NorthTec student becomes interpreter for a weekend

NorthTec student becomes interpreter for a weekend for VIPs at International Rally of Whangarei

NorthTec business student Hitomi Miyauchi got much more than she bargained for when she volunteered to help at last weekend’s (subs 2-4 July) International Rally of Whangarei 2010.

Hitomi had expected to be doing photocopying and errands but found herself acting as an interpreter for visiting Japanese VIPs, including Mr Koichi Murata – Manager of the Motorsport Division of Japan’s Automotive Federation. The federation is responsible for all motorsport competitions in Japan. She also acted as an interpreter for two organisers of the Rally of Japan – Mr Tabata and Mr Takashima.

Hitomi accompanied the VIPs everywhere, including to dinner on Saturday and Sunday and was lucky enough to accompany Mr Merata to watch the rally action from the Hella Bridge on Sunday. “It was a very good experience for me. The food was beautiful but at the same time it took a lot of concentration to listen intently to what was being said by everyone.”

Hitomi had done some interpreting work before when she worked as a human resources manager and executive assistant to the General Manger of an international hotel chain in Japan for four years. “Our hotel had airline crews stayng from Australia and the United Kingdom. If they got sick and needed to go to the doctor I would go with them to interpret. I hate going to the doctor now!”

The main difference between her previous work and interpreting at a sporting event such as the rally was the jargon involved in the event. “The VIPs were very helpful. They told me that interpreters at events in Japan get a whole day of training on the specific motorsport jargon.”

Hitomi will complete her Postgraduate Diploma in Business at NorthTec in September and is glad that she made the decision to study in Whangarei at the end of her working holiday. “I’d had a lovely holiday but I thought that I couldn’t go back to Japan without having done something worthwhile here. I came to the international office at NorthTec and they suggested the Postgraduate Diploma in Business.”

It’s a qualification that Hitomi believes other Japanese students would benefit from and enjoy, and she believes that it will open up new career opportunities for her when she returns to Japan.

“Many Japanese would like this course. Having knowledge of western business culture will be a big advantage for me. My studies have answered a lot of questions that I had in my previous role about the differences between the Japanese business culture and western business practises.”

Hitomi has thrown herself into the NorthTec community, becoming a student mentor and volunteering for the International Rally of Whangarei 2010. “I’ve had a really good experience here.”

ENDS

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