Pages in topic:   [1 2] >
Announcing an experimental mentoring / apprenticeship program
Thread poster: Patrick Dotterer
Patrick Dotterer
Patrick Dotterer
Local time: 04:20
SITE STAFF
Feb 12, 2007

Dear all,

In response to requests from members--some very experienced and some not yet so--we hereby announce an experimental mentor/apprentice program that will be launched very soon.

In fact, members of the community have been pairing up informally for several years. This experimental program is intended to provide a framework for the process of connecting.

This experimental and optional pilot program is intended to provide a means for full members who w
... See more
Dear all,

In response to requests from members--some very experienced and some not yet so--we hereby announce an experimental mentor/apprentice program that will be launched very soon.

In fact, members of the community have been pairing up informally for several years. This experimental program is intended to provide a framework for the process of connecting.

This experimental and optional pilot program is intended to provide a means for full members who would like to be mentored to meet members who are well-established enough to take on an apprentice. When two people agree to work together in this capacity, they will do so closely, with a set of mutual responsibilities, for a defined period of three months.

It is envisioned that this program may prove useful to some of those who, for example, have completed formal training in translation but have a lack of practical experience and have not yet developed a complete group of clients. For mentors, the program may provide a useful means not only of sharing one's experience, but also of finding new partners for growing translation teams. In this respect, and given that there is a defined period for the apprenticeship, the program may prove similar to the "internship" programs that often lead to full-time employment in other industries.

Mentor responsibilities:

[ ] If possible, provide commercial work to the apprentice in a volume and at a rate to be agreed upon mutually, taking full responsibility for timely payment to the apprentice.
[ ] Check every word of the apprentice's work, editing as necessary, and providing an explanation of the edits to the apprentice.
[ ] Advise and assist the apprentice as necessary in the use of required tools, marketing, site usage, etc.
[ ] Report on the apprentice's performance at the close of the defined mentoring period.

Apprentice responsibilities:

[ ] Complete agreed upon work on time and to a high standard of quality.
[ ] Familiarize self with required tools.
[ ] Register the relationship at the start of the defined mentoring period, and then report on your experience with the mentor at the end. (Your successful completion of the mentoring program is something you can optionally show in your profile at the close.)

Incentives:

[ ] All participants will receive a statement in their profile indicating the mentor/apprentice completed the mentoring program
[ ] There will be a designated page for all mentors/apprentices with a brief bio-section
[ ] Mentors will receive two months of membership, once they've completed the defined mentoring period

Note: Mentors and apprentices will register/report information to site staff through the on line support system. Also, each pairing will be issued a private forum to use during the defined program period.

Who is eligible to take part in this program?
[ ] Participation in the program is open to members (students and professionals)
[ ] Mentors must have at least three years of experience as professional translators, and should have joined ProZ.com at least 3 months ago. (Promotional incentives will be given to mentors who have completed the program.)

How do I get started?

Once the experimental program is officially launched, you will be able to express your interest in discussing possible mentoring / apprenticeship by posting in the ProZ.com Exchange under the appropriate category. There will also be a disclaimer that all interested parties will be asked to accept before participating in the program. (Over time, the Exchange will be improved upon technically, with such features as notifications added to support the new mentoring program.)

There is no obligation when you post; interested counterparts may or may not contact you in response to your post. Maximize your chances of success in the program by being as descriptive as possible of your goals and skills in your post! http://www.proz.com/?sp=exchange

Note: This program will be experimental and optional. All questions beyond those answered above are left to the good judgment of the parties that choose to participate in the program.

Regards,
Patrick
Collapse


 
Francisca Perez
Francisca Perez
Chile
Local time: 05:20
English to Spanish
Mentor/apprentice program response Feb 23, 2007

Hi Patrick

I think this is a GREAT idea, since I decided to become a menber for at least one year, and now recently in last November I was invited to pay for an annual membership, until now, it has been very difficult to get involved with providers, etc.

Probably it would be necessary to go to a Powwow (I'm from Chile) and I also need to learn how to use TRADOS (I know that you MUST BUY the license to use it)

Well I hope, to get in touch with you, but I pre
... See more
Hi Patrick

I think this is a GREAT idea, since I decided to become a menber for at least one year, and now recently in last November I was invited to pay for an annual membership, until now, it has been very difficult to get involved with providers, etc.

Probably it would be necessary to go to a Powwow (I'm from Chile) and I also need to learn how to use TRADOS (I know that you MUST BUY the license to use it)

Well I hope, to get in touch with you, but I prefer to discuss in my mother tongue, this is my messenger: [email protected]

Best Regards

Francisca Pérez L.
English-Spanish Translator
Concepción, Chile
Collapse


 
Svetlana Branhouse
Svetlana Branhouse  Identity Verified
Local time: 21:20
English to Russian
+ ...
Mentor's benefit Feb 23, 2007

Dear Patrick

What exactly is intended to be included in the mentor's incentive for mentoring an apprentice?

