Episode 43: Finding Mentors and Surrounding Yourself With People Who Encourage and Push You to Be Better at Your Craft

Smart Habits for Translators

In this episode, we’re sharing a conversation about finding mentors and surrounding yourself with people who encourage you and push you to be better at your craft.

This can feel like a difficult thing to do, especially in a profession where we are used to working alone and behind the scenes.

It can be especially daunting if you’re a new translator or interpreter. It’s not that easy to know where to start, and finding someone who will guide and encourage you can feel nearly impossible.

So, how do you go about finding mentors and a community of people who help you grow and develop?

Here’s a summary of our discussion:

• How getting involved in the T&I community can help you surround yourself with people who encourage and push you to be better at your craft

• How to figure out what you want in a mentor or someone you look up to who makes you want to be better at your work

• Why it's important to be aware of but tune out what isn’t in your best interest

• Who can be a mentor from afar and how they can inspire and encourage you even if you don’t know them personally

• How timing can impact what you're looking for in a mentor and why your mentors can be different at different stages of your career

• How to make the mentoring experience rewarding not just for yourself but for your mentor too

• How people who surround you can encourage and push you (in a good way!) to be better

• Why those you surround yourself with don’t necessarily have to be in the same field or industry

RESOURCES WE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Madalena’s website, courses, and blog

• ATA 62nd Annual Conference website

• Episode 2: Impostor Syndrome

• Episode 37: Smart Habits for Improving Your Online Research with Elizabeth Adams

• The Entrepreneurial Linguist: The Business-School Approach to Freelance Translation by Judy Jenner and Dagmar Jenner

• Boomerang app

• Likewise app

• WONDERBOOM Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker

See the full list of links and resources for this episode:

https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/43