Professional Development, or PD as it’s usually referred to is a very important part of life for professional translators and interpreters.
Having a course is not enough for most professions, including translators and interpreters. We need to be constantly updated in the new technological developments, new practices and regulations and of course we need the keep updated in the languages we work with. What we might have learnt in our courses years ago, may no longer be the best practice or may have been replaced for a better method.
Professional Development is a way of ensuring you have the best possible training and can offer the best and most updated services, in my opinion, it is a very important investment in our businesses and our careers.
There’s a lot of courses, webinars we can do. Usually, Associations provide some of these courses for a small fee. For example in my case, as I member of AUSIT, I receive an email regularly with all the courses and webinars available. I’ve done quite a few, and so far, it’s been a great experience. I could learn different things and open my eyes to different ideas and ways of doing things. It can also help check if there’s something that needs changing, helping achieve the best outcomes.
These courses and webinars can also award points that can go into the re-certification application with NAATI. It is a way of showing commitment to the profession and also being on top of our game at all times.
Cátia