The application deadline for the 2018-2019 ATA mentoring program is March 3, 2018. The committee accepts applications from translators and interpreters at any stage of their career. While most mentees are relatively new translators and looking for advice on getting established in the field, there are also veteran translators who apply to the program seeking more specialized guidance on a particular aspect of their career. All applicants must, however, be current members of the ATA.
In late-March, the ATA Mentoring Committee selects approximately 30 mentees from the pool of applicants to match with one of our experienced ATA translation and interpretation mentors. The matched pair then work together formally as part of the ATA program for one year .
The matched pair is free to structure their mentoring sessions as they see fit: by Skype, telephone, e-mail, or even in person for those pairs located in the same geographic area. The time commitment expected of ATA mentors is approximately 1-2 hours per month, while the mentoring relationship itself is guided by the menteee. This means that it is up to the mentee to let the mentor know what he or she would like to learn during the mentoring year. The mentee is expected to be a competent translator already. Mentors do not provide critiques of mentees’ translation work. In fact, most mentoring pairs do not even work in the same language pairs, reflecting the mentoring program’s emphasis on professional development.
Upon completion of the mentoring year in March 2019, mentees who have participated successfully in the program will receive a certificate of completion and mentors will receive a letter of recognition.
Please visit the ‘Mentoring’ page on the ATA website for more information and a link to the ATA Mentoring webinar.
http://www.atanet.org/careers/mentoring.php
Kyle Vraa, Principal of Vraa Translation LLC, currently serves as the Chair of the ATA Mentoring Committee.
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