04 Jun The Couch: Is There Still a Lane for Newcomers?
A Brief History of The Couch Series
A symbolic representation of interpreters and translators fostering understanding, depicted by a figure on a couch and another actively listening
Since its debut in 2017, The Couch has been the place to provide our members with the space to discuss dilemmas, help one another, and network within our field. Past discussions have tackled ethical challenges, professional growth, and best practices, offering valuable insights to judiciary interpreters and translators alike.
The Couch is a place to exchange ideas and brainstorm, not only for its contributors, but also for our readers who engage in the ensuing discussions.
If you’re new to The Couch series, check out some of our previous posts:
-
- Overcoming Imposter Syndrome (February 2025): A colleague is seeking advice on overcoming imposter syndrome and building confidence while navigating the demands of interpreting and translation.
- Starting Fresh – Advice for New Graduates (January 2025): A recent graduate seeks guidance on breaking into judiciary translation and interpreting
- The Couch: Are “Translator Headphones” Giving You the Ick Too?(March 2026): A conversation about “translator headphones” sparks an uncomfortable realization about how the public misunderstands interpreting and what that could mean for the field.
- For more posts, please explore: The Couch Series
These discussions continue to shape our understanding of best practices in judiciary translation and interpreting.
Seeking Guidance: Breaking Into the Profession
A question from one of our readers:
Hello NAJIT Community,
I currently work as a lash technician, but my long-term goal is to become a language access professional.
I’ve started reaching out to local court systems to learn more about opportunities and pathways into the profession, but I haven’t had much success connecting with the right people.
One challenge I keep running into is the experience question.
I understand that certification is an important step, but many opportunities seem to require experience. At the same time, gaining experience can be difficult when you’re just starting out and don’t have a formal educational pathway into the field.
I have a few questions for the NAJIT community:
- How did you gain experience when you were first starting out?
- What resources, training programs, or opportunities helped you build your skills?
- What advice would you give someone looking to transition into language access from a completely different career?
- If you were starting over today, what would you do first?
- Where do you see the profession heading over the next few years?
- Do you believe there is still a strong lane for newcomers entering the field today?
Thank you for any guidance you can share. I hope to learn from your experiences and one day join you in the field.
Thank you to this week’s Couch contributor!
At The Observer, we celebrate the strength of our community and the knowledge we share.
Thank you for contributing your expertise to help our colleagues succeed in their professional endeavors.
Collaborating in a professional setting, fostering ideas and understanding
Do you have insights to share or your own professional dilemma to discuss?
Complete this submission form to participate in the discussion!
Join the dialogue today and help us continue fostering meaningful conversations and connections within our professional community!
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for the next submission!
Keep the Conversation Going
If this topic resonated with you, be sure to check out our previous blog posts for more insights on the realities of our profession, and the evolving world of judiciary translation and interpreting:
-
- Finding Your Clan — In a profession that can feel isolating, how do we build the trusted networks that help us grow, survive, and thrive together?
- Wait… So What’s the Difference Between The Blog, Cybernews, and Proteus? — Ever wondered what the difference is between The NAJIT Observer, CyberNews, and Proteus?
- Be a Swan, Not a Duck — What does being a swan, not a duck, look like in your interpreting practice?
You can find these and more in our blog archives!
Interested in sharing your insights with our community? Check out Writing for The NAJIT Observer to learn how you can contribute.
The images used in this post are sourced from Unsplash, Pixabay, AI generated, and/or credited to their rightful owner. They are used for illustrative purposes only.
The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position, policies, or views of the NAJIT Board of Directors or the organization as a whole. Content published in The NAJIT Observer is intended to encourage professional dialogue, reflection, and community engagement. Reader discretion is advised where topics may involve complex ethical, professional, or emotionally sensitive subject matter.
How to get experience when you don’t have any, and the only way to get experience is through jobs that require you have experience?
Same as every other job in life… entrance into the field can be chaotic, not neat at all. But it works out in the end. Anyone with any other specialized job could tell you the same thing.
I started interacting with the court interpreter network in the state I used to live in, made a friend or two, practiced together with them… one recommended me for a job way up north; I took it; that was my first gig. Then I moved to another state, and again I asked an old friend who knew the state for some pointers, and turns out she recommended me to a few people who were still around, and that turned into my first few jobs in my new state; then stuff just picked up naturally from there. No clear pathway, steep learning curve at times, but it worked.
Congrats on taking a wonderful first step, by joining the NAJIT community and learning more about the profession!
While I can’t speak for all areas of the US, at least in the region where I work (the northeast), court interpreters are still being hired. Ideal candidates are individuals who are committed to continuous learning, perform well on initial assessments and exams (such as the National Center for State Courts Written Exam, and subsequent oral exam), and are able and willing to adapt to new technology and remote interpreting.
Here’s a few ideas that you might consider, and that were helpful to me when I was just getting started as a court interpreter:
1). Visit a local courthouse and observe court proceedings. This will give you a taste of what daily court proceedings are like and how the court works. If you pick a courthouse in a diverse area, you might even be lucky enough to see a case or two that utilizes the services of an interpreter. When I visited court, I stopped by the public information desk and explained that I was there to observe court as a prospective interpreter. The staff directed me to the arraignment/regular docket courtroom, which was a good place to catch most of the action that day.
2). Check out the ACEBO interpreting practice materials. These are an industry classic for learning the skills of court interpreting. Before I became an interpreter, I bought an ACEBO book, just to try it out and better understand what professional interpreting was all about.
3). Take an interpreting class. This will give you a great understanding of what interpreting is really all about, and help you to develop your skills. It also looks favorable on a resume, since it demonstrates commitment to the profession.
4). Speak, read, and listen to content in your working languages, as much as possible. Try to consume content that was
produced in the countries where your non-English language is spoken, rather than in the US, so that it’s less influenced by English.
I hope that helps, and I wish you the very best on your pathway to becoming a court interpreter!
I wanted to extend the gratitude from the contributor! As they found the comments useful and has a starting point! THANK YOU community!