Behind the scenes: Translation Traineeship at the Council of the European Union
This blog post first appeared in the first edition of Ignition, the Institute of Translation and Interpreting's online publication for those starting out in the industry. You can read the entire publication here.
During my studies, I often thought about the role of multilingualism and translation within the EU institutions. Therefore, immediately after finishing my MA, I decided to apply for a translation traineeship at the EU.
I completed the traineeship at the Council in the first half of 2017. The trainee cohort was made up of around 65 people from different backgrounds and different nationalities, so the environment was quintessentially European. Around a dozen of us were doing translation traineeships, while the others had policy or administrative roles. We attended meetings of EU ministers, volunteered for EU summits, attended press conferences of EU heads of state, and we had study visits to Strasbourg and Luxembourg, so the experience allowed us to get a wide overview of the EU apparatus.
As far as my day-to-day tasks were concerned, I was assigned a mentor who helped me learn the ropes and become familiar with the conventions of the Translation Service of the Council. The main text types I translated were Council Decisions, Regulations, Conclusions, Directives, meeting minutes, press releases and content for the Council’s website on a wide range of topics (the digital agenda, foreign affairs, budget, sanctions, cooperation with third countries, inter alia). This helped me understand which fields interest me and which ones don’t: I enjoy translating web documents, but I loathe Fisheries!
One of the perks is that this environment gives you tools for improvement: there are dedicated terminologists, quality controllers, assistants dealing with formatting, so this structure allows translators to focus on translating, while having a support network. While the non-translation related activities and seminars give you a sneak peek at the inner workings of the institutions, which is fascinating to better understand the EU project’s goals, the daily translation work helps you improve your skills, productivity, and stamina.
After my traineeship, I was lucky enough to be offered a temporary contract as an in-house translator at the Council, so I am still Brussels-based and enjoying every minute of my experience here.
Therefore, I would encourage recent graduates to have a look at the EUROPA website, which groups together the several traineeship opportunities (Council, Commission, Parliament, Committee of the Regions) and their slightly different deadlines. The traineeships offer a stipend that allows you to fund your stay in Brussels rather comfortably. All in all, it is a great opportunity to broaden your horizons and experience a multicultural work environment.
The application period for traineeships at the Council opens on the 16th August, in the meantime, you can have a look at this web page for more information.
Disclaimer: The views expressed are solely those of the writer and may not be regarded as stating an official position of the Council of the EU.
