Joining us means -

Career - We provide a rare career path for interpreters between English and Chinese. We offer full-time salaried posts. You join to gain high-end interpreting expertise not available outside our company.  You develop faster than if you were a freelancer. You do so in a highly supportive, protected and rewarding environment.

Focus - Unlike freelancers, our staff focuses on self-development and doing a good job for clients. They don’t worry about where the next booking is going to be from. They don’t need to market themselves. They don’t deal with scheduling, travel plans and bookings, invoicing, chasing payment and tax returns. We have a Business Manager and a back office to handle all that.

Office environment - We’re based in a 100 metre2 modern office in Surbiton, Surrey (London really). There is a semi-partitioned, fully-equipped kitchenette where staff can have a break and relax over lunch. We have a dedicated training room with a two seater booth for Simultaneous Interpreting training.

Benefits - Chinese graduates join us on a required visa sponsored by us. That entitles them to live and work in the UK until becoming eligible for permanent residency. Although they may be Chinese nationals, they enjoy the full range of rights of a UK employee. These include 28 days of annual leave and public holidays as well as sickness, maternity and other statutory leaves with full pay. They’re entitled to free National Health Service. If they’re married, they can bring their family. If they have children, they’ll be eligible for free education at state schools.

The following is a summary list of staff benefits paid for by the company –

• Sponsorship for visa and associated licence fees
• Employers National Insurance contribution
• Voice and speech training by external experts
• Substantial amount of training above post-MA degree level
• Professional Indemnity insurance
• Travel insurance
• Fitness training session using office hours (every Wed afternoon)
• Flue vaccination every winter
• Company summer barbecue
• Company Christmas Dinner

Health & Safety - Our Staff Handbook covers the full range of workplace and employment issues. It’s part of the induction of any new staff and is available to consult at any time during office hours. The company has funded training to have one staff qualified in First Aid and has an appointed fire warden.

Best practice - Although we’re a small firm, we adopt many of the best practices usually associated with large organizations. They cover the full range of our day to day activities, from computer and equipment use in the office to travel advice and health and safety whilst working on client premises. Every morning at 09.30, we hold a morning briefing. Staff takes turns to chair. That includes new recruits. They share jokes, tips as well as telling colleagues about their plan for the day. 

Staff are encouraged to –

• ask questions and use own judgment even when receiving instructions
• to be analytical and propose solutions
• to take initiative and owe up to human errors.

We value team work. Our systems and processes are designed to ensure efficient team communication. We work seamlessly between London and Beijing.

Recognition - All our staff are appraised every six months. At the end of June and December, they review progress and achievement with our Managing Director and set targets for the next six months.

We celebrate success and give annual awards. Award winners have their large photos pinned up on our company Hall of Fame.

If that sounds like the kind of career you want to pursue, please read Application.