Yes, that's a long title. But it's also a very real dilemma faced by many students and newcomers to the translation and interpretation industry (not to mention other industries). So, that was the title of a presentation I gave at the most recent Annual ATA Conference with my colleagues Elizabeth Taylor and Clemencia Macias. We first began giving a similar presentation for students at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in 2005. I've already mentioned and linked to this presentation on two previous posts, but you can download copies of the presentation slides here and the survey results handout here.
The ATA website summarizes the presentation this way: Many professional translators and interpreters can recall their first frustrated attempts to break into the industry. Potential employers told many of us that they could not hire us because we did not have enough experience. We were then left wondering, "How do I obtain experience if everyone who can give me that experience requires more experience?" This presentation is designed for industry newcomers (and educators and mentors guiding newcomers) and explores ideas for gaining meaningful experience that will help you obtain work as a translator, interpreter, or project manager, including fresh approaches to traditional ideas and a peek at what employers look for in your résumé.
With the above mentioned focus on helping students and newcomers, the presentation also included tips on the following:
- How to get recommended
- Networking resources
- Where to gain needed credentials
- How to get your name out there
- Real-life success stories
- Résumé tips from Elizabeth Taylor that she also included in her article Profezional Linguist Seekign Work: Tips to Building a Successful Localization Resume, which was published in the November issue of the ATA Chronicle.
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