Things to Be Avoided in a Translators’ Congress
A congress of professional associations is the event that occurs every fixed period for one or several days in which people from various places share experience and knowledge regarding the same professional practice or activity and present exhibits and talks and conferences related to them, for the purpose of debate and exchange of information.
Congresses, seminars or symposia are a perfect place to learn, understand and update oneself regarding our professional activity with the help of experts. They are the perfect place to continue growing as professionals.
Few would question that congresses are ideal to learn more and that we should definitively try to participate in them whenever possible.
This being said, it is also true that congresses of professional associations take place over just a few days and often little profit is gained from them. It may seem obvious, but frequently there is the risk of wasting such opportunities to upgrade and strengthen our knowledge and professional abilities.
Below we give you some suggestions that may help you take better advantage of such congresses, seminars or symposia.
Study
Reading beforehand about the topics of presentations and lectures will improve our participation in these events. Learn more about the speakers, the various topics discussed, the past experience of colleagues and any other related information.
This will allow you some previous knowledge and organizing better to follow the presentations on the topics you are interested in.
To the contrary, if you arrive without any previous knowledge you may lose out on important topics that can benefit you. Your attention will delve on unimportant stuff, and you may even avoid paying adequate attention to activities required by your body, such as adequately hydrating and eating.
Social Mingling and Networking
Professional meetings of this type, especially when they are international, are an excellent opportunity to continue learning and making new connections during recess periods and lunches.
Do not underestimate these opportunities. Do not isolate yourself nor lose out on discussions on the event’s topics.
Such breaks from work are key to make new connections, network with people of other companies and continue growing as a professional.
Keep an Open Mind
Often presenters work in or are involved in issues we know about from our professional experience. But we should not believe that we know everything or that we do not have areas opportunities to learn more. In fact, coming in contact with other points of view from people in our same area of expertise can make us better professionals.
This is why we recommend that you arrive at the event with an open mind and willing to learn more. Also, even if you are an expert in the topics under discussion you can go into more detail or obtain clarifications from other professionals during question-and-answer sessions.
In all international events there are opportunities to continue growing professionally and networking, especially in gatherings of professional translators, when we can learn and strengthen knowledge on topics that are relevant to our daily work.
At Servicio Lingüístico Empresarial we are convinced that it is important to continue learning and upgrading professional skills through classes and courses. You can learn more about translation or interpretation through our online courses or, if you prefer, in classroom courses. In our website you can find all the educational offering we have prepared for you to continue growing in your profession.
