Have you seen the Crest commercial, “if you’re not whitening, you’re yellowing?”  In my opinion, if ever there was a motivating catch phrase, this would be it.  No one wants to be found dead or alive with yellow teeth.  What does this mean for language professionals and their clients?

You may find it difficult to believe, but you may be in danger of possessing dull skills. Yes, your renditions may be yellowing, a discordant sound to the ear.  Lackluster performances do not garner encores.Indeed, there is not much difference between training for an interpreter certification and a sprint triathlon.  It’s typical for interpreters to believe that more work will enable improvement and efficiency.  You would be wrong, dead wrong.   Well then, how do you avoid tarnished skills?

Roller coasters and goals are similar:  an uphill battle with a glorious outcome.  Without continuous goals, your abilities stagnate, like a rain puddle festering with mosquitoes.  It behooves you to ponder questions like:

• What terminology do I need to learn?
• When do I plan to attain certification?
• Where will I pursue professional development?
• How do I demonstrate excellence and demand it of others?

Read the full post in Alfonso Interpreting & Transporting here: http://alfonsointerpreting.com/three-recommendations-for-maintaining-polished-skills/

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