I guess I'm lucky to have been born and bread in Holland, because they teach us English, French and German in high school. Also, all TV programs and movies are displayed in their original language (with subtitles), which helped me a lot. I believe that studying several languages as a child/teenager, has made it easier for me to learn Spanish (and Portuguese) at University. I took a bachelor degree in Roman Languages and Cultures, which I started in Holland and finished in Spain. I subsequently decided to stay in Barcelona and study for a masters degree as a teacher of Spanish.
As a student I started working as a translator (Spanish - Dutch, English - Dutch). I've worked both freelance and for a translation agency. References available upon request.