Careers
Join our linguist network
Focus Interpreting is owned and managed by interpreters, so we know what a well-run assignment looks like from your side of the table. We are always recruiting certified interpreters and translators for on-site, phone, and video work across California and remotely.
Work with us
An agency built by interpreters
Focus Interpreting, Inc. has been a full-service language agency since 2010, providing interpreting, translation, and transcription in more than 120 languages for healthcare, legal, government, education, and corporate clients. We are headquartered in Victorville, California, with an office in Alhambra, and we place linguists in Los Angeles, Orange County, San Bernardino, Riverside, Sacramento, San Diego, and San Francisco, as well as remotely nationwide.
Because our leadership team are interpreters themselves, our coordinators understand assignment logistics, mode of interpreting, and terminology preparation. You get clear briefs, realistic scheduling, and a coordinator who answers the phone.
We work only with certified, professional, and experienced linguists. If that describes you, we would like to hear from you.
What we expect from our interpreters
Our clients trust us because our interpreters are punctual, impartial, and prepared. Every interpreter in our network is required to arrive 15 minutes before the scheduled start time, to work in both simultaneous and consecutive modes as the setting requires, and to act as a professional third party who conveys meaning accurately without adding, omitting, or advising.
We adhere to the ATA Code of Ethics and Professional Practice and are members of the International Medical Interpreters Association. Our interpreters complete HIPAA training before their first medical assignment and continue their professional development through continuing education.
- Certified in accordance with national standards for your specialty
- HIPAA trained and comfortable handling protected health information
- Experienced in both simultaneous and consecutive interpreting
- Impartial, courteous, and sensitive to cultural differences
- Accurate under pressure in medical, legal, and workers' compensation settings
The kinds of assignments we place
Much of our on-site work is in medical and legal settings: clinic and hospital appointments, independent medical evaluations, workers' compensation hearings, depositions, attorney-client meetings, and court proceedings. We also staff conferences and major events with simultaneous interpreters and equipment, and we place American Sign Language interpreters for healthcare, education, and public meetings.
Remote work is a growing share of what we do. Our interpreters take scheduled and on-demand calls through our phone interpreting line and video remote interpreting (VRI) platform, including our patented Focus VRI mobile app, so you can take sessions without traveling to the site.
Translators and transcriptionists work with our project coordinators on documents, websites, software strings, subtitles, and audio in medical, legal, academic, media, and investigative subject areas.
Minimum requirements
What we look for
We work only with certified, professional, and experienced linguists. Here is what that means in practice.
Working toward certification? Tell us where you are in the process; we keep candidates on file.
- Professional certification appropriate to your specialty, such as a state or national medical interpreter credential, California court interpreter certification or registration, or RID or state ASL credentials
- Fluency in English and your working language, with strong command of medical, legal, or technical terminology
- HIPAA training completed, or willingness to complete it before your first medical assignment
- Demonstrated professional interpreting or translation experience
- Reliable transportation for on-site assignments and a commitment to arriving 15 minutes early
- For remote work, a quiet private workspace, a computer or smartphone with camera, and a stable high-speed internet connection
- Commitment to confidentiality and to the ATA Code of Ethics and Professional Practice
- Authorization to work in the United States
Why linguists choose Focus
Work with people who understand the job
Clear briefs, realistic scheduling, prompt payment, and coordinators who have sat in your chair.
Steady, varied assignments
Medical, legal, workers' compensation, government, education, and corporate clients across California give you a consistent flow of on-site and remote work.
Interpreter portal and scheduling
Accept assignments, view briefs, and submit your hours through our online interpreter portal, with a coordinator available by phone when you need one.
Remote phone and video work
Take phone and VRI sessions from home through our platform and the Focus VRI app, including 24/7 shifts for interpreters who prefer flexible hours.
Continuing education support
We encourage ongoing training and help you keep your credentials current with HIPAA refreshers and continuing education resources.
Fair, transparent pay
Clear rate agreements before every assignment, prompt payment on submitted timesheets, and minimum booking periods that respect your time.
Run by interpreters
Coordinators who have worked assignments themselves, respect for ethics and role boundaries, and a team that treats you as a professional.
Languages in demand
Where we are recruiting
We cover 120+ languages and welcome applications in all of them. These are the languages with the most assignments right now.
- Spanish
- American Sign Language (ASL)
- Mandarin
- Cantonese
- Vietnamese
- Korean
- Tagalog
- Armenian
- Farsi
- Arabic
- Russian
- Punjabi
- Japanese
- Khmer (Cambodian)
- Creole
- Portuguese
- Amharic
- Tigrinya
- French
- German
- Italian
- Greek
- Dutch
- Albanian
Application process
From application to first assignment
Four steps, usually completed within a couple of weeks depending on credential review.
- 01
Send your application
Email your résumé, copies of your certifications, and the languages and regions you cover to info@focusinterpreting.com, using the subject line "Interpreter application" or "Translator application".
- 02
Credential review
Our team reviews your certifications and experience, checks that your specialty matches the assignments we have in your area, and follows up with a short conversation about your availability and our ethics and confidentiality standards.
- 03
Onboarding
Complete your onboarding paperwork and any HIPAA training you still need, then receive your login for the interpreter portal.
- 04
Start taking assignments
Accept your first on-site or remote assignment through the portal. A coordinator stays in touch during your first few jobs and welcomes your feedback.
How to apply
One email is all it takes
No portal forms to fill in. Send us what we need to review your credentials and a coordinator will follow up.
Send your application
Email info@focusinterpreting.com
Use the subject line “Interpreter application” (or “Translator application”) and attach the following:
- Your résumé, including interpreting or translation experience by setting
- Copies of your certifications and any HIPAA training certificate
- Language pairs, specialties, and the counties or cities you can cover on site
- Your availability for phone and video remote interpreting
On-site work across Los Angeles, Orange County, San Bernardino and beyond; remote work nationwide.
Already in our network?
Interpreter portal
Accept assignments, review briefs, and submit your hours through the online interpreter portal. Your login is issued during onboarding; contact your coordinator if you need it reset.
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Candidate FAQ
Before you apply
Answers on certification, locations, remote work, and training.
Still have a question?
Call (800) 374-5444Prefer to talk first?
Call (800) 374-5444 and ask for the recruiting coordinator, or email info@focusinterpreting.com with your questions. If you are a client who needs an interpreter, request a quote below.
Interpreter-owned since 2010 · 120+ languages · 24/7 rush service