2023 has seen Japan investing millions to billions of dollars into Filipino infrastructure. Additionally, hundreds of Japanese firms doing so privately across a variety of industries. Engaging with persons from the Land of the Rising Sun is becoming a must for the internationally-minded companies of the Philippines. Whether they’re mediating in a board room or translating text for a high-profile video game into English, Japanese Translators and Interpreters are needed more than ever. You can find abridged yet actionable insights into this job’s qualifications, duties, salary, promotional paths, and even outright opportunities relating to our own hiring agency.
Japanese Translator and Interpreter Credentials
The major requirement for being a Japanese Translator is to have strong Japanese Proficiency Level, preferably native level, ranging from N1 Level or N3 Level. This is the core skill a Japanese interpreter needs. It must also be packaged with a substantial understanding of cultural idioms so that nothing is lost in translation when conveying or converting information from Japanese to either English or any other language your employer requires.
There are also modest supplementary qualifications for being a Japanese Interpreter such as a degree of college education, mild computer literacy, and potential prior experience working in a BPO or Japanese company. Some job openings may also call for skills inherent to the function of the firm in question like web development or working knowledge of finances. Everything here mostly serves to give an applicant an added advantage in the selection process as the language proficiency is the most crucial trait they can possess.
What Japanese Translators and Interpreters Do?
The most common duty of a Japanese Translator is to translate internal and external company documents to and from Japanese to the language the company requires. They may also have to take calls from Japanese clients. Another typical responsibility found in a Japanese Interpreter description is to translate Japanese and communicate these messages live during meetings or during visits from important guests. If they are part of a small team, they may bear the entire responsibility of upholding the quality and accuracy of their translations.
Depending on the business they are involved in, a Japanese Translator may be expected to support the providing of its goods and services. This could be done through inputting translated information on forms or databases, or even having to code them into a website themselves.
How Much Do Japanese Translators Make?
Japanese Translator salaries fall under the same range as Korean and Chinese language interpreters. On average, their paychecks can range from ₱38,000 to ₱42,000. There are exceptions to this, of course. Some firms in the NCR region will pay a Japanese Translator ₱60,000 a month, while others offer salaries as high as ₱75,000 or even ₱150,000.
Japanese Translator and Interpreter Career Paths
The ways a Japanese Translator can be promoted are unique to where they are being employed. If the Japanese Translator is part of a team, then they could vie for a managerial or other senior leadership position within said team. If they’re only one of a handful of a firm’s interpreters, then they should seek to create a strong body of accomplishments before attempting to apply for a higher-paid opening of their current position in another company.
A Japanese Translator can also engage with a company’s HR Department for advances along its pathways.
Where Do I Start?
If the role of a Japanese Translator or Interpreter and their career paths appeal to you, we have a selection of open job offers on the JCCI Career Portal. Click on the links below to start applying in the following territories:
Should you have more questions about the role, our expert recruiters will be sure to answer any you might have once your Japanese Translator application process is underway.
