Resources for Translators and Interpreters

Here are some ways that you can start volunteering as translator or interpreter, or kickstart your career.

For interpreters

Maybe you have experience interpreting ad hoc for family members or other members of your community. Or maybe you’re bilingual without interpretation experience but still interested in using language to help others. Whatever the case, interpreting isn’t just something anyone can do: it’s a valuable professional skill that you can learn and improve throughout your life!

  1. Look for places to volunteer as an interpreter, like a nonprofit clinic or a school organization. Some examples in the Indianapolis area include Trinity Free Clinic in Carmel (where I’ve spent over ten years as a volunteer interpreter or Genessaret Free Clinics in Indianapolis
  2. If you find yourself enjoying interpreting, invest in an 40-hour community interpreter training course such as Bridging the Gap. This will give you a foundation of best practices and ethical principles.
  3. Once you’ve got experience under your belt, you can pursue higher interpreting credentials:
    1. For medical and community interpreters: CCHI and NBCMI
    2. [for legal and conference interpreters]
    3. [for ASL interpreters]

For translators

[Volunteering as a translator with ProZ Pro Bono]
[Translation professional organizations: ATA, ALTA, ProZ]


For project managers

If you love language services and are also drawn to organization, fast-past planning, and coordinating others, then you might consider a language project management path too.
Maybe a “services for project managers” too]