My experience working as an Arabic/English Translator at the Immigrant Welcome Network of Johnson County (IWNJC) was filled with valuable lessons and challenges. I found myself not only serving as a linguistic link between newcomers and staff but also as an essential supporter in their journey to settle and integrate into a new society. My work included interpreting, filling out forms for various services, and participating in workshops and English language lessons, etc. This experience was enriching and deeply influenced my understanding of the importance of translation in promoting understanding and integration. 

Opting for the internship will provide you with many opportunities to learn and apply skills in a real world environment. See the following steps for choosing an internship and how to get your internship registered for your major. At the bottom of the page, you can find information about finding and funding an internship.

Before Your Internship

  1. Decide when you will do your internship and talk to your advisor early.

    Consider your academic and personal schedules and goals when deciding on a semester-long or summer internship. This includes your interests and career goals. You can also meet with a Career Coach at the Pomerantz Center.

  2. Find internship opportunities.

    Give yourself enough time to research opportunities, apply, and secure a position. As a place to start, you can find a non-exhaustive list of internship opportunities below.

  3. Apply for your internship.

    Submit required materials to your desired internship to apply. You can apply to more than one internship, but make sure you give yourself enough time to secure an internship that works with your schedule.

After You Get Your Internship

  1. Sign up for TRNS:3491 and fill out the internship agreement form.

    To complete your degree, you must get University credit for your internship. This is done by registering for TRNS:3491 and completing the internship agreement form. Talk to your advisor is you have questions about either of these steps.

  2. Begin your internship.

    Schedule regular check-ins (we recommend at least 3) with your faculty advisor and internship supervisor to discuss your progress and address any concerns you may have.

  3. Complete the final assignment.

    Work with your advisor to determine your final assessment. This could include a reflective paper, a presentation, or a portfolio showcasing your work during your internship.

I am currently working as a translation intern at Global Ties Iowa. I translate documents, website information, and blogs into Armenian and Russian, as well as generate drafts of translations in many different languages using machine translation. For these drafts, we reach out to volunteers speaking the languages and ask them to review and edit the materials accordingly. Global Ties Iowa brings people from different countries together as part of global exchange programs, so that the experiences of our entrepreneurs can be shared with others. Translation surely helps to make that exchange smoother and fosters the creation of safer, stronger and more prosperous community.

My MFA in Literary Translation helps me to produce high-quality translations and be aware of the mistakes machine translation might produce. Also, my degree helped me to become more strategic and consistent with my translations, and develop stronger skills in editing, reviewing and framing my translation goals. Now, when reaching out to volunteers to look at our drafts, I usually write a note on what to focus on and what our translation strategies are, to make our translation goals clear.

Finding and Funding an Internship

The resources below are meant to help you in your search for an internship. These include organizations that students have worked with before and resources that can help you in your search.

Good Places to Start Looking

The following list is a good place to start looking for internships opportunities. This list is not exhaustive, however.

Other Helpful Resources