The purpose of this research is to explore professional interpreters’ perceptions of their career development. Interpreters offer crucial services and perform work that is essential in present-day situations of increasing globalization. Interpretation is recognized by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare as a professional occupation that requires extensive knowledge and advanced skills. However, the work of interpreters is neither sufficiently understood nor regarded with high social recognition. To explore ways in which interpreters can fulfill their mission of social contribution and simultaneously attain personal career-related objectives, we conducted a survey of professional Japanese interpreters in 2017. Potential directions that could be beneficial for interpreters wishing to further advance their careers, as well as for prospective interpreters, were investigated in this study through a qualitative analysis of the feelings and thoughts expressed by the interpreters about their work in the abovementioned survey.
