21 Aug Reflect the respect that you deserve
To quote Shakespeare, “apparel oft proclaims the man”.
It has taken me over a year to finally have the courage to write this blog. The reason for my delay was that I did not wish to offend anyone. I realized that many interpreters believe that their skills and professional etiquette are sufficient for any presentation.
But is that enough?
Many times, in the past, I have witnessed interpreters entering the venue with attire that, in my opinion, was “less than par.” There’s no question that our skills and services are the most important part of our profession. But how can you expect people to treat you professionally when you don’t look professional? How can you expect your clients to pay you according to the standard that we are all trying so hard to raise when you can’t meet one of the basic requirements, which is to look professional?
On one occasion, a dear friend of mine, one who works in a different field altogether, attended one of the big conferences where I was working. My friend mistook a fellow interpreter for the venue service personnel, apparently due to her attire.
A question that followed was “Do interpreters not see themselves as professionals? Because if they do, they sure don’t show it.” That statement made me think. Maybe some interpreters are not doing their due diligence in this respect.
In the corporate world, what was previously known as “casual Friday” has somehow taken over the other days of the week. This was exacerbated by the pandemic, which forced society to work from home. But once the pandemic was over, the casual culture remained.
A colleague from NAJIT, David Gilbert, summed it up beautifully “There are a range of possible reasons for some interpreters adopting a casual attitude, but it is my opinion that one cannot expect to be paid and treated as a professional unless one acts and presents themselves as a professional.”
Of course, the court is not a runway and there are no spectators in our booths. However, when we are on a judiciary assignment, we are officers of the court. We are professionals working amongst other legal professionals who make an effort to look business-like when at work. This should apply to us as well.
To follow, here are two examples of dress codes in particular courts:
The guidelines of the District Court of New Jersey state that “interpreters should dress in a manner that reflects the dignity of the court.”
District of Columbia Court clearly cited in their Professional Code of Conduct and Courtroom Protocol that
“All freelance interpreters are expected to maintain a professional image at all times while performing official duties at the court or in the community. It is, therefore, necessary for each interpreter to be well-groomed and appropriately dressed so as to engender the respect of co-workers and the public for that interpreter and for the District of Columbia Courts.
Proper Attire for Women
A business suit, pants suit, dress, or a skirt/slack ensemble with blouse or sweater top is considered proper attire. Sundresses and open-back, off-shoulder, or single-shoulder clothing styles are not regarded as appropriate attire. Athletic shoes or slippers are not appropriate in the workplace.
Proper Attire for Men
A business suit, or dress slacks and sport jacket, with a dress shirt and necktie or dress slacks with a sweater or dress shirt and tie is considered appropriate. A man’s attire also includes socks and dress footwear. Cloth top or athletic shoes, slippers and sandals are not appropriate in the workplace”
It’s pretty straightforward and clear-cut, right?
So why do many of us still fall short of this simple requirement?
One can’t deny that there’s a bias towards beauty in every culture and well-dressed people usually benefit from that bias in different situations. We all know that a job interview can be influenced by how good one looks when showing up for the appointment. Regardless of how skilled you are at work; would you wear sweatpants to a high-profile hearing that is going to be on national television?
Dressing professionally doesn’t just affect people’s perception of who you are. It can boost self-confidence and help individuals feel more capable and ready to tackle challenges.
For those who’d like to take advantage of this “beauty bias,” here are a few tips for you to create a capsule work wardrobe that can simplify the process of dressing professionally and be easily integrated into your normal routine
I am an outfit capsule junkie and tend to have one prepared for different occasions or work trips. I suggest that you pick out a combination of five business outfits that you can grab and go without having to think about mix and matching when you get called in for court work. The reason for five is so you will have enough to take you through the week if you have to work for that long. Not to mention that these advance preparations may even help stay in control of your busy personal life.
Not keen on mixing and matching or running out of ideas about what and how to pair up different pieces? Pinterest is a good place to check. There are many boards and blogs on Pinterest that offer you a good selection of ideas. Some may have links for you to purchase the items directly from the website.
