Businesses large and small are steadily expanding efforts to sell their goods and services to new markets—both within the Unites States and abroad. Evidence of this growth is everywhere. One sign is the job market. Research from various sources predicts that professional translation and interpretation services will continue to grow. By 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 46 percent employment growth for interpreters and translators—more than 29,000 new positions. CareerBuilder put translations/interpreting at the top of its fastest-growing job sector list, forecasting a 36% increase in related jobs over the next four years. Common Sense Advisory, an independent market research firm, predicts a global industry growth rate of 6.46% annually. Among the fastest-growing services are translations, software localization, and on-site interpreting.
The research shows that if you aren’t ‘Going Global’ with your message, your competitors probably are. For businesses, government agencies or non-profits, it can be as far-reaching as seeking out new markets in foreign lands or as focused as trying to communicate better with limited-English speaking groups here in the United States (nearly 41 million U.S. residents were born in other countries and about 30 percent do not speak English well). It’s clear that organizations serious about expanding their marketing efforts are relying on trained, professional translators and interpreters. That’s because communicating in other languages is so much more than just converting words. It requires a comprehensive approach that must account for a variety of factors, including the cultural, social, ethnic, political and religious subtleties that influence cultures everywhere. Getting the right balance between accurate translation, cultural sensitivity and fast turnaround is critical to how successful your multi-language communication efforts will be.
