The work itself didn’t really influence my choice of career, beyond confirming that a job in the hospitality industry wasn’t for me. That said, I think it showed me that I could quite capably use my Italian in a professional environment and gave me the confidence to take my chances on the Italian labour market after I finished studying.
You spent some time in Italy after finishing university. What drew you back to the country and how did you find living and working there as a graduate?
There’s just something about Italy that I just can’t seem to get enough of; call it an addiction to la dolce vita if you will! I had wanted to go back since my year abroad and when I graduated from Bath I thought it would be beneficial to go and live there for a while to improve my spoken Italian, with a view to one day adding it as an active interpreting language as at the moment I usually interpret into English. Living and working in Italy on a permanent basis was very fulfilling. I learnt a lot about the Italian legal system and legal translation in general while I was at the law firm and laid the foundations to go freelance, which I did just under a year later. Of course, when you’re self-employed and resident in Italy, your life is dogged by bureaucracy but it’s worth it, even for little things like the coffee! I now live in Brussels so that I can be closer to the EU for work but I would like to move back at some point.
What was your favourite aspect of studying Italian at Bristol?
Definitely the cultural modules which, as well as being very enjoyable at the time, have been invaluable in life after uni, both informally (for example, when chatting with friends in Italy) and professionally-speaking (just the other day the Italian delegate in the meeting I was in referenced the ‘anni di piombo’ halfway through his intervention). I remember the Italian department in particular always offered an exciting range of modules. The one that stuck with me the most probably being the Popular Cinema module, which sparked my interest in Italian film. Given the nature of interpreting and translation, I have been lucky enough to be able to pursue this interest through my work and have just started translating regularly for European cinema portal Cineuropa. Just goes to show that gawking at Riccardo Scamarcio can lead somewhere after all!
Do you miss university life?
There are some aspects of university life that I really miss and others that I really don’t, like end-of-year exams and being on a permanent budget. I definitely miss the social side of university life, being among so many like-minded people with similar goals and ambitions. I remember there being a real buzz among language students especially; you got the feeling that everyone was there because they loved their subject. I also miss the relative freedom university life gives you to organise your time. Once you start working, your life revolves around other people’s deadlines, which don’t always mesh and aren’t always that reasonable!
If you could change your degree subject, would you? Why?
Never. If anything, my experience of the ‘real world’ since university has confirmed that languages were the perfect subject for me, as well as a great subject in general. I think it’s one of if not the most exciting things you can study at university, given the diversity of the material it includes and the fact that it incorporates a year abroad, and it has the added bonus of being an attractive degree to employers, in particular to those operating internationally.
Do you have any advice for language students who are interested in getting into translation and interpreting?
My first piece of advice would be to try and have a go before committing to a full-time job or a Masters, as translation and interpretation is not for everyone. Obviously this is easier to do for translation, although if you go along to the Language Show, which is held in London in October, the Commission’s Directorate-General for Interpretation has a stand there (along with the Directorate-General for Translation) and usually brings a booth so that you can try it out. The Language Show is a good opportunity to hear more about translation and interpretation, and careers in languages in general, so I would definitely recommend it. Then, if you do decide that this is the career for you, play to your interests. If you’re interested in film for example, look for opportunities with film festivals. If sport is your passion, try and pick up some work with international clubs. At the end of the day, you’ll be at an advantage if you’re knowledgeable on the subject matter you’re dealing with. And finally, stay determined and don’t give up! Launching yourself as a freelancer in particular can be a slow process as it takes time to build up clients and contacts, but once you get the ball rolling the work can be very stimulating and enjoyable!
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