Working With Languages | Multilingual Careers across Industries from Translator and Language Teacher to Linguist and Other Job Types – Details, episodes & analysis

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 Google and social media.

We delve into how cultural nuances are crucial in international marketing, the role of AI in the industry, and my experience working with technology companies. I also explain why I started this podcast: to explore the many ways people use their language skills in their professional lives.

• My professional journey began as a translator and localization manager, which gave me a deep understanding of the technical side of digital products.
• After moving into marketing while continuing to work with my languages, I now specialise in paid media (Google Ads and advertising on social media) which allows me to combine my interest in data and numbers with the psychology of consumer behaviour.
• Cultural and linguistic understanding is essential for effective international marketing, as direct translations for things like SEO often fail to capture local search habits.
• AI has been an integral part of digital advertising for a long time through features like smart bidding and retargeting, long before it became a mainstream topic.
• My goal for this podcast is to showcase the diverse career paths available to people with language skills, moving beyond traditional roles like translation and teaching.

Sonia is a translator turned multilingual digital marketer specialising in paid media, and now also a podcaster. Growing up bilingual, languages have been a constant in her life.

In 2025 she launched a podcast where together with her guests she explores the huge variety of jobs and career opportunities open to people with language skills. She is available to speak on podcasts and stages about marketing, languages, work and podcasting.

• LinkedIn: Sonia Kampshoff
• Website: MorePerfect.Digital
• Instgram: WorkingWithLanguages

This episode was written and recorded by me and produced by Lucy Lucraft.

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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 down with a new guest to discuss their unique career path. Here’s what we'll explore together:

• Why languages are a superpower in today's competitive job market
• How they fit into diverse industries and roles you might never have considered
• Where our human skills stand next to the rapid rise of AI
• How you can make languages a valuable and meaningful part of your career

If you're ready to be inspired, I invite you to join our conversations. Listen and subscribe to Working with Languages now on your favourite podcast app!

Sonia is an experienced, multilingual digital marketing consultant focusing on Google Ads and advertising on social media. She works with small and medium-sized companies, agencies and charities across ecommerce and lead generation accounts, supporting them from strategy and planning all the way through optimisation and management.

Languages are integral to her identity and career, so much so that she launched this podcast in September 2025, telling stories of people who merge their language skills with the work they do - and inspiring many more to learn languages and build a career on these valuable soft skills.

• LinkedIn: Sonia Kampshoff
• Website: MorePerfect.Digital
• Instgram: WorkingWithLanguages
• Email: sonia@moreperfect.digital

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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 the workplace, while exploring the impact of technology and AI on modern work environments. The discussion concludes with reflections on the power of human connection beyond words.

• Language learning is influenced by age and environment: we discuss how language learning in childhood differs from later in life, and how frequency of use and environment affect not only the language but grammar mistakes and saliva production.
• Acting skills enhance leadership and communication: through acting we can learn the ability to stand in front of a crowd and articulate well , to appear confident when we are not. Vic now uses these skills through role play in her leadership development workshop.
• Diversity and inclusion are crucial for workplace culture: in any organisations culture happens through leadership which in turn creates a brilliant team. And at the heart of every exceptional team is psychological safety.
• Coaching helps women navigate career transitions: through Tomorrow's Daughter Vic supports and empowers women in the workplace, especially through transitions including becoming a mother and how that affects our identity, our perception of life and work, and our priorities.
• AI can improve efficiency in leadership development and private life occasions: from idea generation for leadership workshops to private use like creating creating a wedding celebrant script that merges English and French to accommodate multilingual guests, Vic brings us wonderful examples of ChatGPT use.

Victoire Galtress is the Head of Leadership & Culture a casual dining restaurant chain, and the founder of Tomorrow's Daughter where she offers bespoke executive and life coaching for women one-on-one and in a small group setting. Originally from France, she spent her childhood between France and Australia with her parents and three sisters. She now lives in the UK with her British husband and three sons.

• LinkedIn: Victoire Galtress nee Mazounie
• Tomorrow's Daughters - Vic's bespoke executive and life coaching: tomorrowsdaughter.co.uk

Sonia is a translator turned multilingual digital marketer specialising in paid media, and now also a podcaster. Growing up bilingual, languages have been a constant in her life.

