Future Career
201300476 EIT Byungwook Kim
Truth to be told, 21st century may be the worst era to reach for your hopes and dreams. In response to the series of consecutive economic collapses, leading economies over the globe have prescribed vaccines to the already spread epidemic but to no avail. In this time of blinding darkness, when parents compete with their children over jobs, there is a glimpse of cautious optimism for my future career as an interpreter.
To begin with, it is never too much to emphasize the importance of wise career choice amid endless follow-your-passion speeches and lectures by celebrities. Rather than taking emotional approach, one should analyze his strength over time. Above all, a full comprehension of source and target language is the most critical qualification for an accomplished interpreter. In my case, when I was a first grade in the high school, I took first place in English Competition and English Novel Writing Competition. In second grade, fifth place in English Competition and in third grade, second place in English Vocabulary Competition. Now in HUFS, I took second place in EIT department in my freshmen year. While all these facts suggest that one of the biggest strengths of mine is English, it would be a huge waste of time to start digging another well.
In addition, the second compelling reason why I can become a promising interpreter can be found from my personal experience. On April 16th 2014, a ferry named Sewol capsized not far away from the island Jindo with 475 passengers aboard, mostly students from Danwon high school heading on a fieldtrip to Jeju island. One day after the heartbreaking catastrophe, I got a phone call from one of my colleagues when I was cramming for the midterm on the fifth floor of the HUFS central library. He said that there is a vacancy for an interpreting job and asked me whether I want it. My first question was, naturally, how much do I get paid? You name it, he said. Even though I was on a full scholarship, one million won for four days of service was too good a chance to miss. Blinded by the marshmallow, I replied "I'll take it" unconsciously, leaving destiny to take care of the 500-page long economics text book sleeping on the desk. So there I was in Pang Mok harbor, Jindo interpreting for foreign broadcasting crew from Euro Vision, NBC, ABC, and CBS for four days. By the end of each day, after 16-hour relay of interpretation and standby, I was convinced that interpreter is my calling. Korean military divers were carrying out underwater search around the clock amid strong currents and murky water desperate for any signs for possible survivors. Relatives of the dead were sobbing and wailing in frustration and in despair, calling out their children's name at the back of the ambulances carrying bodies. The fact that I can have their voices heard was one of the most fulfilling moments of my life, and I was quite good at it.
If you are searching for silky sexy lingerie with exquisite design, you visit France. If you are looking for a car that doesn't surrender to a weight of a tank, you go find Germans. When you want to make money out of nothing, you consult Jewish. The point is, each and every country has its own competitiveness and image. The same applies to universities in Korea. Hankuk University of Foreign Studies is renowned for its best linguistics program in South Korea, and the public recognizes HUFS as an excellent education institution for second language learners. HUFS, especially English Interpretation and Translation Department is a perfect place for a novice student interpreter to polish his skills. Also, a degree from EIT department, or even a degree from Graduate School of Interpretation and Translation which I am considering to apply in the near future will be able to fully meet the expectations of those who are willing to hire an interpreter.
Deciding a career must be accompanied by great deal of patience and time because before you even notice, the career will mold your lifestyle and shape your future. It's bad enough not getting the right one, but it's even worse to have an idea what it is you want and find out at the end of a journey, that it isn't, in fact, what you wanted all along. I sincerely hope for myself that my career choice as an interpreter based on my ability, personal experience, and social function and image of HUFS presents me with a successful outcome.
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