Thank you
Best regards
Svetlana Branhouse


 
Laura Calvo Valdivielso
Laura Calvo Valdivielso  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 09:20
Member (2007)
Italian to Spanish
+ ...
Will it be a full-time apprenticeship? How many linguistic pairs? Feb 23, 2007

Dear Patrick,

as I wrote to you a couple of days ago, I think this is an excellent iniciative. What I wanted to ask you is: If I commit myself with a mentor as an apprentice translator, will that mean that I'll work full-time for him/her? Another question is: Is it possible to join the program for more than one linguistic combination?
Thank you very much.
Best regards,
laura


 
Patrick Dotterer
Patrick Dotterer
Local time: 04:20
SITE STAFF
TOPIC STARTER
Mentor incentives Feb 23, 2007

Dear Svetlana,


Dear Patrick

What exactly is intended to be included in the mentor's incentive for mentoring an apprentice?


Of course the initial incentive of the experimental mentoring/apprenticeship program is the overall mutual benefit that each participant receives from his or her pairing. Nevertheless, there will be extra marketing/promotion throughout the site for mentors who have completed the program. One example of the added promotion, but not necessarily needing to be alike, would be the localization page which can be found here: http://www.proz.com/?sp=localization&sp_mode=team

Regards,
Patrick


 
Alicia Casal
Alicia Casal  Identity Verified
Argentina
Local time: 05:20
English to Spanish
+ ...
One question Feb 23, 2007

Hi Pat!

One of the points mentions: "Provide commercial work to the apprentice".

I' d like to enter the program, but it' s not always possible to provide commercial work.

I have a partner, and in some projects we already work with our collaborators.


Alicia


 
Patrick Dotterer
Patrick Dotterer
Local time: 04:20
SITE STAFF
TOPIC STARTER
Time/work is determined by the pairing Feb 23, 2007

Dear Laura,


Dear Patrick,

as I wrote to you a couple of days ago, I think this is an excellent iniciative. What I wanted to ask you is: If I commit myself with a mentor as an apprentice translator, will that mean that I'll work full-time for him/her? Another question is: Is it possible to join the program for more than one linguistic combination?


The amount of time that you will spend acting as an apprentice (work related for example) can only be determined and set by the actual pairings. Of course one of the guidelines in the program is that mentors provide work to their apprentice, however, the amount of work is determined by the respective mentor/apprentice pairing--not by ProZ.com.

Regarding the multiple language combinations, of course if you are a member and have the time to participate in both pairings (and the mentors don't have a problem), then it's okay. However, you may even connect with a mentor who has your same language pairs so you won't even need to have two mentors:)

Regards,
Patrick


 
Patrick Dotterer
Patrick Dotterer
Local time: 04:20
SITE STAFF
TOPIC STARTER
Commercial work Feb 23, 2007

Dear Alicia,

Hey!


Hi Pat!

One of the points mentions: "Provide commercial work to the apprentice".

I' d like to enter the program, but it' s not always possible to provide commercial work.

I have a partner, and in some projects we already work with our collaborators.


The ideal situation would be that all mentors were able to provide commercial work consistently, but this cannot always be the case taking into account what you have mentioned above--and for other obvious reason such as lack of work. Even so, there may be an apprentice that is still interested in having a mentor like you even though he or she may not receive commercial work from you on a regular basis, since you do have other things to offer the apprentice such as CAT tool training and work-life experiences.

This is not to take away from the importance of the program's objective of having the mentor provide work to the apprentice; it's just to show that it would be okay for two participants to connect and form a mentor/apprentice relationship as long as both parties agreed to the terms and continued to follow the guidelines posted above.

Regards,
Patrick


 
rumpeb
rumpeb  Identity Verified
New Zealand
Local time: 21:20
Member (2005)
English to French
+ ...
How much work will be involved for the mentor. Feb 25, 2007

Hi Patrick

In principal I this is a really great idea - often recently qualified translators find it really hard to get started and develop their skills in the "real world".

Just how much time would a mentor be expected give to give whoever he "took under his wing"?

Regards

ANN


 
Patrick Dotterer
Patrick Dotterer
Local time: 04:20
SITE STAFF
TOPIC STARTER
The pairings will have discretion Feb 25, 2007

Dear Ann,


In principal I this is a really great idea - often recently qualified translators find it really hard to get started and develop their skills in the "real world".

Just how much time would a mentor be expected give to give whoever he "took under his wing"?


Each pairing will be able to exercise a degree of discretion regarding the amount of time and work that is taken up. So, in that sense, a mentor or apprentice (the actual pairing) would ideally be working, participating, etc., the amount of time each has agreed upon at the beginning of the three month commitment. If this commitment can not be met the entire three months, the pairing will have discretion again to make adjustments and come to an agreement in hope of fulfilling the 3 month commitment.

