Skip to content
FacebookTwitterLinkedinYoutubeInstagram
  • Join ATA
  • Renew
  • Shop ATAware
  • Contact Us
  • Log In Welcome, My Account
American Translators Association (ATA)
Find a Language Professional
  • Certification
    • Certification
      • Guide to ATA Certification
      • What is a Certified Translation?
      • How the Exam is Graded
      • Review and Appeal Process
      • Looking for more information?
    • Taking the Exam
      • About the Exam
      • How to Prepare
      • Practice Test
      • Exam Schedule
    • Already Certified?
      • Put Your Credentials To Work
      • Continuing Education Requirement
    • Register Buttons
      • Register for Exam
         
      • Order Practice Test
  • Career and Education
    • For Newcomers
      • Student Resources
      • Starting Your Career
      • The Savvy Newcomer Blog
    • For Professionals
      • Growing Your Career
      • Business Strategies
      • Next Level Blog
      • Client Outreach Kit
      • Mentoring
    • Resources
      • For Educators and Trainers
      • Tools and Technology
      • Publications
      • School Outreach
    • Event Buttons
      • Visit ATA66
      • Upcoming Webinars
  • Client Assistance
    • Client Resources
      • Why Should I Hire a Professional?
      • Translator vs. Interpreter
      • Buying Language Services
    • More Client Resources
      • Need a Certified Translation?
      • What is Machine Translation?
      • The ATA Compass Blog
    • Find a Translator Button
      • Find a Language Professional
  • Events
    • Events
      • Annual Conference
      • Free Events for ATA Members
      • Certification Exam Schedule
    • More Events
      • Virtual Workshops and Events
      • Live and On-Demand Webinars
      • Calendar of Events
    • Event Buttons
      • Visit ATA66
      • Upcoming Webinars
         
  • News
    • Industry News
    • Advocacy and Outreach
    • The ATA Chronicle
    • The ATA Podcast
    • ATA Newsbriefs
    • Press Releases
  • Member Center
    • Member Resources
      • Join ATA
      • Renew Your Membership
      • Benefits of Membership
      • Divisions & Special Interest Groups
      • Chapters, Affiliates, Partners, and Other Groups
      • Get Involved
      • Member Discounts
      • Shop ATAware
    • Already a Member?
      • Member Login
      • Connect with Members
      • Credentialed Interpreter Designation
      • Become a Voting Member
      • Submit Member News
      • Submit Your Event
      • Contact Us
    • Member Buttons
  • About Us
    • About ATA
      • Who We Are
      • Honors and Awards Program
      • Advertise with Us
      • Media Kit
    • How ATA Works
      • Board of Directors
      • Committees
      • Policies & Procedures
      • Code of Ethics
      • ATA Team
    • Contact Button
      • Contact ATA
  • Join ATA
  • Renew Your Membership
  • Contact Us
  • Log In
  • Find a Language Professional
savvy-newcomer-header

Dear Newbie,

October 15, 2013 | The Savvy Newcomer | No Comments | Annual Conference, Networking, Starting Your Career

By Jamie Hartznewbie

We’ve been in your shoes.

In fact, I’m personally still in your shoes. Last year was my first time at the ATA annual conference, and let me be the first to tell you: it’s overwhelming. But take heart! “Buddies Welcome Newbies” is here to help.

I was a first-time attendee and an undergrad student looking to learn more about this “American Translators Association” I kept hearing about. You may be a student like me, or a mom looking to earn some extra money, a business professional interested in a second career, or a professional translator/interpreter who has just never been to a conference before. Wherever you’re coming from, as a newcomer you will have a lot of questions for the real experts: the people who have made it in this field.

Here’s how Buddies Welcome Newbies works:

  • On the Wednesday of the conference there will be a Buddies Welcome Newbies intro session where buddies and newbies will be paired up to swap contact information, do some role-playing in preparation for all the real-life networking both parties will do during the conference, and hear some practical advice from me and Helen Eby, my partner in crime (and a very knowledgeable translator/interpreter).
  • During the four-day conference you will be expected to attend one session with your “buddy,” and to have one meal together. This isn’t a lifelong commitment to be mentor and mentee for as long as you both shall live; it’s just for the conference. The experienced translator will be excited to share their knowledge and expertise with you, and you’ll be glad to have a familiar face in the crowd.
  • On the Saturday of the conference there will be a Buddies Welcome Newbies wrap-up session. Here, you’ll reconvene with your buddy to talk about how the conference went and we will provide you with some helpful instruction about how to follow through on the progress you will have made over the previous few days.

Our goal is to provide you with an experienced translator/interpreter who will help you to make the most of this conference and get a good, strong start in your career. With that said, let me point you to two sites that I know will enhance your understanding of the profession and your preparedness for the conference (that is, in addition to this blog, which you should definitely subscribe to—just click “+ Follow” at the bottom right of the page):

  1. The ATA newbies listserv is an online forum that you can join to post any questions you may have before the conference gets underway. It’s easy to join, and you’ll benefit from the questions that your peers ask on the forum as well. Click here to see the group: http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/atanewbies54/info. You can subscribe by sending a blank email to atanewbies54-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
  2. The ATA conference website has a page devoted to the newbie/buddy sessions where you can register for our event (this will allow us to pair you up with a buddy, and it will give us an idea of how many people to expect). Click “SIGN UP NOW” at http://www.atanet.org/conf/2013/newbies.htm.

