. So I guess that’s, that’s a good cue to jump onto the copywriting slash marketing related questions because as you know, this is a copywriting website, it’s copywriting blog and we talk lot about marketing and sales. So I guess the first question on this is to how do you really market yourself as a freelance translator?
Vanda:
Well, I don’t really market myself much. Most of the work comes from the person who hired me before, sometimes they refer me to another person. So in every event, I try to have a contact, I try to have the contact with every person I met that seems interesting, or maybe they seem interesting to me, and I’m interested in them.
So I try to have a contact with every person who I met and let them know that I speak Italian, Spanish, English and Thai. I would send my resume to some of them who requires me to do or I might need or someone, I will send to someone like a name card. Recently, I still don’t have a name card. So I send a resume, to some of them who might need or require someone to help them connect with Thai people. Yeah, then lastly, I think I have to make sure that they would definitely, it will definitely be worth their money hiring me. So that’s what I do now, as I’m not like a super professional, you know? So that’s what I do now.
Jeet:
It’s very interesting, it seems like the way you’re marketing yourself is through the relationship, the one-to-one relationship, doing good work first. And then from there having your clients refer you to another person. Is that correct?
Vanda:
Correct. Because I think sometimes our resume just don’t tell everything about your skill set. For example, if I want to work for an Italian coffee machine or coffee bean company, I have to find an opportunity to show them that I can be their barista as well. I have this skill as well. For example, this definitely would not be written in a resume, you know. In the real life work there’s many skill that you wouldn’t think of in the resume. So this way, people will trust you because they see your breakout, they see your behavior, they see how you work.
Jeet:
Absolutely right, a resume, it’s just on your piece of paper, right? You can’t really judge someone by the resume, you need to actually talk to the person, see how they operate in different situations. So I 100% agree with what you say.
Vanda:
Correct. But I have to say that this is based off my experience and not every field is like this.
Jeet:
Right. Right. So I guess the next question is, what separates you from all the other interpreters and how do you decide to distinguish yourself?
[18:13]
Vanda:
Okay, I think in freelance translation industry or interpreter, you need to qualify yourself in order to get a reasonable price because there are no price rules or like yeah, the rules for the price like you have to pay for example 300 baht a day, there’s not that price, you know, there’s no middle price.
Even though people might think like, and even though many people might speak the same language when it comes to translation, it depends on what style and setting of work you like to work. For example, you speak English and I speak English, you might be doing better in translating in like marketing field, then what I do, you know,
So what I like to do is more like an event Expo, and selling something, like helping sell something more than more than maybe in a medical field, something like that. My strength is is that I speak Italian, Spanish, English, and I’m a native Thai which is very important in terms of cultural understanding, that is what I think separated me from others that I speak many languages: Spanish, Italian and Thai. And I have many skill sets so that is what I think that separate me from others and the most important thing for what the businessman are looking for is the sales skill, isn’t it?
Jeet:
Absolutely. Sales is king, as you know, in business sales is number one.
Vanda:
I forgot to mention another thing is service mind, I think.
Jeet:
Service oriented, yup.
Vanda:
Good smile, calm, you know.
Jeet:
Great, great and yeah, it seems that you’re playing to your strengths, right? That you’re a Thai person but you speak Italian, Spanish and English. A Thai native speaker that also speaks Italian, Spanish, and English.
And you’re also playing to your strengths right, going to events that you’re comfortable with whereas something that maybe you’re not that comfortable with for example in the medical field you kind of stay away from that so that’s interesting as well. Can I ask why and how did you decide to pick the current industry that you’re working with, where you’re doing an interpreter job for and what do you like or dislike about that industry?
[20:37]
Vanda:
(What industry?) Many different (industries), like cosmetics, food, machines and what I wear I have been to. Basically cosmetic, food and machines. Yeah, mostly what I have been to. Talking about food, there are a variety of food isn’t it? You eat vegan, I eat meat, another person might eat this one. So there’s many products in this world, isn’t it? It’s something that you have to learn a lot already. Like, if you work in different foods (niches), these kinds of food, this kind of food is for that or that product, kind of like that. So I have to always learn new things and I have always to be prepared.
And my workplace is anywhere, I have to always be prepared because sometimes, just the work, it’s not like a full time work you or some work that you know what you have to do. But sometimes, people just pop up to you like “oh, I have this job in two three days you want to get that?” *gasps* Something like that.
So mostly, even if I want to get a job and do a good job, I will have to always prepare. I think this role suits my personality well, but there’s a thing that I don’t like about this is that is that sometimes, many times, people just don’t see the value of the knowledge of the language or the effort that an interpreter or translator puts on. So they try to pay as lowest price as they can but expect the highest quality and the most dedication you know, as I am so new sometimes I don’t know the real market price. I don’t know the real market price.
