Inspiring Future Linguists at the QE Careers Fair

Once again, the ITI North East Network had the pleasure of attending the annual Careers Fair at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College in Darlington. We believe our presence plays an important role in helping QE students—whether they study A level French or Spanish, or grow up in multilingual households—understand the wide range of career opportunities that languages can open up.

Having taken part in the fair for many years, I was delighted to see that our stand had never been busier. For the first time, we completely ran out of leaflets (and cakes). Could this signal a renewed interest in translation and interpreting as career paths?

The questions we received were thoughtful and often very perceptive: “Could I work abroad as a translator?” “Which industries need translators or interpreters the most?” “Is this something I could do part-time or alongside another job?” “How do you get started?” “What do you enjoy most about the work?” And inevitably… “What impact is AI having?”

John and I aimed to answer with a balance of optimism and realism. There’s no denying that AI is reshaping our industry, yet the global demand for translation and interpreting services continues to grow rapidly across sectors. Perhaps the future lies in finding a new equilibrium—one where rising demand is met by linguists who confidently integrate AI tools and use them to enhance their work.

I’m increasingly convinced that the next generation of linguists - those who have grown up with these technologies and understand them intuitively - will be well placed to do exactly that.

In the meantime, we’ll continue championing the essential role of languages and language professionals, and highlighting just how rewarding a career in translation or interpreting can be.