I am Sofia Gasparato, a graduated Italian student (March 2022) with a Master's Degree in Euro-American Literature, Translation and Literary Criticism. What motivates me to apply for the offer given is my belief that learning in different bodies, and especially places, is essential for developing knowledge and new skills. My conviction is that learning at different workplaces and trying new things is the key in order to develop a new background which is not based on a single perspective nor a single approach. I can say this after having lived an experience that can prove it. In fact, I have carried out three Erasmus+ projects (in Spain and also Finland) through the University of Verona and Trento, in three different cities: Cacéres, Alicante and Turku. These opportunities I was offered taught me a lot, and not only allowed me to grow, but also to learn and get to know new perspectives of my work, which I still carry with me today. What these experiences have also left me with is a strong cultural background and immersion in a totally new context. This prompted me to aim for a job abroad in the future, perhaps starting by looking for jobs which deal with the topic of translation and teaching languages, which are relevant to my studies. During my studies, I had the opportunity to work part-time at Opera Universitaria in the mediation services department of the University of Trento. During this, I had the opportunity to prove myself in the management and organisational support of cultural activities and events promoted by the organisation, especially using languages, as many students were foreigners. In addition, I provided reception, information, and support in the presentation of applications for benefits at the information desks, as well as administrative activities. I also had the opportunity to test my skills in event communication management and organisation, always in terms of logistics and translation, thanks to my three-year postgraduate internship experience at the secretariat of the language centre at the University of Alicante. During this experience I was able, in addition to developing my Spanish and English language level, to learn how to manage and give information to customers about courses, activities in the language centre and events, and finally about payments via the secretarial service and telephone and email service. Finally, I recently completed a work experience in which I organised visits and managed the structuring of outings and lessons for students abroad during study holidays. Thanks to this opportunity, I held the role of Deputy Director, dealing with issues that arose, managing events and excursions with foreign partners and developing the use of the language.
I am convinced that it is a necessary experience for a solid personal formation, dedicating my strong language skills to the field of translation and teaching languages to young and adults minds, having followed several courses that enabled me to obtain my language teaching qualification.
Following a university course dedicated to translation, I then dedicated myself to experimenting with new fields, namely tour guides for language students abroad. However, I realised that this is not the path I want to follow, but I want to focus more on my language background and apply it in something my university trained me for. The knowledge of different languages and the in-depth study of these through a master's degree has allowed me to develop an excellent pronunciation in Spanish, English and German. With the completion of my master's degree I have reached a native speaker level in English and Spanish, plus I have knowledge of German at a basic level, and of course Italian at a native speaker level. I am strongly motivated and as I have a solid foundation in English and Spanish (level C2 this year) and German (B1), I can say that I have taken part in various courses of study, particularly in the field of literary translation, text translation, film translation and interview translation. In addition, I have had the opportunity to consolidate my skills through various translation experiments (written and simultaneous) carried out through my master's degree course, fully deepening and developing my skills as a translator. In addition to volunteering for more than 8 years for groups of children and young people through Youth Mountaineering, with which we organise hikes and outings to high altitudes for young people, I also have considerable experience with children thanks to the numerous experiences I have had as a tutor and homework and repetition help for students.
I am convinced that enriching my personal experience with an job abroad is a great dream that I would like to fulfil, and your company is exactly part of that world of which I would like to become a part. I am more than motivated, energetic and enthusiastic about getting involved. I am also convinced that following such an opportunity can open many doors for me in the future. I hope to hear from you, for a position with your company.
Awaiting your kind reply,
Best regards,
Sofia Gasparato