ATA67 Conference Preview: Business Practices Education at ATA67

Once again the ATA Annual Conference is almost upon us, and once again we have to make hard choices about which educational sessions to attend. With over 100 sessions available and only 11 time slots, whittling down those choices is a formidable task. With that in mind, I’ve created some hypothetical T&I professionals and chosen business-related sessions for them to attend. Check out what my imaginary friends would do in San Francisco and see if some of their choices are right for you.

Isaac’s business has all but disappeared with the advent of AI translation. To add insult to injury, he’s been taken in a few times by scams. He has been worried about his ability to stay in the profession, going as far as searching for salaried jobs in another field. But he doesn’t want to go that route; he’d rather find a way to keep doing what he loves.

• Entrepreneurial Linguists in the Age of AI – Judy Jenner will review important business skills, including new skills needed when competing with AI. Isaac can compare his own business practices to determine where he can make changes and improve his business skills.
• Mapping Out the Language Industry Shifts: What’s Dying and Where Language Professionals Can Find New Opportunities – Anne Chemali and José Palomino-Perez promise a discussion of new opportunities for linguists, as well as important mindset and skill set considerations. Isaac may find a way to use his expertise in new ways.
• Systems for Sustainable Freelancing: A Weekly Rhythm for Admin, CPD, and Marketing – Marketing used to be a secondary consideration for Isaac when he had plenty of work. In this session with Catharine Lailson, he will learn how to balance marketing, professional development, and administrative tasks on a weekly basis to keep finding clients, providing expert-level work, and ensuring timely payment.
• Translation Scams in the AI Era – According to presenter Carola Berger, “Language professionals have always been targeted by scammers. Thanks to AI, the scams have advanced to a whole new level. Scammers impersonate language companies and experienced translators alike, phishing scams look entirely real, the list goes on. Listen to this presentation and be suitably frightened, just in time for Halloween. Just kidding! You will also learn suitable precautions and protective measures, so you can impersonate your favorite Halloween character, without worrying that somebody is impersonating you.”

Rose is a German to English translator who has been taking any job that comes along just to pay the bills. She’s thought about specializing but isn’t sure how to start.

• Can You Translate My Birth Certificate? – Translating birth certificates and other official documents is a growing specialization. Official documents specialist Sam Mowry will cover best practices for translation and for working with clients who need official documents translated. Rose may learn enough to give this field a try.
• Did Someone Say “Certified”? Translating Official Documents for and from DACH Countries – Susanne Kraetschmer, Carola Berger, Frieda Ruppaner-Lind, and Karen Leube will have advice tailored specifically for Rose’s language pair. According to Karen, “The panel looks at specific questions that arise when translating official documents for or from German-speaking countries and explores some of the intricacies involved in producing certified translations for this particular context… I hope attendees will be interested in seeing and hearing how ATA-certified translators working with German and English handle specific issues that are not covered in the more general information available on the ATA website or elsewhere online. I also hope they will be interested in hearing how official document translation is handled in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.”

Sam has been getting requests for projects they would like to take, but the job seems too big or requires more effort than Sam is used to. As a freelancer, they don’t feel confident taking on these jobs, but saying no hurts. In the meantime, their normal specialization seems to be drying up. They’re not sure if it’s time to quit or time to market more and better.

• You’re Already a Project Manager: Structuring What You Do into a Deliberate Service Offering – Sam has occasionally worked with a colleague to help a client with a larger-than-normal job. Julieta Raimondo and Grisel Cremonesi will show Sam how to make this type of informal arrangement a carefully crafted service for clients.
• Know Your Numbers: Financial Strategies for Translators in a Changing Market – Analía Bogdan will teach attendees how to assess their income, costs, and profitability. Armed with this knowledge, Sam will be able to decide whether to stick with their current specialization or try something new.

Flor is new to the profession and wants to get a good start. She’s had a few clients so far in both translation and interpretation, but she hasn’t been happy with the projects she’s done. They seem like too much work and trouble for too little money.

• POV: What a Language Services Manager Is (and Is Not) Looking for in a Résumé – Liliana Rodriguez and Sara Greenlee will explain what hospital language teams look for in an interpreter’s résumé. Flor has been considering applying for a position at a local hospital. She can use what she learns at this session to prepare a stronger application.
• Negotiation Strategies for Language Professionals – Experienced conference interpreter Everton Morais will outline key principles of negotiation. Flor can learn how to talk with clients and improve her working conditions before she starts the job.
• The Professional Shield: Good Business Practices and Ethics – A few of Flor’s assignments have gone wrong when misunderstandings arose or when clients questioned her professionalism. This session, with Giovanna Lester and Helen Eby discussing ATA’s Code of Ethics and model contracts, should give Flor a solid basis for acting ethically and professionally.

Yasmin is a medical and court interpreter. While she’s very comfortable with the spoken language skills needed, she sometimes worries about her professional image.

• Dress Codes Deciphered: Special Considerations for Legal, Medical, and Community Interpreters – Kelsey Trotta will examine interpreters’ professional image quite literally, explaining how to choose appropriate clothing for the assignment and the impression an interpreter wishes to create. According to Kelsey, “Established professionals will learn how to transform their business by learning to dress strategically for their target market… I hope attendees will be interested to hear how their wardrobe can become their most powerful career asset.”
• Improve Your Professional Image with Effective Business Writing – After Yasmin learns how to leave a good impression visually, Professor Karen Borgenheimer will take a look at the impression that linguists create on the page. She says, “As a T&I business owner, I frequently receive emails from translators and interpreters offering their services. While I obviously applaud the initiative to grow business, that initial inquiry either makes or breaks them. First impressions matter… Email is our primary means of communication, but it is a hybrid form prone to trouble because the message can easily be misunderstood and sound inappropriately casual or overly formal… During this session, I will guide participants through a series of writing exercises to help them polish business communication skills to elevate their professional image and stand out from the crowd and grow business.”

These are only a few of the business-related sessions offered at this year’s conference. Do you have your eye on one in particular? Please let us know in the comments!

About the Author

Danielle Maxson

Danielle Maxson has been translating since 2009 and specializes in medical translation with a focus on patient records. She is an ATA-certified Portuguese to English and Spanish to English translator and the former chair of ATA’s Business Practices Education Committee. Before focusing on translation, she worked as a Spanish teacher and a medical interpreter. She recently earned CHI-Spanish certification and is once more available for healthcare interpreting. For more information, visit https://dmaxsontranslates.com.