Translating Market Desires in the Finnish Context

English Job Ads as a Guide

Authors

• Svitlana Firsova UEF

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61200/mikael.136428

Keywords:

translator job advertisements, translation market, employment, soft skills

Abstract

This paper examines a part of the Finnish translation market through 97 English-language translation job advertisements. The results agree with the previous Finnish research on the importance of the country’s official languages, Finnish and Swedish, alongside English as a foreign language. The study presents a mixed emphasis on the significance of formal education – Finnish employers who value it prefer a bachelor’s over a master’s degree. Experience and soft skills are crucial for recruiters, and the analysis of translators’ job responsibilities reveals translators’ multifaceted roles and alignment with the EMT competence framework, highlighting the vital role of translation, service provision, and technology. The outcomes have practical implications for the development of translator training curricula and generate a modern image of the professional translator from the market perspective. They also enable translators to anticipate employers’ needs and adequately prepare for their future careers.

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