The ATA Chronicle - September/October 2017 - 4

FROM THE PRESIDENT-ELECT
CORINNE MCKAY
corinne@translatewrite.com
Twitter handle: @corinnemckay

Onward to DC and ATA58!

A

TA's Annual Conference goes by
many nicknames: "The language
industry family reunion," and
"The experience you can't download,"
among others. However you look at it,
attending an ATA conference-whether
for the first time or the 30th-is an
energizing, educational, and, some might
say, transformative experience. We're
looking forward to welcoming over
1,800 language industry professionals to
Washington, DC, at the end of October
for another iteration of the one-of-a-kind
experience that is ATA.
I attended my first ATA conference in
Toronto, Canada, in 2004. At the time,
I had been freelancing very part-time
for about two years and was still in the
"Is this really going to work out?" phase
of my freelance career. I had already
passed ATA's certification exam, but my
specializations were amorphous, my
client base spotty, and my workflow a
series of peaks and valleys, but I was
lucky to have been taken under the
wing of a few experienced translators in
my local chapter, the small but mighty
Colorado Translators Association. One
of their key pieces of advice: "attend an
ATA conference as soon as you can."
So, leaving my husband and toddler
daughter for the first time-and with
some instant noodles in my suitcase to
save money-I headed off to Toronto.
That experience was, in a word,
overwhelming. I knew the names of exactly
three people at the conference, which
left me to make friends with the other
997 people at the Opening Reception.
Termbases, translation memory software,
direct clients, and freelance financial
4

The ATA Chronicle | September/October 2017

Attending an ATA conference-
whether for the first time or
the 30th-is an energizing,
educational, and, some might
say, transformative experience.

management were all new to me, as was
the concept of achieving a similar level
of financial security to someone with
a traditional job. But slowly, over the
course of the conference, I started to
find my groove-connecting with other
French>English translators, attending
Jonathan Hine's presentation on how to run
a profitable business (thanks, Jonathan!),
and even braving a few social events.
Most importantly, a chance encounter
in the hallway outside a session led to
my first major agency client who started
sending me a steady flow of work. Within
three months of attending the Toronto
conference, my workflow and income had
increased dramatically to the point where
I could confidently say, "I'm running
a successful business as a freelance
translator." I still think of the 2004
conference as the critical turning point in
my freelance career.
There's still time to register to join us in
DC. If you haven't done so already, visit
www.atanet.org/conf/2017 to register!
If you're joining us for the first time, I
challenge you to:
■■

Soak up every piece of advice you can
get from more experienced translators. I

tried to do this in Toronto, and many of
those tips still stick with me today. "Have
two specializations: one that pays well
and one that you love." "The best time to
raise your rates is when you're too busy."
"Always treat clients a little better than
they're expecting to be treated."
■■

Connect with the people you want to
become. If you attend an incredible
presentation, e-mail the speaker and
let them know. Even veteran presenters
don't get sick of hearing this kind of
praise! And they'll remember you as the
eager newbie who went out of your way
to give a compliment.

If you're attending your fifth, 15th, or
35th conference, I challenge you to:
■■

Reach out to a first-time attendee. Don't
wait for that person to emerge from a
corner and talk to you. March right up
to them and find out about them and
their story.

■■

Mix it up. Refuse to stagnate. Learn a
new skill. If you're in your fourth decade
as a translator or interpreter, attend
sessions that will allow you to reinvent
yourself in your fifth decade. With
over 175 educational sessions, we truly
do have something for every flavor of
language professional.

It has been a privilege to serve as your
conference organizer for the past two
years. In my own life, taking on a major
role in ATA is up there with being a mom
as "the toughest job you'll ever love." As
I move into my two-year term as ATA
president, I thank you for your trust, and
I thank current President David Rumsey
and Executive Director Walter "Mooch"
Bacak for their advice and leadership. And
most importantly, I'll see you in DC at the
end of October!
www.atanet.org
http://www.atanet.org/conf/2017 http://www.atanet.org
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