Have you ever had your significant other tell you, „You never listen to me!“? You might provoke the ire of your partner if you don't listen, but for an interpreter, good listening skills are even more important! The essence of interpreting is to bring the intended message across, and that requires a spectrum of skills and years of practice to do it well.

I learned the skills during four years of study at the German Johannes Gutenberg Universität, Fachbereich Angewandte Sprachwissenschaft (Applied Linguistics) and hold the degree of Diplom-Dolmetscherin in German, English, and French. In my years of working as an interpreter and translator, I gathered experience in a wide range of specialized areas. As an interpreter for the United States Department of State, I traveled with German dignitaries and partners of foreign exchange programs. Aside from official briefings, conferences, and formal dinners, I've interpreted in detention facilities, helicopters, and during night-time excursions along the US-Mexican border. As a conference interpreter, I've covered everything from hip surgeries to Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Thanks to more recent webcast technologies, I can now lend my voice to CEOs if they want to address their global employee base or clinicians that want to train clinical trial personnel worldwide.

Many organizations claim to be global – if you are serious about speaking to a global audience or being inclusive of your global workforce, show your respect by communicating in their language!