UTICamp-2020. 10 Lessons For Interpreters After COVID-19 Pandemics

10 Lessons For
Interpreters After
During The Pandemics
21 July 2020
Andrii Biesiedin

Disclaimer
These are 10 lessons learnt from my own mistakes
Don’t believe me, try the lessons yourself and see if they work for you.
PS: They do.
PPS: Survivorship bias.
ANDRII BIESIEDIN - UTIC 2020

66% of interpreters in Ukraine
have lost over 80% of income
from interpretation
(Source: original non-representative small sample research, n=30)

Mistake #1: Complacency
a feeling of calm satisfaction with your own
abilities or situation that prevents you from
trying harder:

Lesson #1: It’s never too late to
start preparations. Even now.

Mistake #2: Clinging to past
Your past business model will not work, because:
- Old “half-day”/”day” rates do not work
- RSI is genuinely harder because of bad sound and attention dispersal
◦ - With poor connectivity and microphone, algorithms compress the
sound as much as possible. As the result:
◦ - You cannot physically hear the difference between male and
female voices
◦ - You may not physically hear the difference between some
consonants
… So this work is outsourced to your brain. That’s what cognitive
load means.
Most importantly, this is not clear for many clients and moderators,
but this is the exact same reason of the Zoom fatigue.

dpamicrophones.com/mic-university/
Facts about speech intelligibility

Lesson 2: Dare to dream
Possible models are:
- 2-hour (former half-day)
- 4-hour
-6-hour (day rate)
------------------------
3-hour minimum (X) + 1/2x for every hour
------------------------
In a situation of crisis – increase the rates.

Mistake #3: Relying on agencies
Most agencies seek to maximize profit by cutting their costs (you).
Most agencies earn by scale. They need sustainable minimum viable
quality, instead of occasional high quality. (Typical problem of mass
production.)
Most agencies’ managers are not caring about your interests
We don’t have secretariats or cooperatives in Ukraine 

Lesson 3: Learn marketing
Look for symbiosis, but avoid parasites

Mistake #4: “That’s not my job”
A freelance RSI interpreter can’t really survive without the skills of:
- a marketer, a negotiator, an engineer, an interpreter, an accountant…
Just like in interpretation – specialization is necessary, but better have
several of them!

Lesson 4: You have to master
other skills and specializations!

Mistake #5: Misunderstanding
value
- What is the real need for that client in organizing that event?
- How can I help the client fulfil that need, what do I need for that?
- How can I explain this to the client, so that they would provide what I
need (proper conditions and remuneration)

Lesson #5: Think budgets, not rates

Mistake #6: Fear of learning
Mastering new skills and learning new value may seem scary.
But the actual solution may be within easy reach.

Lesson #6: It is easier than it
looks. Just take courage.

Sidenote: we do miss engineers -
and hubs are always better!
Having a dedicated engineer is
ALWAYS better than a sit-at-home RSI.
We have to explain this to clients,
when possible.

Mistake #7: Lack of standards
Professional standards is not “anything below 250 a day is dumping”
Professional standards is what we all agree that we need to do a really
good job for the client.

Lesson 7: Don’t shoot yourself in
the foot
Standards are there
for your own safety

Mistake #8: Little networking
Out of ~400 of interpreters in Kyiv, how many participated in an
interpreters conference?
Translators, translation researchers, “translation teachers” have
conferences and often think they can organize it for us.
UTIC is a fantastic opportunity to come together and to wake up to the
sounds of woodpecker dabbing and tigers roaring.

Lesson 8: Investment into networking
and knowledge never fails

Mistake #9: No association
Pro forma “Ukrainian translators and interpreters associations” are
actively harming us. Instead of being paragons, their founders are:
- Promoting working solo
- If the customer pays for shit, that means it’s quality shit
- Google Translate is fine for 95% of legal translations
Their purpose is powerplay, ego-tripping and controlling the academia.
A professional association is about finding consensus and presenting
our collective opinion to protect us all. (But it might be difficult with
“translators and interpreters” approach).

Lesson 9: we should come
together! (keeping 1.5 m distance)

Mistake #10: Pessimism
Changes are scary,
however one shouldn’t feel
pessimistic: “Count down
the months before the
demise of interpretation”
But even black swans have
a silver lining.

Mistake #10: Master the
energy of change and enjoy it

Summing it up:
1. Think ahead and prepare.
2. Adapt your business model and increase the rates.
3. Don’t get addicted to agencies, they’re more lost than you are.
4. Keep learning other skills and specializations.
5. Understand the value you’re really bringing.
6. Technical bits are easier than they seem. Bring your patchcord.
7. We all need professional standards as a frame of reference.
8. Invest in networks (not only financially)
9. Come together in some form.
10. Enjoy the ride!

Thnx!
andrii.biesiedin@gmail.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/abesedin/
+380963437778

UTICamp-2020. 10 Lessons For Interpreters After COVID-19 Pandemics

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UTICamp-2020. 10 Lessons For Interpreters After COVID-19 Pandemics