In 2025 she launched a podcast where together with her guests she explores the huge variety of jobs and career opportunities open to people with language skills. She is available to speak on podcasts and stages about marketing, languages, work and podcasting.

• LinkedIn: Sonia Kampshoff
• Website: MorePerfect.Digital
• Instgram: WorkingWithLanguages

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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 balances translating for large streaming services with working with independent producers.

• The Power of Specialisation: much like doctors specialise, translators are more effective when they focus on specific industries they know well, such as tourism, business, or in Stefanie's case, the creative industries. This ensures a deeper understanding of the subject matter and accurate use of terminology.
• The Subtitling Process is Both Technical and Creative: subtitling isn't just about direct translation. It involves a technical understanding of character limits and reading speeds, requiring translators to find creative solutions to convey the original meaning perfectly within these constraints.
• Pivoting to English: many large companies use English as a "pivot language" for translation. Content is first translated into English from the original language (like Italian) and then translated from English into many other languages, partly due to the availability of translators.
• Human Translators vs. AI: while AI is a growing trend, it currently struggles to capture the nuance, context, and non-verbal elements of language, particularly a language as expressive as Italian. For high-quality, culturally sensitive content, human expertise remains essential.

Stefanie is a freelance subtitle translator specialising in the film, TV, tourism, and business sectors.

• Website: stefaniemellano.com
• LinkedIn: Stefanie-Mellano

Sonia is a translator turned multilingual digital marketer specialising in paid media, and now also a podcaster. Growing up bilingual, languages have been a constant in her life.

In 2025 she launched a podcast where together with her guests she explores the huge variety of jobs and career opportunities open to people with language skills. She is available to speak on podcasts and stages about marketing, languages, work and podcasting.

• LinkedIn: Sonia-Kampshoff
• Website: MorePerfect.Digital
• Instgram: @WorkingWithLanguages

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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 profession, the impact of AI on the industry, and the role of the ITI in supporting translators. She offers valuable insights for aspiring translators and emphasizes the need for continuous professional development.

• From in-house to self-employed - early in-house roles guided Fiona into freelancing, where she now specialises in lifestyle, travel, tourism, premium brand translation - with Luxembourg becoming an unexpected niche.
• The value of community - community is central to her work, and she has taken on increasing leadership roles at the ITI, now serving as its chair.
• AI is transforming translation, but it’s also a tool - Fiona sees AI as both a disruptor and a tool, with many translators looking to understand and adapt to the changes it brings. ITI offer support and courses around AI and changes to the translation industry.

Fiona Gray MITI helps brands and businesses based in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Luxembourg to find their voice in English through creative copy and compelling content that makes their German words travel. Fiona is Chair of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI), having served on the ITI Board of Directors since 2022. She won the ITI Mentor of the Year Award in 2023 and was named Linguist of the Year at the ATC Language Industry Awards 2024.

• Website: https://www.fionagraycreative.co.uk/
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/fiona-gray/

The Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) is the only UK-based independent professional membership association for practising translators, interpreters and all those involved in the language services sector.

• Website: https://www.iti.org.uk/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/institute-of-translation-and-interpreting/

Sonia is a translator turned multilingual digital marketer specialising in paid media, and now also a podcaster. Growing up bilingual, languages have been a constant in her life.

In 2025 she launched a podcast where together with her guests she explores the huge variety of jobs and career opportunities open to people with language skills. She is available to speak on podcasts and stages about marketing, languages, work and podcasting.

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/workingwithlanguages
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/soniakampshoff/
• Website: https://moreperfect.digital/

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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.

• Overcoming barriers through curiosity - Jamie’s stammer led him to study how language works beneath the surface, eventually becoming his career’s foundation.
• Language as connection - his transition from music to linguistics highlights how both are a form of communication.
• Building languages at scale - at what3words Jamie led teams creating 61 language versions, each built from scratch to reflect local linguistics and culture.
• Cultural sensitivity matters - from Tamil beliefs about turtles to Spanish dialectal differences, linguistic nuance is crucial in localisation.
• Resilience and opportunity - saying yes to unexpected chances - like a Facebook post about 'languages and Excel' - can shape an extraordinary career.