Regards,
Patrick


 
Lilian Acevedo
Lilian Acevedo  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 04:20
English to Spanish
+ ...
Will everyone get a mentor? Feb 28, 2007

It was mentioned before that a 'pair up' is not guaranteed. So, if we want to do the program how do we make sure to get a mentor? Also, I don't have a full membership at this time and I don't want to get one unless I do get paired up with a mentor. Is that a possibility... to secure a mentorship/apprenticeship program before paying for full membership?

Where do we begin? I’ve always wanted to do something like this; I've always hoped to find an opportunity to do something sort of
... See more
It was mentioned before that a 'pair up' is not guaranteed. So, if we want to do the program how do we make sure to get a mentor? Also, I don't have a full membership at this time and I don't want to get one unless I do get paired up with a mentor. Is that a possibility... to secure a mentorship/apprenticeship program before paying for full membership?

Where do we begin? I’ve always wanted to do something like this; I've always hoped to find an opportunity to do something sort of like an internship! Is there a mentor out there interested in having an English > Spanish > English apprentice translator?

Thank you,

Lilian
Collapse


 
Patrick Dotterer
Patrick Dotterer
Local time: 04:20
SITE STAFF
TOPIC STARTER
Exchange page/membership benefits Feb 28, 2007

Dear Lilian,

Thanks for using the site!


It was mentioned before that a 'pair up' is not guaranteed. So, if we want to do the program how do we make sure to get a mentor?


The best way to market yourself on the Exchange page is to be as descriptive as possible when posting. Outside the Exchange page, a good thing would be to get more involved in the community by posting in forums, asking/answering KudoZ questions, attending powwows, etc., which in turn will provide you with more opportunities to connect to potential colleagues/mentors.


Also, I don't have a full membership at this time and I don't want to get one unless I do get paired up with a mentor. Is that a possibility... to secure a mentorship/apprenticeship program before paying for full membership?


I understand your concern, but I would offer that you look more at the ProZ.com membership than just an opportunity to participate in the mentoring program since there are many other member benefits that will only help you get more out of ProZ.com.

Here is a link to view the other benefits of membership: http://www.proz.com/join?viewPage=features


Where do we begin? I’ve always wanted to do something like this; I've always hoped to find an opportunity to do something sort of like an internship! Is there a mentor out there interested in having an English > Spanish > English apprentice translator?


I will be posting the official announcement shortly. We have a few more dev-tasks to finish and once these are completed, I will officially announce the program in this forum.

Regards,
Patrick


 
dcaralo
dcaralo  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 08:20
Member (2007)
English to Spanish
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER
ACCESS FOR PARTIAL MEMBERSHIP? Mar 8, 2007

Hello

I recently paid for a Partial Membership, which among other, gives me instant access on quoting for jobs.

Now I have seen this mentoring program, I went to the Exchange page, but it seems the systems does not allow me to apply for requesting a mentor.

I understand non paying members cannot apply, but what then happens with partial memberships? At the end, mentoring may involve to work and cooperate with the mentor on projects which are paid work. So t
... See more
Hello

I recently paid for a Partial Membership, which among other, gives me instant access on quoting for jobs.

Now I have seen this mentoring program, I went to the Exchange page, but it seems the systems does not allow me to apply for requesting a mentor.

I understand non paying members cannot apply, but what then happens with partial memberships? At the end, mentoring may involve to work and cooperate with the mentor on projects which are paid work. So then, is there a way for partial job members=?

I would appreciate any feedback on this issue.

Thanks

LOLI
Dolores Carmona
Partial Platinum Member 640782
Collapse


 
Walter Landesman
Walter Landesman  Identity Verified
Uruguay
Local time: 05:20
English to Spanish
+ ...
proposal still experimental Mar 10, 2007

Hi Loli Dolores,

Yes, it seems the system is for full members.

However, I still don`t have a clear idea what it is about and how it will work. Let`s wait and see.

Saludos,


Walter


 
dcaralo
dcaralo  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 08:20
Member (2007)
English to Spanish
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER
GRACIAS WALTER Mar 10, 2007

Walter Landesman wrote:

Hi Loli Dolores,

Yes, it seems the system is for full members.

However, I still don`t have a clear idea what it is about and how it will work. Let`s wait and see.

Saludos,


Walter



Thanks for the info.


 
Pages in topic:   [1 2] >


To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator:


You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request »

Announcing an experimental mentoring / apprenticeship program






Trados Studio 2022 Freelance
The leading translation software used by over 270,000 translators.

Designed with your feedback in mind, Trados Studio 2022 delivers an unrivalled, powerful desktop and cloud solution, empowering you to work in the most efficient and cost-effective way.

More info »
TM-Town
Manage your TMs and Terms ... and boost your translation business

Are you ready for something fresh in the industry? TM-Town is a unique new site for you -- the freelance translator -- to store, manage and share translation memories (TMs) and glossaries...and potentially meet new clients on the basis of your prior work.

More info »