Working With Languages | Multilingual Careers across Industries from Translator and Language Teacher to Linguist and Other Job Types

'I dream of a world where no one is disadvantaged because of language differences or deficiencies. And you?' A bold, heart-warming statement Dr Natalia Tilton shares on her LinkedIn profile. Natalia, today's guest, is a learning design specialist who started her career in interpreting for international institutions before moving into community interpreting training (she explains what it is in her...

How does a product manager combine tech with languages? And what skills are involved, if not required, to thrive in this career? Today's guest Hélène Sanchez tells us about how she went from Italy to working for the BBC where she discovered her passion for tech. She grew into a strong career as a product manager and discovered how her language skills are an asset when her employer, a British compa...

Have you ever wondered what it's like to have a career in tech and work as a customer success manager? Wendy Rendón shares how she went from working in events in Barcelona, Spain to a career in tech working in customer success in tech in Helsinki, Finland. She also shares what makes a good customer success manager and why the role of CSM can be different in different businesses and industries. Key...

Today I sit down with Urmi Hossain who grew up in Italy to Bengali parents, studied in England for a year, then moved to Montreal at 19 where she embarked in a career in finance. We talk about the very practical challenge of arriving in Montreal knowing French from school, only to discover that Quebecois is really quite different. She explains how she deliberately worked to master it, not just for...

In this episode I talk to Martina Abagnale, a financial translator and co-founder of the business-management software tool Lemon Twist for freelancers like her. She speaks candidly about why she launched a second business, how she combines it with her main revenue-generating work as a translator, and how translation work differs from being a co-founder (and product manager, marketer and overall fa...

Today I sit down with Alastair Budge, the creator of Leonardo English and the podcast English learning for curious minds. Alastair created a fantastic resource for people coming back to learn English - skipping the heavy grammar lessons, he digs deep into British issues and conversation topics that people may find themselves talking about at work or in social settings. He also developed tools to h...

Adrian Probst has 10 years' experience as a translator and YouTuber, specialising in sports translation and working also on the multilingual communication at the Winter Olympics and World Cup events. His YouTube channels is his only source of inbound leads and has 38,000 subscribers. Key Takeaways He translates into German as well as Swiss German: when clients request a translation into Swiss Germ...

Today I chat with Elena Carpanese, a Localization Manager at DeepL, about her multilingual background, her career in localization and the language technology industry, and the future of language AI. Originally from Italy, Elena studied English, German, and Spanish in the UK and joined DeepL as one of its early employees, working on both translation quality evaluation and content localization. Elen...

Leadership mentor Maria Rush shares how emotional intelligence, connection, and clear communication can reshape modern leadership. She reveals why traditional 'command and control' approaches no longer work, why deeper connection, vulnerability, and emotional awareness matter more than ever, and how expanding our emotional vocabulary can transform both professional and personal relationships. Key...

Our guest today is Elizabeth Prokorny, the Head of Content and Brand at Weglot. After exploring Elizabeth's journey in language learning and her career path from the UK to The Netherlands and then France, she discusses Weglot's AI-powered website translation tool, all that goes into translating websites and the importance of tailoring content for each country. Elizabeth also gives us examples of t...

Today I talk to Mair Garland who after 10 years shifted from the corporate world into leading non-religious baby naming ceremonies, weddings and funerals ceremonies as a humanist celebrant. Mair shares how she grew up in Wales speaking both English and Welsh. After studying French and Linguistics at the University of Oxford, which included a year abroad in France, she found work at an internationa...

In this conversation Fiona Gray, a translator and Chair of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting, shares her journey in language learning and translation. Fiona shares her experiences studying multiple languages, her transition into professional translation and her passion for tourism and creative translation. Fiona also highlights the importance of community within the translation profess...

In this episode Sonia speaks with Jamie Brown, a linguist, composer, and former Chief Language Services Officer at what3words, the company that makes it easy to identify a specific location. Jamie shares his journey from growing up with a stammer to managing the development of 61 language versions of what3words across the world. Key Takeaways Overcoming barriers through curiosity - Jamie’s stammer...

In this episode host Sonia Kampshoff speaks with Wesley van der Wille, a Dutch language and culture coach whose unique career path took him from the Dutch Air Force to founding his own language coaching business, Talk Dutch Today . Wesley shares how his 16 years in the military and his experience working with NATO shaped his understanding of communication, culture, and adaptability - skills that n...

In this conversation, Anders Hansen shares his fascinating journey through language learning, cultural immersion and career transitions across various countries. From his early years in Denmark and Portugal to his experiences in the UK, Singapore, China and now Italy, Anders emphasizes how languages create opportunities and build connections.. He discusses his sales career, the challenges of adapt...

In this episode, Sonia Kampshoff welcomes Fritz Oberhummer , Head of Solution Architecture for EMEA at Sabre Corp, to share his fascinating journey through languages, cultures, and technology in the travel industry. From growing up in an Austrian ski resort to navigating life and work in London, Madrid, and beyond, Fritz reflects on how language shapes not only communication but also cultural unde...

Today Sonia Kampshoff speaks with Marina Koleva (linguist and developer) and Manuel Augustin (product owner and plugin release lead) from Yoast . Together, they explore how linguistics, technology and multilingual SEO intersect. From mastering multiple languages to building features in the Yoast SEO plugin, Marina and Manuel share insights into how language expertise drives better search optimizat...

Dominique van Werkhoven is a London-born copywriter now based in the Netherlands. With Dominique we explore the intersections of languages, culture and entrepreneurship. From growing up in a multicultural household to immersing herself in French, Dutch and (Austrian) German, Dominique shares her journey of learning languages and working in multilingual copywriting. She also opens up about co-found...

Today I have a special conversation with Claire Lutton, the US team lead for member support at HomeExchange, a French B Corp company. As a member myself for the past three years, it was a pleasure to delve into how this platform creates such personal and unique multicultural travel experiences. We discuss how swapping homes is not just about finding a place to stay, but about connecting with peopl...

In this engaging conversation, Victoire Galtres shares her journey from a multicultural upbringing to her current role in leadership and culture within a casual dining restaurant chain. She discusses the importance of language, cultural experiences and how her background in acting enhances her leadership skills. Vic also emphasizes the significance of diversity, inclusion, and empowering women in...

In this episode, I chat with Stefanie Mellano, a UK-native now based in Northern Italy, who works as a film and TV subtitles translator. Stefanie shares her journey from studying law to pursuing her passion for the Italian language and building a freelance career in subtitling. We explore the technical and creative skills required for subtitling, the importance of specialisation, and how she balan...

In this first episode, I’m interviewed by podcast producer, Lucy Lucraft. We discuss my multilingual background, growing up speaking German and Italian, and how this foundation in languages shaped my career path from translations to digital marketing and then podcasting. I share my journey from being a translator and localization manager to specialising in digital marketing and advertising on Goog...

Hello, I'm Sonia Kampshoff, and I'd like to welcome you to Working with Languages . I started this podcast to explore what it really means to build a career with language skills today. It goes far beyond the traditional roles of translation and teaching. I’m fascinated by how languages empower us to connect and achieve specific goals in almost any professional environment. In each episode, I sit d...