Other places where you can find some good outfit pairing advice are the retail catalogues that many of us consider to be junk mail. For women’s attire, different retailers like J. Crew, Ann Taylor, and Banana Republic are affordable and fun to browse through. Favorites for men’s attire would be Charles Tyrwhitt, Brooks Brothers, and Johnston Murphy. You may find that you already have something in your closet that is similar to their stylist’s selections.
Another tip that never fails me is to have an all-around jacket in the car. I usually opt for a plain navy blazer with gold buttons that is very conservative and will go with anything. If challenged by a long commute or public transportation, a sweater blazer, a cardigan, or a trench coat are also good options.
Last but not least, don’t forget that footwear is also part of the entire package. I am a fan of comfy shoes and always wear them when walking to the courthouse. After years of searching, I finally found a great “courthouse shoe” that is now part of my “uniform.” There may be times when I don’t have them within reach, therefore, I always carry an additional pair of work shoes.
Personally, creating a capsule wardrobe puts me in the mindset of having a work uniform, which I find really saves me some time having to think about what to wear.
In a nutshell, I think the saying “overdressed is better than underdressed” is a good one. So, when in doubt, just dress up. We may work mostly in booths or in a corner with our portable devices, but we are still walking to and from that workstation. For all of us who are contract interpreters, we never know when the next all-star client or career opportunity will show up. Be ready for it.
Ann (Jiraporn) Heath-Huynh grew up in a bilingual Thai-English household, using both languages in day-to-day life. Having lived on four continents, she now calls the U.S. home. Following the birth of her daughter in 2010, the chance to work in the language field afforded her an opportunity to change career directions; what began as a part-time job became a career that she is passionate about. After being added to the Maryland Judiciary’s roster of interpreters in 2015, many opportunities opened up to her, eventually leading to Department of State Conference Interpretation for Thai and English. Although she works mostly as a conference interpreter, she has always considered Maryland courts to be her home. Whenever an assignment is offered, she is always pleased to accept it and proudly wear her first-ever interpreter’s badge as a Maryland Judiciary Court Interpreter. Contact: ann.h.huynh@gmail.com
Main Graphic Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash, Body Photo by NordWood Themes on Unsplash
Thank you for speaking up on this slightly thorny topic!
Of course we need to show up as professionals, but the definition of such has been rendered less clear in our society for the factors you mention.
I remember a final oral exam, back in college, in which the topic was, “Should one care about what clothes are worn?” At the time, I was probably in jeans and sandals, as was the professor proctoring the final. It was a university where the only place for pretension was in the number of letters after one’s name, not dress.
I hesitated before giving my answer, then proceeded, with humor, to explain that although no one SHOULD be judged by what they wear, it is human nature to judge nonetheless, so it was best to be prepared.
I may not judge you, but that does not mean no one will. And the rest of us in the profession share a reputation, right?
And, guess which booth partner will end up on stage with a dignitary at the last minute should the necessity arise? Probably not the one in yoga pants, although, they will be the enviously more comfortable one.
Written from home in super-comfy clothes, but with a navy jacket always hanging in the back seat. Thanks again!
I agree 1000%. This is one of my pet peeves! I am so thankful for all the interpreters in my state who DO dress professionally and at a loss to know what to think about those who don’t. Fortunately, the latter are fewer than the former.
I thoroughly enjoyed this article, which showed both concerns for proper attire, as well as suggestions as to how to adhere to the rules. Thank you, a lesson to be learned or borne in mind by all professional interpreters.
I completely agree. We need to look and act professional.
For some people, interpreting is just a matter like any other, doing dishes or laundry. As for the profile of the profession- I think it goes a lot far then the matter of how the person dresses or wear makeup or jewelry like a Christmas tree. I am more concerned with the horrific mistakes that many otherwide qualified make while interpreting.
There should be more supervision to check on the quality of the work.
