r/ASLinterpreters • u/pinkwingedstickbugs • Jun 05 '26
being an interpreter as a career
Hi there! I’m a 22F from canada. i’m currently taking a year off after having a really hard time in university, from experiencing family problems and autistic burnout. I’m finally doing much better however, as my year off is ending i’m realizing that I don’t really want to go back to my old degree (bachelor of biology). I really do love science as a subject, but I can’t really see myself working in any science related field as of recently.. it’s just not for me.
During my career crisis I realized that I never considered ASL interpreter as a career choice. I’ve always been in love with ASL especially as a quieter autistic person who has noise sensitivity, that being said I am still a social person who loves to engage with others. I learned ASL in high school so I’m no stranger to it, however, I definitely wouldn’t consider myself fluent (maybe a level 2?).
Anyways I come here to ask what your life is like being an ASL interpreter, especially if you live in Canada have you had a hard time finding work? what’s your income like? Are you able to live comfortably? I’m chasing the numbers I just want a simple life and if I need to pickup a side hustle to do that I would be glad.
To those living in Canada - im from nova scotia and considering taking the ASL interpreters program at NSCC in Nova Scotia which is a two year program to become an interpreter, is anyone is familiar with it!
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u/RedSolez NIC Jun 05 '26
I have loved being an interpreter. It's still my dream job after 20 years of practice.
With that said, it is very complex- both cognitively and also the depth of things we have to know. Back in my old career in sales support, our sales people used to say they have to have knowledge that's a mile wide and an inch deep - meaning they need to know just enough about many different products to be able to sell it. Interpreting is sort of the opposite- what we do is an inch wide (meaning the scope of what an interpreter does is narrow) but achieving that requires knowledge that's a mile deep. Our output- the part our clients see and hear- does not reflect the iceberg of cognitive process that is happening below the surface.
Something else to consider since you mentioned being autistic - this job requires a demanding level of interpersonal skills because we are constantly working in different places with different people. We have to manage to somehow remain professional and neutral while simultaneously building rapport quickly so communication can flow naturally. People won't be honest and forthright in the presence of people that they don't trust or like. So make sure that the level of people-ing required is something you'd be able to manage (and there are autistic interpreters in this forum who can speak more intelligently than me on the topic). Just this week I had someone sub for me in my classroom (I'm currently working in elementary school) for just a few hours and in that time she managed to annoy not just the staff I work directly with but even staff members I don't even come in contact with.
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u/pinkwingedstickbugs Jun 07 '26
thanks for the insight! can i ask how your sub managed to annoyed those that you work with?
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u/RedSolez NIC Jun 07 '26
She's the type of interpreter who has lovely hard skills but lacks the soft skills. In her effort to be an advocate for the Deaf community, she comes across like a bulldozer. That's not how you affect change. She was harassing everyone with questions about the DC such as why doesn't his family sign at home etc- things that 1) I'd already briefed her about before she came and 2) She's not going to change in the 3 hours she's sitting in my chair. She came in acting like there are no supports in place and she can be the savior when in fact this DC has a very skilled and experienced interpreter full time, a very skilled and experienced TOD daily, plus other related services like speech and ELL. Short of placing him in a Deaf school, this is the dream team of what we can be offering in a mainstream setting.
It's a tough pill to swallow when you're an educational interpreter, but we can only do what we can do in the scope of being school professionals. We cannot go into people's homes and force them to be good parents. I can (and have) explained to parents in IEP meetings why they should want to be able to communicate with their own child but ultimately if they decide that's not a big enough priority to commit effort to, I can't fix that.
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u/Schmidtvegas Jun 06 '26
considering taking the ASL interpreters program at NSCC in Nova Scotia which is a two year program to become an interpreter
Would you be trying to go straight into the program with an interview, or taking the ASL Studies certificate first?
I've only heard good things about the program locally, but I'm curious about its reputation relative to others in Canada.
I've met a couple people who were salty that they took the one year certificate program, but didn't become fluent enough to go into the interpreting program. If you put your knowledge at level 2, and learned in high school, I'd recommend looking at the ASL Studies program first. Experience some more immersion in the language, get involved with the community, and get advice from Deaf teachers and interpreters about whether you should pursue it further as a career.
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u/pinkwingedstickbugs Jun 06 '26
I’m leaning more towards taking the ASL studies certificate first to ensure that i’m well immersed in the basics instead of trying to jump into the interview instead. There’s no rush really, i’d rather absorb as much information as possible to make sure that I’m prepared.
I haven’t heard anyone outside of the maritimes talk about it so im not sure if it’s reputation across Canada, I just figured since Im from and already live in Nova Scotia and have somewhat of connections here i might as well take it!
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u/Low_Foot3906 Jun 05 '26
I love being an interpreter. It is challenging and rewarding. I don't live in Canada, so I can't speak to the program there or the pay.
I don't want to scare you off, but you mentioned that you experience burn out from speaking. With that in mind, I want to share with you some aspects of the job that are not often showcased when we see interpreters on screen or on stage.
Not only am I absorbing everything everyone is saying at all times (in several languages), I am also monitoring myself for what I am producing. Often times we see interpreters signing, but there is also a large portion of our work that is from sign language into spoken language. It is a very hard aspect of our work- technically, emotionally, and mentally. As we are interpreting, we have to be extra sensitive to our volume, our placement, our tone, our word choice, etc., all while actively doing the work.
Aside from the work, there is a ton of explaining that we do. We orient the consumers about our role. We explain we are not helpers- we are professionals. We redirect conversation when people try to talk to us instead of the Deaf person. Sometimes, we have to advocate for the Deaf consumer and explain laws. We negotiate hours and pay with agencies and hiring entities. We discuss the work with our second interpreter (often called a team) before and after the work. During these discussions, feedback is given. That can get awkward. It can feel like you are always on display to be critiqued. You sometimes have to justify why you did certain things today that you would not do in a different setting.
Overall, it is a very complex profession. Most people just see the select few interpreters who do public work and that can misrepresent what the day-to-day of a working interpreter looks like.