by Angela Bustos
The tidal wave that was 2020 hit each of us differently; however, it summoned all of us to turn off autopilot and reexamine our priorities. Paradoxically, amidst the unprecedented circumstances are opportunities for immense growth. Now is a great time to deepen our professional development. Yet, this year’s one-thing- after-the-next intensity can make it difficult to know where to start. So just in time for 2021, here are three new year’s resolutions you can make (and keep!) to thrive as an audiovisual translator in the coming year.
Add pandemic-induced mandatory isolation, and your urban home office can start to feel like the deserted island in Cast Away. Thankfully, you don’t have to suffer alone like Tom Hanks—break translation isolation by joining the AVD Mentorship Program! This is a great way for novice and experienced audiovisual translators to connect: mentees set goals based on their needs and interests, and mentors get to impart their hard-earned wisdom to the next generation of audiovisual translators.
Get a Mentor/Be a Mentor
I don’t have to tell you that audiovisual translation is an awesome profession. I also don’t have to tell you that this profession can feel isolating.
Mentorship pairs are hand-picked and supported throughout the process. Any ATA member in good standing is welcome to join. Ready to broaden your professional network through mentorship? Email our Mentoring Coordinator at mentoringavd@gmail.com!
Volunteer
Wait, volunteer? Now?! Wasn’t 2020 the year of lost profits? Sure, volunteering may not directly increase your income, but it has enormous power to positively shape your career trajectory. Let’s say you volunteer to help with a virtual conference on audiovisual translation. You now have the opportunity to show off your skills— translating marketing content, hosting presentations, managing event registration—and perhaps most importantly, you’re now connected with colleagues beyond the surface-level networking event. Still not convinced? Check out this free ATA webinar in which Jamie Hartz, CT presents the benefits of volunteering and how to make it worth your time.
Get Published
Publication used to be reserved for academic elites and professional writers. Yet our era’s great equalizer—the internet—has turned this paradigm on its head. Do you have specialized knowledge to share? I bet you do, and I’ll bet double there’s a newsletter, blog, or other online resource looking for your perspective. Not sure which publication that may be? How about the one you’re reading right now! Deep Focus always welcomes submissions from our Division members. If you’d like to share your expertise with your fellow audiovisual translators, check out our Submission Guidelines, or simply write to submissionsavd@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! As we bid adieu to a wild 2020, it’s tempting to think that 2021 will be better by default. However, positive changes don’t happen just because we flip the page on the calendar. They happen when we take small, consistent steps toward our professional goals—forging ahead despite the global circumstances.