How to Find Your Right Interpreter

My Story

Many clients ask me, “How long have you been in business? How come we didn’t know about you earlier?"

Yes, I was here earlier, much earlier than when most of the clients first met me. As for the second part, finding the right interpreter is an interesting journey – it changes from client to client.

Think about it, when you first saw a case that needed a Mandarin Chinese interpreter, what’s your knee-jerk reaction? Search on Google? Talk to someone?

I didn’t have any websites, Google business, or online ads. For many years, most of my clients came by word-of-mouth. Fortunately, I survived this long simply because this personal touch builds a level of trust that an online search simply can't replicate. When the need becomes urgent and the stakes are high, many clients quickly realize that quality and reliability are not to be compromised. That’s when they start asking around, and that’s when my name bubbled up.

Finding the right interpreter is an interesting journey – it changes from client to client.

In many cases, by the time clients find me, they’ve already burned through less effective options—perhaps the interpreter didn’t quite meet their needs, or they had difficulty finding someone with the specific skill set required for their case.

That is why I eventually decided to join the broader online community, to provide more clients with a reliable option right from the start, saving them the time-consuming search from finding a professional Mandarin Chinese interpreter closer to where they are.

So, while I may not be the first interpreter they find, I aim to be the last one they ever need to look for.

FAQs

1. What are some common ways to find a professional interpreter?

• Google (or Internet) Search

  - Pros: Google is a powerful tool for quickly accessing a wide range of interpreters. You can easily compare services, read client feedback, and access detailed profiles to find an interpreter.

  - Cons: What I called “the middleman-syndrome”, Google often yields results dominated by Language Service Providers (LSPs) or interpreting agencies rather than individual interpreters. These agencies sometimes charge super high markups to cover their expenses, which unfairly reduce the interpreter’s earnings and discourage some of the best interpreters from working with agencies.

• Word-of-Mouth

  - Pros: You are getting a referral based on others’ direct experience. This can be incredibly valuable because you can ask detailed questions about their experience, the quality of the interpreter’s work, and their ability to handle specific challenges. Additionally, these personal connections often come with a higher level of trust, as the recommendation comes from someone whose judgment you already value.

  - Cons: While word-of-mouth is reliable, it’s important to remember that one person’s positive experience may not necessarily translate to your situation since every client’s needs are different.

• Certified Interpreter and Translator Rosters (e.g., Certified Court Interpreter Rosters)

  - Pros: These rosters are an excellent starting point if you are required to hire certified interpreting services, especially for legal or official matters. They provide a quick and straightforward way to find interpreters who meet established standards of competence and professionalism. By using these rosters, you can ensure that the interpreters you’re considering have passed rigorous testing and are recognized by the relevant authorities. This can save you time in the vetting process and give you confidence that the interpreter has the necessary qualifications for your assignment.

  - Cons: While these rosters guarantee a baseline level of quality, they don’t account for the significant differences in skill and style among certified interpreters. The roster is like a bar license for attorneys or board certification for doctors—it indicates that the interpreter meets minimum standards but doesn’t necessarily reflect their overall expertise. In states like Texas, there are also "grandfathered" interpreters who were certified without any testing requirements, which can further complicate your decision. As a result, finding the right interpreter may still require additional vetting and consideration beyond their inclusion in a roster.

• Industry Rosters (e.g. ATA, TAJIT, NAJIT, and Proz listed translators and interpreters)

  -  Pros: a useful starting point when you need to hire an interpreter outside the specialized interpreting service realm. They typically include linguists from a variety of backgrounds and specialties.

  -   Cons: However, there is a risk that the linguists listed may not have the necessary training or skills to meet your organization’s needs, as most rosters do not conduct background checks on their members. Some rosters are attempting to address this issue by pre-identifying more qualified candidates, such as through the Certified Pro program on ProZ and the Certified mark for linguists on the ATA roster.

2. Should a professional translator or interpreter be certified?

Not necessarily. The language industry has a low barrier to entry, and while certification can serve as a mark of quality, many skilled linguists find excellent opportunities without it. For fields like finance, subtitling, or science, certification may not be required, and many top-notch interpreters and translators make a good living without it.

That said, certification can be a good starting point both for clients seeking assurance of quality and for linguists looking to establish their credentials.

3. How many years of experience should an interpreter have to be considered "experienced"?

While experience is important, it doesn’t always correlate with skill improvement. Most interpreters experience rapid growth in their early years, but their skills plateau out unless they actively seek for improvement. An interpreter with 30 years of experience isn’t necessarily better than one with 10 years if the latter has continuously worked hard to hone their skills.

4. If I spend more money on an interpreter, does that mean the quality of interpreting service goes up?

Generally, yes, but not always. A skilled interpreter might not charge a high rate due to many reasons, such as market conditions, legal requirements, or certification status. Before I earned the highest court interpreting license in Texas, I often outperformed some of the local licensed Mandarin interpreters, many of whom were grandfathered in without rigorous testing. Although fully trained and dedicated to improvement, it took time to gain full licensure, which affected my pricing despite my strong performance.

This is especially true for interpreters of minor languages in Texas. Many licensed interpreters were grandfathered in and haven't felt the need to improve their skills. They charge premium rates due to high demand and low competition, despite not improving their quality of service.

Conclusion

The best way to find the right interpreter is to try out different professionals and see who fits your needs. Many government and corporate clients maintain a roster of approved interpreters. If your organization has a significant need for high-quality professional translators and/or interpreters, it might be worth developing your own roster by interviewing various talents to determine which ones best align with your needs.