Does it really make up for the error, if a super dressed professionally and say discrimination for “with prejudice” or bank “auto payment” for payment of the automobile?
The concept of what is professional clothing varies by location, gender, and culture of place of birth. I’m in Hawaii.
I look at the other women working in court, the attorneys, law clerks, court clerks, bailiffs, etc. I am happy to report that high heeled shoes are rare now.. Male attorneys dress as before, from the ankles up, but many are wearing comfortable shoes,. So are the women.. Flats and non-flashy sports shoes have become common. Healthier and more comfortable feet are surely the result.
The type of clothing you describe is costly. Many interpreters here do not earn enough to buy these things. What I do see is that many are dressed in a manner that signals professionalism or formality within their culture.. They look good..
When people are new to interpreting, I will sometimes give them some advice, including about clothing, and of course, advise them to have a jacket or blazer in the car (for those who own a car) for situation where they are called in on short notice.
I disagree with having dress codes. The detailed codes you cite are offensive to me.. They should offend any professional. People can discern what is appropriate wear in court by looking around.
This is Hawaii. I do not see any reason for us to conform to Mainland ideas of formal dress..
Hello Marcella,
Those are mainstream dress codes. I do not fin anything in the post offensive, but of course I tend to not be offended by other points of view. The dress code may be different depending on cultural background, and weather, perhaps. But the same rule applies: Just follow the local dress code.
Excellent article. The badly dressed interpreter is a pet peeve. Thank you for addressing this. I hope it helps.
Hawaii has never had a “white” majority. Spanish is about #5 in languages in demand in our state court system. !. Chuukese. 2. Marshallese. 3. Ilokano. 4. Korean. and 5. Spanish.
The interpreter’s in the top four languages do not have an oral certification exam. Most are paid either $25/hr (the “Transitional” group, not listed on the Registry), or $35/hr (Tier 1). As far as I can tell from observation, etc., most interpreters in the top four languages work two hours in the a.m., four to five days per week. There may be some additional assignments in the p.m.
Not surprisingly, they cannot make a living as court interpreters.
Recently the Judiciary discontinued using an oral test (from (LionBridge) that would enable people to test into Tier 2, with its higher level of pay. So far no replacement exam has been identified.
With this diversity of languages and cultures, comes a diversity of ideas about professional dress.
With these low levels of income, comes a lack of funds for formal wear that would meet Mainland expectations.
There is no demand for the top four languages for conferences.
The Consortium/NCSC has developed tests in all four of those languages. Makes you wonder why they aren’t being used!!!
NCSC discontinued the exams in Chuukese, Marshallese, and Ilokano several years ago.
I understand there was difficulty in obtaining raters.
A single person o the Mainland passed the Marshallese exam.
A single person in Hawaii passed the Ilokano exam.
I do not know the real reasons why the exams were discontinued nor exactly when they were discontinued. My inquiries to current staff at NCSC were rebuffed.
I totally agree. Our judicial system is worthy of respect and we should dress appropriately if only for that reason. That said, we have evolved and struggled immensely to o be acknowledged as the professionals we are and can really only command the respect we are due if we “dress the part”. This entails our attire, our grooming and our disposition.
the necktie is basically dead, and the sooner we bury it the better. I interpret at corporate events all the time and more and more I see business attire interpreted by attendants as slacks, dress shirt, a jacket, and sneakers. Overdressed can make you attract attention, which goes against every code of conduct I’ve ever seen. Personally, I can’t wait for the day when formal dress gives way to more informal attire, as it inevitably does as time goes by. And I don’t mind being in the forefront of this inevitable. Overdressing makes me think of the famous quote by W. C. Fields, “If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with BS… Finally, I clicked on a link re: Brain Marathon Training—a much more relevant topic imho—and was redirected here, so this needs fixing please. thank you.
Thank you for your comments. The URL link in the email was subsequently fixed.
oops I ment attendees, sorry but there is no Edit function on comments