ATA’s Savvy Newcomer Blog: A Great Resource 

Whether you’re new to the profession or not, there’s a lot to learn from the ATA Savvy Newcomer blog. The posts are written by fellow ATA members, and they cover everything from marketing and pricing to study resources to work-life balance. At the start of this year, I took a quick look through the Savvy Newcomer archives, and found several posts to inspire and support me in my goals around work-life balance, social media, and professional development. 

Daniela Guanipa’s post, Keeping a Steady Pace: Balancing Work, Volunteering, and Family Life, offered great suggestions for work-life balance. I needed this reminder to identify what my priorities are right now, and to use routines and time-tracking to stay focused on them. I also liked Tess Whitty’s piece, All Work and No Play?, which lists ten tips for achieving balance and avoiding overwork.

I sometimes avoid social media under the guise of “productivity,” even though it’s connected me with some amazing clients and projects. But I’d like to become much more intentional in my use of LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Marion Rhodes’s post, Creating a Social Media Plan for Busy Translators, inspired me. She designed a daily “power hour,” set specific goals for posting, and ultimately doubled her Twitter following and tripled traffic to her website. If I can do a fraction of what she describes, I’ll be off to a great start!

I often get asked about the ATA certification exam, and so much has changed since I took the handwritten test and was certified for Spanish to English in 2008. I’m considering pursuing English to Spanish certification, too, and I found Emily Moorlach’s post on Taking and Preparing for ATA’s Online Certification Exam very helpful. There’s also a mega-list compiled by Helen Eby titled Study Resources for Translation Certification. Both resources are well worth bookmarking!

Regardless of your goals for the new year, you’re likely to find support, inspiration, and ideas at the Savvy Newcomer. Even though the blog is geared toward students and newbies to the profession, there’s a lot of great material for those of us who are mid-career and beyond.

Kelley D. Salas is an ATA-certified Spanish>English translator and editor specializing in nonfiction and children’s literature. She is an experienced medical interpreter and a certified court interpreter in Wisconsin and Illinois. Salas serves on the MATI board of directors. www.salastranslations.wordpress.com