I wanna be a translator

What qualifications do you need?

You have to be sensitive to languages, and have excellent language skills. The best way to work around it is to translate your second language into your mother tongue. So, be it Chinese or English, mastering your mother tongue is the most important.

What sort of person does the job suit?

Introverts, as you must be able to stand hiding yourself in the office and working hard. If you love meeting people and going out, this job isn't for you.

What's the best way into the industry?

The industry is very small. Usually if someone is looking for a translator they know who they want and how to find them. But sometimes there might be recruitment drives for in-house translators. You could do a course in translation but it won't guarantee you a job.