How to get an internship at a translation company
With thousands of people graduating from universities, colleges, and other educational institutions, without solid work experience, you may find yourself in a no-win situation: no one wants to hire you with no experience, but how do you get the experience if no one wants to hire you? your?
Working as an intern will often give you the great advantage of experiencing the real world and being able to include it on your CV. Our company has been offering international internships in Melbourne, Australia for the last 2 years and since then we have received interns from Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Indonesia, Japan, China, France, Lebanon and Poland. It’s a great way to learn about the new generation of professional linguists and contribute to the translation and interpreting industry by bringing in new blood.
I receive dozens of new applications per month and including people in our well-structured internship program has become a privilege. We give people real work, with real clients, but of course we hold hands before letting our interns spread their wings. Most interns start out by assisting our Multimedia Project Officer or Business Development Coordinator with project management, translation verification, checking databases, or answering the phone. We take our interns to court to observe our interpreters at work, we also have them review previous translations, check glossaries and format translations. In other words, our interns are exposed to how a translation office works, a truly unique opportunity!
Given the advantages and the interest that our internship program attracts, I thought I would share with you some recommendations on how to apply for an internship. I’ve seen some impressive applications in my time, and while I always answer prospective interns’ questions, it would be very difficult for me to be convinced to accept them. We are one of the few companies in Australia that takes intern applications seriously, but sometimes I doubt interns take us seriously.
So here are the tips:
1. Email the translation company to find out who is in charge of hiring. Emailing your application to the general email will rarely arouse interest, as it is usually verified by a non-decision maker, or a person who simply can’t be bothered.
2. Check the spelling and grammar of your email and don’t forget to attach your CV. Never use shorthand for SMS to write emails. It looks very unprofessional.
3. Do some research on the company in question so your email doesn’t sound generic or disinterested. Please explain in your email why you would like to become an intern for them.
4. Prepare for the internship to be unpaid: After all, the company will spend a lot of money training and supporting you, and you’ll get a reference at the end of it. So make sure you can afford to be an intern for several months, especially if you are going to work in another country or even on another continent.
5. Take a look at the company. Ask about working conditions, location, insurance, and work hours. See if you can get in touch with previous interns who can provide you with more information not only about the company, but also about local attractions, lodging, and customs.
6. Follow up with a phone call and schedule a phone interview. It is important that you clear up any concerns before committing to the internship. Ask the company about the internship program – they should be able to email you a questionnaire or work plan to help make sure you’re making the right choice.
7. Check to see if your training institution will support the internship and, if so, how they will relate to your employer. Do you have any specific requirements?
8. Follow up with an email thanking the company for their time and keep in touch regularly. Ask about a job statement, internship plan, or job description. Who will you be reporting to? How often? What happens in case of problems?
Best of luck with your internship and don’t forget to contact me if you have any questions!