Jamie is a composer, linguist, localisation consultant and TEDx speaker.

From early on he was interested in languages and how they work. As a stutterer from a young age he says he was trying to find a language he would stutter in less - which led him to music and composing, a language where few words are spoken.

After living in Brazil for a year, he completed a Masters in Linguistics and thanks to a friend's Facebook post he started working at what3words as their Chief Language Services Officer where he managed the creation of the language system in 61 languages.

• Jamie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-brown-8a436540/
• Jamie's website: https://www.jamiebrown.info/
• What3words: https://what3words.com/

Sonia is a translator turned multilingual digital marketer specialising in paid media, and now also a podcaster. Growing up bilingual, languages have been a constant in her life.

In 2025 she launched a podcast where together with her guests she explores the huge variety of jobs and career opportunities open to people with language skills. She is available to speak on podcasts and stages about marketing, languages, work and podcasting.

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/workingwithlanguages
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/soniakampshoff/
• Website: https://moreperfect.digital/

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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 now define his empathetic, human-cantered approach to language coaching.

Together, they discuss cultural nuances, Dutch quirks, personal transformation, and how Wesley helps expats not only learn Dutch but feel at home in it.

• Language coaching goes beyond grammar - it’s about mindset, confidence, and connection.
• Personalized learning works best - every student’s goals, background, and learning style matter.
• Cultural awareness is key to learning Dutch authentically and communicating effectively.
• Empathy and understanding are the most valuable tools for any teacher or coach.

After spending 16 in the Dutch Air Force and at NATO, Wesley decided to move on when he realised he was burning out. After a gap year he stumbled into language learning. Since then he set up a flourishing language tutoring business aimed at expats in The Netherland wanting to pass certifications, progress at work or simply integrate better in the local community.

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesley-vendevielle-879968239/
• Website: https://www.talkdutchtoday.nl/

Sonia is a translator turned multilingual digital marketer specialising in paid media, and now also a podcaster. Growing up bilingual, languages have been a constant in her life.

In 2025 she launched a podcast where together with her guests she explores the huge variety of jobs and career opportunities open to people with language skills. She is available to speak on podcasts and stages about marketing, languages, work and podcasting.

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/workingwithlanguages
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/soniakampshoff/
• Website: https://moreperfect.digital/

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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 adapting to new cultures, and his eventual move to Sardinia, where he embraces the local language and culture while working in the solar power industry and as a hiking guide. The conversation also touches on the role of AI in language learning and business, culminating in Anders' reflections on life lessons and future aspirations.

Languages create opportunities - Anders shares the career opportunities he had thanks to his languages skills.

Learning from mistakes - he arrived to Shanghai in China with a busy job, communicating in English, and didn't prioritise learning Mandarin Chinese - and left the country 8 years later when he realised the lack of the local language was a disadvantage in his private and professional life.

Making his own opportunities - with solid experience in sales and speaking multiple languages, he was able to work and thrive in various different industries by being intentional in what he chose to do.

Fluency is a feeling - the moment you stop 'buffering' when speaking in a foreign language - when thoughts and language flow naturally - marks a turning point in confidence and belonging.

Anders Hansen is a sales leader and certified Italian hiking guide (Guida Ambientale Escursionistica) based in Sardinia, combining more than 25 years of international business experience with a lifelong passion for the outdoors.

Born in Denmark and raised between the forests of Northern Zealand and the coastline of southern Portugal, Anders developed an early love for hiking and the natural world - a passion that has accompanied him through studies in London and Sydney and professional chapters in Europe, Asia, and now Italy.

Known for his optimism, empathy, and trustworthiness, he helps people and businesses grow, whether by promoting renewable energy solutions with Vivisolar or by guiding hikers through Sardinia’s wild landscapes.

• Anders on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/anders-hansen
• Anders Hikes Sardinia on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andershikessardinia
• Anders and Caroline's rental holiday home in Sardinia: https://airbnb.com/h/villabuonasperanza

Sonia is a translator turned multilingual digital marketer specialising in paid media, and now also a podcaster. Growing up bilingual, languages have been a constant in her life.

