Tag: community

ATIA Translators

Ways to Engage with your ATIA

Posted on by Amelia Hall in Community, Field, Interpretation, Members Only, Platforms, Title Protection, Translation

As members of the ATIA, we are all accountable for the development of our profession – both through our own professional practice and through the public-facing aspects of our field. There are many ways you can engage with your ATIA to forward your own career and the sector as a whole, and every contribution elevates all of us. 

With Title Protection in the works, there has never been a better time to get involved in spreading the word about the ATIA in your professional and social communities!

Ways to engage with your ATIA:

  • Like, Share, and Follow us on social media to support and promote the visibility of the ATIA and its members:

Facebook: @ATIAlberta

Twitter: @ATIAinfo

LinkedIn: Association of Translators and Interpreters of Alberta  

Instagram: @translatorsinterpretersab 

 

  • Know of a job posting that would be best filled by an ATIA member? How about a great professional development or volunteer opportunity? If you know of any opportunities relevant to the translation and interpretation professions, please forward them to development@atia.ab.ca to share them with your fellow ATIA members.

 

  • Contribute to the development of the language sector by sharing your insight with the community through our Blog or Member Interview Series.

 

  • Join our Outreach Team!

An important step in the Title Protection process involves a survey of businesses, organizations, and government departments that require or may require translation and interpretation services. If you are interested in supporting ATIA outreach activities, please contact development@atia.ab.cato get started! Each outreach engagement can be done remotely, and takes around 15 minutes.

 

For more information on Title Protection, engaging with the ATIA, or how you can contribute to the development of the language sector in Alberta, please contact development@atia.ab.ca.

Partners in translation: why you need a translation buddy¬ and how to find one

Posted on by drawingboarddesign in Field, Industry Tips, Inspiration, Interpretation, Translation

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Even though you might love flying solo, you need a flock of like-minded translators to support you through your journey. Forming strong professional bonds is an investment in your growth. Not only that, a safe space where you can be frank about your struggles and successes is beneficial for your mental health and can lead to a greater job satisfaction.

And every flock begins with one bird, one reliable translation buddy you entrust with sharing your path. Just like any successful partnership hinges on respect and shared values, a strong professional union is grounded in honesty and compatibility. While it’s easy to fall victim to the fiercely competitive job market dominated by the individual rather than the collective, a work confidante you respect, get along with, and can trust with work projects can accelerate your success and improve well-being.

Here’s why every translator needs a buddy, and how you can find one:

1. Because you will need a change at some point.

Your freelance translation business might be at its nascency, or you might be handling your full-time workload with ease. Chances are, your client base will keep expanding as you get established in your field. With economic volatility, unforeseen shifts in translation trends, and your ever-evolving values and priorities, a professional safety net can provide the much needed sense of security and internal peace. No matter where you see yourself in five years—at the helm of a global translation firm, supporting a few select clients, or exploring a completely new territory—you will need a trusted partner to help you navigate change.  

2. Two minds are better than one. Imagine if you could tackle many of your translation hurdles with a reliable partner. Or have a trusted buddy to offer advice and a fresh set of eyes to review your work. In a creative, often monotonous field such as translation, you almost can’t do without an outside perspective to get out of translator’s blocks.

4. Learning from others is just as valuable (if not more) as reading professional development books. Experience and failure, when shared with others, can offer just as much insight into the profession as workshops and textbooks. If you find someone you can open up to without any fears of being judged, they can help you overcome from any career impasses.

5. Do it for your social and mental well-being. Translation can be an isolating profession, especially if you work from home with little to no contact with the outside world. Even if you hold an office job, most likely you spend your days communicating with a computer rather than humans. Forming strong relationships with a work partner will enhance your feeling of connection and belonging.

6. You will learn to work in a team environment. Collaboration and team work are currently in high demand in the workplace. As translators, we are often surrounded by professionals who have a very vague idea of how we operate. In many cases, you might be the sole translator on a team. Working with a buddy might help brush up your team work and project management skills.

One of the best ways to form a trusting and lasting professional partnership is by investing your time and effort into finding your people. Many diverse people co-exist under the unifying umbrella of translation and interpreting—by attending as many professional development events, conferences, and workshops, you will increase your chances of finding a true translation buddy.

Celebrating Translation Day: What Translation Means

Posted on by drawingboarddesign in Field, Translation Day

Did you know that September 30, 2018 is International Translation Day? Translation Day started in 1953 and was set on the Catholic feast day of St. Jerome – the original biblical translator! In 1991, the day was made officially global by FIT (the International Federation of Translators) and it wasn’t until May 24, 2017 that the United Nations officially passed a resolution recognizing the day as proposed by eleven different member nations: Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Paraguay, Qatar, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Vietnam! A true cause to celebrate for translators all over the globe!