——————————————–

Next week: Why be a Buddy? From Helen Eby.

Share this

Posts navigation

← How to Market Yourself at the ATA Conference
Why Be a Buddy? →

No Comments

  1. Weekly favorites (Oct 18-24) | Lingua Greca Translations on April 16, 2014 at 5:55 am

    […] How to stop talking about features and start presenting the benefits to translation clients The language of Prohibition-era gangsters: knowing your goons from your gumshoes Language Launchpad – languages boost your career! (series of video interviews) Chart: Curse Your Enemies In Style With These Classy Shakespearean Insults 42 Experimental And Mind-Bending Maps That You Won’t See In Textbooks An open letter to translation buyers: can you really afford cheap translations? Internal & Client Collaboration: The Infrastructure for Sustainable Business The Language Translator’s Eternal Dilemma: How Do I Raise My Rates? Is 50 Thousand Dollars Money Well Spent on a Translation Degree? Κατώτατες αποδεκτές αμοιβές μετάφρασης, επιμέλειας, διόρθωσης Can we make translation more valuable in the eyes of our clients? When I’m called in to help out with a project that’s gone a bit awry 4 Ideas That Grabbed Me at Localization World Silicon Valley Language Show Live 2013: A Day in the Life of an Interpreter 11 Essential Secrets To Get Started As A Freelance Translator Translation credentials: what are they and do you need them? Five Essential Characteristics of a Good Translation Agency Συνηθισμένα εκφραστικά λάθη σε συνηθισμένες εκφράσεις 11 Commonly Used Made-Up Words That Drive Us Insane What Translators Can Learn From Translation Enterprises Advantages to Using a Smaller Language Service Provider The Importance of Training for the Community Interpreter Oldschool is Best #1: Past Blog Posts To Read And Share Forensic Linguistics & Interpreting – where do they meet? The Largest Industry Most People Have Never Heard of… Book review: ‘For Who the Bell Tolls’ by David Marsh Special characters and symbols I – Basic use in Word* Top language and translation tweets in September 2013 12 Things Made Collectible Thanks to Spelling Errors Why I’m no longer offering translations into German When I talk to people about my translator colleagues 12 Amazing Facts from the New Book ‘Now I Know’ SDL Trados Studio 2014: new features for old hands 3 Minutes to a Proper British Accent [Video Tutorial] Translating Trademarks: Is Your Brand Protected? Freelancing: A Brave New World of Employment How to Market Yourself at the ATA Conference Can you preserve a culture without the language? Personal message to translators and interpreters Film Titles in Translation: The Original Trilogy You know you love language learning when … Why do you translate? Replies from iapti2013 Building up translation quality with glossaries Hiring a Literary Translator: What Not to Do Games agencies play, part 2: “word counts” How We Almost Lost A Translation Client Donna Tartt on language standardisation When an Interpreter’s Ethics are Tested What’s your word of the year for 2013? Free E-Book: The Translator Diaries Mark Forsyth’s top 10 lost words On cronuts, zonuts and doissants IAPTI Conference Twitter Storm A Brief History Of Social Media Words are stupid, words are fun Guess the Idiom (multilingual) FAQs on language in the EU Those dumb smart quotes… The Translation Tribe Translating on the Go Event: IAPTI 2013 Unusable Words Dear newbie […]

    Reply

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply





I accept the Privacy Policy

  • Home
  • Editorial Team
  • Resources
  • Write for Us
  • Style Guide

Recent Posts

Embracing the Part-Time Paradigm: Empowering Part-Time Professionals to Adopt the Small-Business-Owner Mentality

Cultivating Connection: 8 Tips for Interpreters and Translators to Tackle Loneliness

Keep Track of Your Translation Time

Savvy Diversification Series – Advice I Wish I Had Followed on How to Become a Medical Translator

A Translator’s Value(s) in a Shifting Market

The Best Google Search Tips for Translators

Conference Countdown: Your Guide to Preparing for Success at ATA64

What I’ve Learned in 8 Years of Blogging

Linguist in the Spotlight – John Milan

A Short Guide to Gender Inclusiveness in Italian Translations

Subscribe to The Savvy Newcomer


Connect with The Savvy Newcomer

Contact Us
Language Services Directory
ata_logo_footer

American Translators Association
211 N. Union Street, Suite 100
Alexandria, VA 22314

Phone +1-703-683-6100
Fax +1-703-778-7222

  • Certification
  • Career and Education
  • Client Assistance
  • Events
  • News
  • Member Center
  • About Us
  • Member Login
  • Contact Us
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Submit Feedback

© 2025 - American Translators Association

Find a Language Professional
Scroll To Top
By clicking accept or closing this message and continuing to use this site, you agree to our use of cookies.I AcceptPrivacy Policy