2021 Virtual Job Fair for Interpreters
Along with our partners at CCCS and UMass CHAN Medical School, Found in Translation held our second Interpreter Job Fair on November 18th, which also happened to be our first job fair to take place entirely online!
Hosted on the Found in Translation website, this free event was open to interpreters in Boston…and around the world! To match the broader scope of the event, this year’s fair included 21 different language service providers ranging from local agencies with in-person assignments, to large international remote interpreting companies. (See full list below)
Once open, the free online registration surpassed 500 in just days, indicating a strong interest in language professionals for opportunities like this to connect with potential employers.
In order to create an intimate and user-friendly experience, the event hosts designed a landing page on Found in Translation’s website, which served as the event “lobby.” On this page, all participating agencies (and their relevant hiring information) were listed in alphabetical order. Each agency hosted their own video conferencing room (most used Zoom), which was linked on the homepage for easy access. Attendees were able to “visit” any agency by clicking these links, then return to the homepage to enter another room.
Special thanks to the event committee Gaye Gentes (CCCS and Found in Translation board member), Lisa Morris (UMass Chan Medical School) and Karen Walker (Found in Translation staff) for hosting a special “help desk” virtual room and helping attendees find their way around the event.
For two hours, at least 373 attendees logged on from 30 different countries and 35 different states. The event was especially well-attended by Found in Translation graduates from all classes – especially our newest Class of 2021, who completed their studies earlier this year. On average, each participating agency was visited by 55 attendees over the course of the evening.
Post-event surveys reveal that the event was a smashing success, and indicated strong interest in participating in another event in the future. Here are some of the comments we received from attendees and vendors:
I was very glad so many participants showed up and expressed interest in our programs!
– Agency representative
This is the first job fair for interpreters I have ever attended. I appreciated the opportunity to talk directly with recruiters and hear from their perspectives. Usually, it’s just faceless communication via emails… In addition, I like the fact that through this event, I have a list of companies that I can apply for, which reduces time spent searching on the Internet. The number of participants visiting the booth allowed for one-on-one interaction with recruiters and company representatives, and conducting instant interviews in breakout rooms was great. Generally speaking I got much more out of this virtual job fair than any in-person job fair I’ve attended before.
– Attendee
It was a very positive and successful job fair. I have been engaged with some candidates and I think we will see some good uptake on our website and recruiting email.
– Agency representative
Thank you so much for this incredible opportunity, this was a life changing experience.
– Attendee
A big thank you to all of the agencies and organizations who participated:
AMN Healthcare Language Services (formerly Stratus Video)
Benoit Language Services, Inc.
Center for Health Impact / Language Link
Community Interpreter Services at Catholic Charities of Boston
Cross Culture Interpretation & Translation Services
International Medical Interpreters of the North Shore, Inc.
International Translation Company, LLC
Steward Health Care