Open to opportunities

Samantha Ueno

@samanthaueno

Message

I am a bilingual English–Japanese customer service and translation specialist with aviation and hospitality expertise.

United States

Message

What I'm looking for

I seek remote or global-facing roles in customer service, reservations, or interpretation where I can apply bilingual skills, crisis management, and audio/editing expertise on collaborative teams with flexible schedules and growth opportunities.

I am a bilingual English–Japanese professional with over a decade of experience in customer service, translation, hospitality, and education, delivering calm, empathetic support in high-pressure and remote environments.

I currently handle flight reservations and operational inquiries for an airline call center, provide 24/7 Japanese phone interpretation for travel and medical services, and edit and broadcast Japanese radio programming while freelancing on translation and transcription projects.

I hold a B.A. in Japanese, TEFL/TESOL certification, and JLPT N1, and I bring strong technical familiarity with reservation systems, call platforms, and audio tools alongside a commitment to cross-cultural accuracy and teamwork.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Call Center Representative

Current

Southern Airways Express / Mokulele Airlines

Jan 2021 - Present (4 years 8 months)

Handled flight reservations, customer complaints, and operational inquiries while monitoring live flight operations and coordinating service recovery across time zones.

Reserving Customer Service Call Center Software Flight Operations Coordination Service Recovery Crisis Management Email Support

Current

Editor / Translator / Broadcaster

Current

KZOO Radio AM 1210

Oct 2019 - Present (5 years 11 months)

Edited and scheduled Japanese radio programs, provided live DJ and announcement services, and translated content to support local broadcast and events.

Audio Editing Broadcasting Scheduling Live Announcing Event Coordination MegaSeg Audacity

Current

Interpreter/Operator

Current

Tachibana Enterprises

Mar 2018 - Present (7 years 6 months)

Provided 24/7 Japanese phone interpretation for hotels, tour companies, car rentals, and medical services, resolving urgent guest issues calmly and maintaining cultural accuracy.

Japanese English Interpretation Cultural Mediation Customer Escalation

Current

Freelance Translator/Transcriptionist

Current

Self-Employed

Translated print and audio content including the book "My Wacky Mom" and provided transcription and localization services for publishers and clients.

Transcription Localization Proofreading Audio Editing Cultural Adaptation Time Management Client Communication

Guest Airport Support

JTB Hawaii Travel, Inc.

Oct 2013 - Mar 2018 (4 years 5 months)

Escorted Japanese guests from hotels to airports and ensured proper flight check-in and smooth airport transitions to improve guest satisfaction.

Guest Escort Airport Support Customer Service Cross Cultural Communication Travel Coordination Time Management

English Teacher

Kids Talk English School

Apr 2009 - Oct 2011 (2 years 6 months)

Taught English to children aged 2–10 using tailored lesson plans in small groups to improve language acquisition and classroom engagement.

Lesson planning Early Childhood Education Classroom Management Communication

English Teacher

British Culture Academy

Apr 2008 - Oct 2010 (2 years 6 months)

Provided early childhood ESL education in private and public school settings, designing curricula and assessments to support student progress.

ESL Curriculum Design Early Childhood Education Assessments Classroom Management Cross Cultural Communication

Intern, Honu Ohana Suites

Sheraton Waikiki Hotel

Sep 2006 - Dec 2006 (3 months)

Completed a hospitality internship focused on Japanese-style service standards and etiquette to support guest experience and cultural hospitality practices.

Hospitality Japanese Hospitality Service standards Teamwork