In 2025 she launched a podcast where together with her guests she explores the huge variety of jobs and career opportunities open to people with language skills. She is available to speak on podcasts and stages about marketing, languages, work and podcasting.

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/workingwithlanguages
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/soniakampshoff/
• Website: https://moreperfect.digital/

If you enjoyed this episode please share it with someone who may like it too, and subscribe to the podcast on your podcast platform.

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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 understanding and business relationships. He also explores how AI is transforming the travel industry, from booking experiences to biometric travel, and what this means for the future of travellers worldwide.

• Languages for conflict resolution in business: cultural nuances, workplace dynamics, and even mealtime conversations vary widely across countries and must be adapted to.
• Living abroad is the best way to learn a language: it takes three to four years of immersion to deeply understand both the language and its cultural context.
• AI is reshaping travel: from facial recognition at airports to AI-driven personal travel agents, technology is making journeys more seamless and personalized.
• AI will disrupt jobs as well as industries: while AI brings efficiency and convenience, it also poses challenges for global workforces, especially in industries like customer service and call centres.
• The resurgence of hand-made goods: the AI revolution will bring us to want and purchase more hand-made, authentic goods

Fritz Oberhummer is the Head of Solution Architecture for EMEA at Sabre Corp, a global leader in technology for the travel industry.

Originally from Austria, his family runs a hotel in the third generation. From early on he was surrounded by international visitors, sparking his lifelong passion for languages and cultures.

His career has taken him across the US, UK, Spain, and Germany, giving him first-hand experience of how language and cultural understanding shape global business. Today, he combines his deep knowledge of technology and strategy to bridge the gap between commercial needs and technical solutions, while also exploring how innovations like AI and biometrics are redefining the travel experience.

• Fritz on LinkedIn: Fritz Oberhummer
• His personal website: oberhummer.com

Sonia is a translator turned multilingual digital marketer specialising in paid media, and now also a podcaster. Growing up bilingual, languages have been a constant in her life.

In 2025 she launched a podcast where together with her guests she explores the huge variety of jobs and career opportunities open to people with language skills. She is available to speak on podcasts and stages about marketing, languages, work and podcasting.

• LinkedIn: Sonia Kampshoff
• Instagram: WorkingWithLanguages
• Website: MorePerfect.Digital

If you enjoyed this episode please share it with someone who may like it too, and subscribe to the podcast.

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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 optimization tools. They also discuss the challenges of adding new languages like Japanese to the plugin, the role of AI in SEO, and why human editing is still essential for high-quality online content.

• Language knowledge doesn’t need to be perfect to be useful - even partial familiarity with a language can open career opportunities and problem-solving approaches.
• AI enhances SEO tools by suggesting improvements like optimized titles, but still requires a human eye for originality, nuance, and tone.
• Working with languages builds adaptability - the more you get used to linguistic 'discomfort' the easier it becomes to tackle new systems.
• Not all AI replaces traditional methods - rule-based processing remains essential, especially in areas like counting words and sentence structure.
• Human creativity remains central to SEO - automation assists, but originality and cultural context still define high-quality, optimized content.

Manuel and Marina both work at Yoast on their multilingual SEO plugin for WordPress and other website building platforms. They are linguists and also developers - as they tell us in this conversations, at Yoast all linguists need to know about web development, and all developers need to know a bit about languages and linguistics.

• Yoast website: yoast.com
• Manuel on LinkedIn: Manuel Augustin
• Marina Koleva' profile on Yoast: Marina Koleva

Sonia is a translator turned multilingual digital marketer specialising in paid media, and now also a podcaster. Growing up bilingual, languages have been a constant in her life.

In 2025 she launched a podcast where together with her guests she explores the huge variety of jobs and career opportunities open to people with language skills. She is available to speak on podcasts and stages about marketing, languages, work and podcasting.

• LinkedIn: Sonia Kampshoff
• Instagram: WorkingWithLanguages
• Website: MorePerfect.Digital

If you enjoyed this episode please share it with someone who may like it too, and subscribe to the podcast.

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