As a member of FIT and a professional organization devoted to certifying translators and interpreters in the province of Alberta, we are spending the day reflecting on the profession and what it means to all of us. Share your thoughts with us too!

Translation connects people. The first thing people think of when it comes to translation is that it connects people who do not read and write in the same language, and it facilitates the sharing of ideas and stories that would otherwise not be shared across the world. Translation gets to the heart of our humanity. As language-immersed beings, we interpret our world through the languages we speak and the words we label things with. Translation gives us some access to those ways of being in the world and gives host to a cache of narratives and histories we otherwise would fail to be enriched by.

Translation thrives on diversity. Similar to the connection piece, translation, by definition, thrives on the unwavering diversity that is humankind. Without this exceptional celebration of difference, translation would be a moot point. When we seek to translate, we accept people and their cultures as they are and we are striving to know more about them on their terms and in their terms – literally!

Translation facilitates justice. There is no justice if the person who requires access to it is inhibited due to language barriers. Translation allows for full access to due process because it allows individuals to tell the stories that have so deeply affected their lives. It allows them to hear and be heard.

Translation builds community. If you can communicate with people, you can join forces with them. Translation allows for the building of community by creating sharing experiences. It is this experiential aspect that brings people together.

Translation sparks innovation. All the way through human history, the translation of texts and information have allowed human beings to combine and innovate to create new knowledge, information and technology. As an example, without translation into Arabic, the great Greek philosophies might be lost to history.

Translation saves lives. Not only does translation give people access to adequate medical care in certain circumstances which can save their life, there are a multitude of other ways that translation can save lives. It could be in the sharing of medical research information about life-saving vaccines or pharmaceuticals; it could be in the sharing of agricultural information that will allow for the better growing of food with which to feed people; it could be the sharing of information related to a particular regional conflict that might have consequences for building peace.

Ultimately, with hundreds of global languages and billions of people, it is inevitable that we will need to communicate and the only way to facilitate this is the hard work of translators like our members every single day. Happy Translation Day everyone!

 

Strength in Numbers: How joining a professional association benefits you, your clients and your field

Posted on by drawingboarddesign in Field, Professionalism

?Are you looking to establish and build a new career as a translator or interpreter or are you an already an established professional looking for ways to continue your professional development? Interested in becoming more actively engaged in your chosen field of translation or interpretation? Membership in a professional association has numerous benefits for both early career translators and interpreters and more seasoned professionals.

Some of the benefits of joining a professional association are practical and tangible. A professional association is a trusted source for clients seeking translators and interpreters, so being included in a respected association’s directory will make it easy for prospective clients to find you. Membership, whether at an associate or certified level, also designates you as a professional in your field. This indicates to prospective clients and employers that you have a certain level of experience and training. ATIA members undergo an application and certification process tailored to their specialization. There are five categories of ATIA membership: Translator, Court Interpreter, Community Interpreter, Medical Interpreter, and Conference Interpreter, and members may attain certification in multiple categories.

In addition to standardized membership requirements and certification, many associations offer professional development opportunities and resources such as seminars and webinars. ATIA has offered webinars in topics ranging from exam preparation, to how to freelance as a translator, to elevating your English grammar skills, as well as mini-courses on different specializations within the field of translation and interpretation.

Other advantages of involvement in a professional association, such as collegiality and a deeper engagement with your chosen field, are less tangible but are still important to developing a successful and rewarding career. For younger professionals, joining an organization opens opportunities to network, learn their new industry, and access a degree of professionalization while building early career experience. It is often recent graduates and new professionals who are most likely to seek and utilize networking opportunities, but experienced professionals should not underestimate the importance of collegiality and connection. Participating in a professional association is a way to maintain and develop professional connections and to stay in touch with industry developments and news. Ongoing learning and active engagement keep skills fresh and careers dynamic.

? Professional organizations, whether at a provincial level such as the ATIA or national, contribute to the health and strength of the entire professional field. By developing and implementing standardized certifications and Codes of Ethics, professional associations maintain the quality and consistency of the field, protecting the interests of both clients and providers. Standardized certification and regulation ensures that the expertise that translators and interpreters work hard to attain is recognized as a profession. It also ensures that clients and employers are able to connect with consistent, quality services. A professional association’s strength is in its members, though! Each individual who joins a professional association contributes to making that association a robust and active presence in its field.

The Association of Translators and Interpreters of Alberta is itself a member of the Canadian Translators, Terminologists and Interpreters Council (CTTIC), and through the CTTIC is affiliated with the International Federation of Translators (FIT). To find out more about the ATIA membership categories and the membership process, check out the Membership page.   ?