<p><span class="p-body">Barbara Inge Karsch is the owner of <a href="https://bikterminology.com/" target="_blank" title="BIK Terminology">BIK Terminology</a>, a terminology consultancy and training company, and an adjunct associate professor at the NYU SPS Center for Publishing, Writing, and Media, where she teaches in the MS in Translation &amp; Interpreting program.&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span class="p-body">For the last 25 years, Karsch has worked as a terminologist, terminology consultant, and trainer. For the last 13 years as a consultant, she has held engagements with language service providers, large companies like Intel, Facebook, and Intuit, as well as governmental organizations, including the EU Council of Ministers and the FBI.</span></p>

<p><span class="p-body">Though Karsch loves her life as a consultant, she also loves teaching—and the two roles are more connected than you might expect. &quot;When I work with my clients, I see what skills are missing on the market. It becomes clear that we must educate others to fill these gaps,&quot; she explained. &quot;I see the industry's needs firsthand, and it is rewarding to work with students to address those needs.&quot;</span></p> <p><span class="p-body">Karsch is proud to admit that she loves to work with people, and she finds it motivating to help people grow. &quot;A student may experience growth in technical understanding of a particular best practice or principle, but there is also the understanding of oneself as a human being,&quot; she shared. How do I best learn? What are my strengths and weaknesses? Do I dare reach out and ask for support? There is so much growth happening in a classroom, and I get to observe and support it.&quot;</span></p>

<p><span class="p-body">Of course, things have changed over the course of Karsch's career. &quot;Today, no translator or interpreter can make it without solid computer and outstanding internet research skills. While globalization and concurrent technological advances changed our working methods, they also increased demand for our work in ways nobody could foresee when I first entered the field,&quot; she mused.</span></p> <p><span class="p-body">Demand increased so much that there were not enough language professionals to fill the need, recalled Karsch. &quot;More technology was necessary, so artificial intelligence—initially in the form of machine translation—came about.&quot;</span></p>

<p><span class="p-body">Her advice to young people with similar interests is rather simple—strive for excellence. According to Karsch, there are many obstacles that stand in the way of doing a job well. But if you give it your all, correct what didn't work, and deliver your projects on time, clients will be pleased.</span></p> <p><span class="p-body">&quot;Pride in our work must not be underestimated. It is a form of self-care that creates win-win situations for us professionally and personally,&quot; she asserted. &quot;As a philosophy-professor friend put it, That is not something that artificial intelligence will take away any time soon.&quot;</span></p>

<p style="line-height: 1.38;margin-top: 12.0pt;margin-bottom: 12.0pt;" id="docs-internal-guid-04e6b9db-7fff-af67-b1da-b5f4486a1779"><span class="p-body">Karsch also believes that an advanced degree can be an essential part of continued professional development and excellence. &quot;Computer technology continues to evolve. We must stay abreast of developments. If we fall too far behind, our productivity suffers, which can have financial consequences,&quot; she said.</span></p> <p style="line-height: 1.38;margin-top: 12.0pt;margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span class="p-body">&quot;Incidentally, in my fall course, <a href="/content/sps-nyu/courses/TRAN1-GC3390-translation-in-science-technology.html" title="Translation in Science and Technology">Translation in Science and Technology</a>, we practice just that: the flow of a translation project supported by technology. If technology is not your cup of tea (yet), come practice with me.&quot;</span></p> <p style="line-height: 1.38;margin-top: 12.0pt;margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span class="p-body">According to Karsch, young professionals or other new entrants to the field also need to stay up-to-date on new concepts that clients may someday hire them to convey. &quot;They should always pique our curiosity; if they become repetitive and boring, seek a subject area that does,&quot; she explained. &quot;There is no shortage of options. Take care of yourself and your professional skills, and your initial investment here at NYU will last a lifetime.&quot;</span></p> <p style="line-height: 1.38;margin-top: 12.0pt;margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span class="p-body">An <a></a><a href="/content/sps-nyu/explore/degrees-and-programs/ms-in-translation.html" title="MS in Translation and Interpreting">MS in Translation and Interpreting</a> (MSTI) from NYU SPS can open doors that you may have never imagined were possible. See where you can start the next chapter of your career with a degree from the<a><u> </u></a>Center for Publishing, Writing, and Media.</span></p> <p> </p>