I serve as a TA again. This time, I serve in the Design Thinking course led by two instructors: a mechanical engineering professor and an industrial design professor. Since I am half designer half engineer, I seem a perfect match. Engineers are generally different from people, and I understand both sides. I enjoy working as a TA in that course, but I will move to Orillia, so I’ll have to leave the class.
Yesterday I went to the class (yes, the class is on Saturdays) and told the industrial design professor that I would move to Orillia to do a contract job as a technical Japanese interpreter. Working as an interpreter was, as I guessed, surprising for him.
“So, are you going to do something that you don’t use your experiences?”
“No, I need technical knowledge to do the job. Typical interpreters don’t have technical background and they cannot translate engineers’ language. I am one of few people who are qualified.”
“So, you are going to do exactly what you do here.”
“?”
“You will be translating between different disciplines.”
He was right. I had not thought in that way, but what I will be doing in Orillia is what I have done so far; bridging the gap between engineers and people. Because my title will be “interpreter”, it sounds like I will interpret between English speakers and Japanese speakers. But, I have seen many translators who cannot translate engineers’ language to people’s language. What I will be doing is to interpret engineers’ language. Though it is not a design job, it is my strength.