Anna (Interpreter)

What attracted you to become a United Nations interpreter?

The unique environment of international diplomacy, in which conference interpretation is necessary every day.

What challenges do you face in your daily work and how do you handle them?

As the number of speakers is high and the time is limited, speeches are often delivered at a very fast pace. In order to keep up, one has to be resilient and develop stamina. Another challenge is interpreting speakers from around the world, as they have different accents and presentation styles.

What do you think about the evolution of technology in your field of work? How has it affected you?

With the Internet, all global information is just one click away. That is very handy when you prepare for an upcoming meeting or when you need to find a specific term while in the interpretation booth.

How does your work fit into the larger framework of the United Nations?

A top United Nations official once said that the United Nations could not work without interpreters, as meetings and conferences are impossible without multilingual interpretation. I always keep this in mind and attend to my duties with utmost responsibility.

Do you have any advice for budding interpreters? Any tips on how to prepare for the competitive examinations for interpreters?

Candidates should learn about the wide range of topics with which United Nations interpreters deal and understand which qualities and skills are expected of them, and should listen to the United Nations webcast (www.webtv.un.org). There, they can listen to United Nations meetings, live or recorded, - in all the official languages of the Organization.