Many professional conferences offer presentations on how translators must set their fees, but it is extremely rare to find a forum where fee setting is approached from the perspective of the interpreter. This presentation, a spinoff of a very successful post in The Professional Court Interpreter blog, deals with the considerations, elements and needs that a professional interpreter must include as part of the information needed during the process of determining a professional fee. Interpreting is a unique profession with unique situations to be considered.
Few professionals have to factor in issues related to constant travel, with all its time-consuming effects and risks to health and personal life; not many individuals work in different jurisdictions and countries, nor do they have to deal with fiscal, administrative and legal issues that are a consequence of an income generated under many economic and legislative models. Medical expenses, income taxes in different places, endless hours of travelling, a physically and mentally demanding job, weeks or months of preparation, and a very sui-generis personal life, are some of the elements that an interpreter needs to consider when setting a fee schedule.
This presentation will take all attending interpreters by the hand and will show them their life as they have never seen it; it will help them assign a value to each and every part of their professional practice, and will help them determine and provide tools needed to sell the real value of their service to their client.
Tony Rosado is a certified court and Department of State interpreter, a perito traductor, and an attorney from Escuela Libre de Derecho in Mexico City. As a high-profile conference interpreter he has worked all over the United States and abroad. He has interpreted for the court system at all levels, international organisations, the Olympic Games, radio and TV broadcasts and countless conferences. He has interpreted for many top-level politicians, celebrities and entrepreneurs, including the radio broadcast of President Obama’s speech at the Democratic Convention.
He is an interpretation and comparative law visiting professor at various universities in the U.S. and overseas, a well-known conference presenter all over the world, and the author of the popular blog
“The Professional Interpreter”.
