Chapter 11: Where the Jobs Are

Question 1

When do you become a professional interpreter?

Answer 1

When one is paid, they are considered a professional

Question 2

Full Time versus Part Time

Answer 2

Finding a full time job is easier in cities where there is a larger population of Deaf people (many live in the city where they went to a residential school)

Question 3

Employee verses Freelance

Answer 3

Employment usually available in educational sector right after graduation depending on skill set. Employees have guaranteed hours, don’t pay quarterly taxes. Freelancing- self employed. less financial stability right away and pay taxes in a different way

Question 4

VRI/VRS companies

Answer 4

Depending on skills upon graduation. Starts with a few supervised hours a week, but can become more regular. Many companies have mentors for recent grads. Make contacts as a student

Question 5

Interpreting agencies

Answer 5

Rare for a recent grad to be offered jobs with an agency unless they have a “ready to work” program available while getting certified. Can also work for an agency not as an interpreter while developing skills

Question 6

New Graduate versus Experienced Interpreter

Answer 6

New graduates may need to take a part-time job to cover bills while building experience and credibility in interpreting. Must also attend workshops and training

Question 7

Ongoing Education and Professional Growth Settings

Answer 7

Seek out colleagues. Join local. regional, and state interpreting organization. Volunteer, get training, workshops.

Question 8

Interpreting in Educational Settings

Answer 8

Elementary, secondary, and post-secondary. In K-12, goals include
a) appropriate academic progress,
b) becoming independent, empowered, and integrated w/ Deaf and hearing peers while
c) developing a healthy sense of themselves as Deaf individuals.
Districts hire aides that are assigned multiple responsibilities. In K-12 and college, interpreters can often plateau because no demand to improve. We MUST set goals for ourselves to improve and network

Question 9

Elementary School Interpreting

Answer 9

Students will see interpreters as any other adult and ask for help with tasks like tying shoes. Some will have multicultural/multilingual backgrounds. May be assigned other tasks, so read job description carefully. INTERPRETERS ARE LANGUAGE MODELS so MUST improve and expand ASL skills constantly

Question 10

Secondary School Interpreting

Answer 10

Range of student backgrounds. Boundaries between classes, field trips, environmental demands. Modeling appropriate boundaries between Deaf individuals and interpreters as they move into adulthood

Question 11

Post-secondary Interpreting

Answer 11

Same lower level classes, but when students declare a major the courses become more specialized. Need a copy of each class syllabus and textbooks (provided by college), and consider all the different potential demands

Question 12

Repetitive Strain Injury

Answer 12

AKA Overuse injury. results in carpal tunnel, tendonitis, tennis elbow, brachial neuralgia etc.

• Proper warmup before and during breaks
• Exercise and good nutrition
• Check signing habits, ask teachers and colleagues to ID any harmful habits
• Insist on appropriate working conditions (10 minute break for every 50 minutes of work, 2 interpreters if job is longer than 2 hours)

Question 13

Emotional burnout

Answer 13

Have a good stress management regimen and support system. There are many emotional highs and lows, and dealing with people who may not understand what we do and Deaf culture