From Student to Freelance Linguist: A Real Journey
Understanding how linguists enter the profession
At Jensen Languages, we believe that strong multilingual communication depends not only on structured processes, but also on the people behind them. Building long-term relationships with linguists and supporting their professional development is an essential part of how we work.
As part of this commitment, we collaborate with emerging professionals, offering opportunities to gain practical experience and understand how the language industry operates in real environments.
Martine joined our company as an intern during her studies and has since transitioned into freelance work. Her experience reflects many of the challenges and learning moments that define the early stages of a linguist’s career.
In this conversation, she shares how she entered the profession, what she encountered when moving into the industry, and how her perspective has evolved through hands-on experience.
The Interview
Can you tell us about your background and how you entered the language industry?
I’m from the southeast of Norway, and I mainly work with Norwegian and English. I’m also currently learning Spanish and Korean.
I didn’t initially plan to become a linguist. I’ve always been interested in languages, but I didn’t see a clear career path at first. I even applied for a Master’s in Archaeology before discovering a degree in Translation and Intercultural Communication. That was the moment everything changed and I decided to follow this path.
What motivated you to become a linguist?
Languages were always something I enjoyed, but I didn’t know how to turn that into a profession. I thought the only real option was teaching, which didn’t feel right for me.
When I discovered translation, I realised it allowed me to work with languages in a practical way while also engaging with different fields and topics. That combination made it a very natural choice for me.
What was the transition from university to professional work like?
The transition was quite a shock in some ways.
At university, you work on structured assignments with clear expectations. In professional environments, expectations can vary a lot depending on the client or the project.
During my internships, including my time at JL, I worked not only on translation, but also on marketing and project-related tasks. That helped me understand how the industry works in practice, which is very different from studying.
How important are internships or training programs in this field?
They are extremely important.
When you work in a real environment, you learn much faster. You are dealing with real deadlines and real expectations, not just assignments.
One of the most important things you learn is communication. You need to be clear, professional, and responsive. You also learn how to handle feedback and how to improve through it.
It also helps a lot with learning tools. Trying to understand CAT tools on your own can take time, but in a real project, you learn much more quickly.
What challenges did you face when starting as a freelancer?
The biggest challenge for me was communication.
When you work remotely, everything happens through emails, documents, and online platforms. You need to be clear and direct, and at the beginning that can feel difficult.
I also learned that it’s very important to ask for help early if something is unclear. Waiting too long can create bigger problems later.
Another challenge was managing everything at once, including files, emails, tools, and deadlines. It takes time to build that level of organisation.
How has your experience shaped your areas of expertise?
When I started working with JL, I was introduced to medical content, which I didn’t have much experience with.
At the beginning, it was challenging, but through feedback and practice I became more confident. Now, most of my work is related to medical content.
It shows that you don’t need to start as a specialist. You can build expertise over time if you are open to learning and improving.
What role do tools and technology play in your work?
Tools are a big part of the work.
Learning CAT tools was not easy at the beginning, but they are essential for consistency and efficiency. Some tools are easier to use than others, but each one has its advantages.
At the same time, tools don’t replace human work. They support it, but you still need to understand the context and make decisions.
Do you think machine translation or AI will replace human linguists?
I don’t think it will completely replace human linguists.
Artificial translation is getting very good and can be very useful, especially for certain types of content. But there are still many situations where human understanding is necessary.
Language is not just about words, it also includes culture and context. That’s something machines cannot always fully reproduce.
What advice would you give to students who want to enter the field?
I think it’s important to try to build consistent relationships with clients or agencies, instead of only focusing on one-off projects.
It’s also important to communicate clearly, meet deadlines, and show that you are improving. Even if you don’t know everything yet, showing progress and reliability makes a big difference.
Putting yourself out there can be difficult, but it’s necessary to start gaining experience.
What this journey shows about multilingual work
Martine’s experience reflects a broader reality of the language industry.
Becoming a strong linguist is not only about language skills. It requires the ability to adapt to professional environments, communicate clearly, and continuously develop expertise over time.
It also highlights the importance of structured support. The transition from study to practice is shaped not only by individual effort, but by the environments and relationships that enable learning and growth.
For organisations, this reinforces a key principle: high-quality multilingual communication depends on how linguists are supported, integrated, and guided within well-defined workflows.