So sometimes many people that are willing to take the job anyway, like for example, if someone offered you a super low price, sometimes you shouldn’t take it you know, because it will destroy the market price, it can lower another person or the standard price already so yeah, I sometimes I didn’t know that.
And I just take it or some people would just take (the job) it anyways but if I deny it, some things like that may happen. And the most important thing is not questioning or negotiating about the questioning or negotiating about the reasonable price doesn’t happen or don’t happen so yeah, that’s why that is the thing that I don’t like that it (what I dislike about the industry). Sometimes if don’t know or are not in this field for a while, you don’t know the price. You take it and the job you work with a super good, super with a high-quality price, but you didn’t know that what you got was paid very low.
Jeet:
Right. 100% agree especially the last part that you want you want to always be finding out the real market price and based on your what your current value you can offer to the marketplace. I think that’s also a very good point you brought up.
Vanda:
Yes.
[23:37]
Jeet:
So I guess if this is a since this is a copywriting blog right, this conversation will not be completed without covering the use of communication right? Copywriting, obviously written communication, right? So as an interpreter, your job is to translate from one language to another.
And this requires I guess, strong written communication as well and just communication skills in general. So Vanda, to the business owners and marketers and even future interpreters, how should one go about improving their written and also communication skills?
Vanda:
Okay, I think skills may.. those skills are very important nowadays. I think the key that will bring you to that point is empathy. Because empathy is the capacity to understand what other people would feel what other people think. Or seeing the world with another person’s perspective, you know, to communicate you have to understand first what the others think.
What are they seeing is like we have to have an ability to wear another shoes that is not us. That is not our shoes, no? So if you understand first then you can deliver the right thing. You know what they want, you know how they see the world so you can adapt or try to adapt your perspective to be like them and deliver the right message, right thing even in business man, isn’t it with correct.. and they will be satisfy more and I will say translator and interpreter is a totally different job.
Yeah, but most important things in communication is empathy anyway if we are speaking in general. But speaking on the practice, from my point of view, first one, if you want to be good at written and communication skill, right, first thing I think you should understand first and study about topic very well learn and learn about all of that jargon, the jargon specific like the technical terms and understand what are the main points of what of what you are reading.
And what are you going to write. And lastly, I the best thing or technique in writing for me is to have a planner or a draft of what you’re going to write, it is better to see the whole picture of what you are going to write before you really write it. In addition, practice always makes perfect.
[26:13]
Jeet:
Wow, really Vanda, really thank you for sharing what you just said. I think I talked about this for many of my clients as well. And also on my blog, sometimes that yeah, empathy as well. Understanding the marketplace, understanding what your current customers want is super important.
It is actually so crucial, especially in the marketing, interpreter, or communication field. And also the second thing you mentioned about studying the topic and knowing your subject matter well. I think that is also extremely important because as you know, each industry is different, right? And so knowing what you’re going to write and knowing the industry like the back of your hand is also super important. So I’m really glad you mentioned about that Vanda. I guess this brings us to the end of the interview. Do you have any closing statements?
[27:01]
Vanda:
Thank you for inviting me today. My pleasure in joining. What I say is based on my experience and what I think is the most. So you guys can just listen, take it or leave it here. Take it what you think it might be useful for you, leave it what the thing is might not be useful for you so consider yourself, okay? But my pleasure to talk here today. Thank you so much Jeet.
Vanda:
Awesome Vanda. And for all those people listening to this that want to hire you as an interpreter, where should they where would they find you? Do you have like socials or like LinkedIn or what’s the best way to contact you?
Vanda:
Okay, I think they can all contact me through LinkedIn or I will leave my email here.
Okay, I will leave my LinkedIn as well. My LinkedIn Kenika Suwapanonth and my email.
Jeet:
So Kenika Suwapanonth. *spells out name* Is that correct? (Yes) All right, guys, so anyone listening to this that wants to hire Vanda as an interpreter, follow her on LinkedIn and yeah, you can you can get in touch with her that way. So thank you so much for doing this interview and all the links will be translated on the blog post section of this podcast. So for all of you listening today, thank you for tuning in and have a nice day.
Bye bye.
Vanda:
Okay, have a nice day. Bye bye.
—END OF INTERVIEW—
Final Thoughts
It was a very insightful interview and I learnt a lot about the interpreter industry but not only that, it also got me to realize a lot of things about how business is conducted in the real world. I’ll link in Vanda’s socials down below, so don’t forget to follow her and get in touch with her if you need anything.
Vanda’s Contact Info
Email: Kenika.suw@gmail.com
LinkedIn: Kenika Suwapanonth
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