During a translation project in the Diplomatic field, I had the opportunity to meet the interpreter Véronique Duchene, who is proactively launching initiatives to promote networking in our business community. How important is the network? She will tell us about it in this interview.
Your mother tongue is French, and you have worked for years as an interpreter for both the Italian and French market. What are the main differences?
Unfortunately, there’s a single difference: rates. In Italy, I often have to bargain over the price of my services, which I rarely do in France. I see that in Italy there’s an ongoing battle over lowering rates, affecting our professional status!
Interpreters are often freelancers. Do you think this tends to create rivalry between professionals?
Rather than rivalry, I would define it as natural competition, on which our market economy is based. I agree that this may sometimes have effects that may affect moral values. Let’s be honest, living through competition means living through a never-ending fight that can wear yourself out! Apart from this, everyone chooses their own strategy. I personally do not consider my competitors as rivals, but rather as collaborators. Has this cost me some jobs? Maybe. On the other hand, I work ethically and gain peace of mind.
You organized events and happy hours in Rome to create a network of colleagues. Tell us about this initiative and the one you are launching during lockdown.
I launched the Roman happy hour for Translators and Interpreters in 2017, simply starting from the following well-known idea and quote: “Alone you go fast, together you go far”. Indeed, I believe sharing ideas with colleagues on how to face various difficulties, giving advice and tips to the young are the right way to meet the needs of our freelance sector.
There are already other tools for networking, like the professional associations. However, I wanted to propose something more direct and immediate, joyful and easy! The initiative that I launched during the lockdown is reserved for close colleagues. I asked them if they wanted to practice together some types of interpretation, with memorizing exercises, note taking, and terminology research.
I’m obviously already working on a third edition of the aperitif, surely a virtual one…
How important is the network for an interpreter?
I believe it is essential. Firstly, because it is strategic: networking to find new business contacts. The contacts can prove pivotal if a client requests services in a language combination other than our own, or simply because carrying out certain projects requires more than one professional involved. Secondly, to be helpful to others. I believe this is the basic element to make a network work. Anything I do, I always try to be helpful. That’s the real Leitmotif of my life. I believe we can learn a lot from others, not only int terms of practical and business-oriented terms. Believe me, I have also learned a lot from students and young colleagues with whom I had the opportunity to discuss and share a bit of my experience. Obviously, building a network requires committment and patience! But, given the results, I believe it is really worthwile. It definitely is a real investment.
I thank Véronique a lot for all these tips! You can find her by following the link to her website.
Interview by Silvia Cicciomessere, Interpreter and Translator in Rome.
