How do Sign Language Interpreters Increase Opportunity in a Weak Economy?
One of the main giving hands in the sign language interpreter economy is the scheduler of interpreting services for the local interpreting agency, university, or VRS company. These daring individuals play an extremely important role in the livelihood of most sign language interpreters. So, when it can literally mean the difference between thousands of dollars and ample opportunity or zippy, why are they so frequently unappreciated?
Why Ingratiate?
As a sign language interpreter, if you truly consider the impact a scheduler can have on the opportunities presented to you, it is clear that to invest in them is not just a good idea—its’ critically necessary. These are the folks who control who gets called first, offered the high profile and multiple day assignments, and pair interpreters for requests needing more than one.
So, what do you do to ingratiate yourself to these workers of logistical magic? How do you ensure you are considered among the first contacted when an opportunity presents itself?
What follows are suggestions for developing the type of working relationship that will position you top-of-mind with the sign language interpreter schedulers you work with.
Return Calls & Email
If you have ever sat near the desk of a sign language interpreter scheduler, you know that they initiate and receive hundreds of phone calls and emails week-in and week-out. Surprisingly, much of this correspondence seeking to pair artists with opportunity goes unanswered.
Even if you have the good fortune to be booked for the time inquired about by a scheduler, keep the karma of gratitude on your side and return their correspondence. It will go a long way to build the type of working relationship that will keep you at the front of the line when the sexy work comes in.
Take a Personal Interest
When returning these phone calls, take a few minutes to inquire as to how these logistical talents are personally. Find out about their lives, their kid’s lives, and the things that get them juiced about life outside the job. Coordinating logistics is an intense and thankless job. Pausing to take a personal interest shows that you aren’t just a taker, but you are a giver as well.
It’s easy to give to those that give.
Be a Partner
It is important to think of a scheduler as a partner. As partners, each of you has a job to do and both contribute to the success of any given opportunity. Therefore, do what partners do,
- Regularly offer appreciation for a job well done
- Always give them the benefit of the doubt
- Should a conflict or a mistake occur, address it with them directly before escalating it
- Take the unsexy job when they are in a tough spot, even if it is inconvenient
- Occasionally drop by the office to say a hello
- Extend a small appreciation gift on occasion (something on administrative professionals day is a no brainer)
- When encountering information that is relevant to their personal life, send it to them
To be a partner is to have a partner.
A Smart Investment
There are a number of places to make investments in your career as a sign language interpreter that is for sure. With that said, I can think of fewer investments that costs so very little and pay such a huge dividend.
These logistical field generals do a thankless job and one that makes doing our job more convenient. Let’s not make the mistake of mistreating or not appreciating them. It’s bad for the profession and bad form all around.
I double dog dare you to hug a scheduler and see what happens!
Category: Blog, Business & Technology
About the Author (Author Profile)
Brandon is a nationally certified sign language interpreter and passionate industry entrepreneur. He has worked on both the practicing and business sides of the industry for the past 15 years. He is a devoted father and husband and enjoys the sport of triathlon.Subscribe
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it.
Be a partner: yes! Develop a close personal relationship outside of work to guarantee your book is always full: distasteful. Using undue influence to win over schedulers is not ethical. Because both parties have a lot to gain from filling jobs, care should be taken from both sides and the power-balance should be something all should respect. Keep the CPC at the forefront when accepting jobs… I personally support certified interpreters as schedulers. For one, they at least (in theory) are held to the standard of the CPC.
Jon Barad: HI! You may remember me, you had interpreted for me a while ago. While I can appreciate that you support the idea of certified interpreters as schedulers, I beg to differ- deaf people as schedulers also can do this job very well. As a deaf scheduler for a local interpreting agency, I do believe my experience as a deaf consumer in the industry enables me to assign interpreters to the appropriate assignments ensuring that the consumer/interpreters are a good match. I enjoy my work with interpreters. I make effort to thank them for the work they picked up; contacting them when an opportunity comes up; contacting them when the deaf consumer has specifically requested their services, and so on. The interpreters do the same and I appreciate it when they let me know of their availability. This job is very challenging; and it always pains me when I can’t fill an assignment. Interpreters also have high expectations (in terms of how many hours they can earn and the rates we offer). Thanks for posting!
Hope to bump into you in the near future. Keep on ‘terping!
Melinni,
Thanks for joining the discussion.
I agree that there are folks, other than certified interpreters, that are qualified to schedule interpreters. With that said, I think all those scheduling interpreters need to be familiar with the CPC and the logistical challenges faced by working interpreters. Schedulers that have this understanding and awareness make a more valuable partner in the process of service provision.
AMEN!
Jon,
Thanks for kicking off the discussion.
I would agree it would be distasteful and a display of questionable ethics for an interpreter to develop a personal relationship with a scheduler outside of work for the sole purpose to secure work. While I agree that both parties benefit when assignments are filled, I believe we would be naïve to think that the strength of a working relationship between a scheduler and an interpreter has no impact on the opportunities ultimately enjoyed by the interpreter.
Further, I agree that interpreters should always consider their ethical responsibilities when accepting assignments and that that consideration should be the check and balance when assignments are filled. Practically speaking, I think we can agree that there are challenges using this ethical honor system.
Regarding your comment of support for certified interpreters to be schedulers, I believe your point is simply that having someone who is intimately familiar with the interpreting process and both the ethical and logistical challenges of working in a new environment day-in and day-out would make the provision of the service that much easier. If that is the case, I would agree.
At the end of the day, as it is with the act of interpreting, the relationship we have with those we work with is key to our success.
I prefer the business model of an independent working interpreter. I am my own scheduler. This is mostly due to the fact that I live in a location where it is possible due to volume of work. I think we need a new paradigm of service provision that is not solely based on the agency model.
Jayne,
Thanks for joining the discussion.
I think regardless of the model, every working interpreter has a relationship with a scheduling person somewhere up or down the line. In the case of the independent model, it would likely be the person responsible for filling assignments at a large federal agency or the like.
Regardless of the model, and I agree that there needs to be a paradigm shift in how the provision of interpreting service works, we should all be investing in these relationships—as we would colleagues in a traditional work environment.
I appreciate the strength you have highlighted relative to the independent model, where the interpreter is the scheduler. Clearly, in most cases, this would suggest that both the ethical and logistical challenges would be kept in check.
A question, as an independent interpreter, how do you and would you encourage folks to invest in maintaining a relationship with the folks that schedule for larger federal agencies and the like?
Wow! so much I would like to write here, buuttt… so I will simply say,I have been independent since the year 2000. And I like it!
I tried all the “nice” things to say and do for interpreter schedulers assigned to agencies. I really, genuinely loved one of the schedulers, and of course she quit the agency. Then ONWARD to the next one who implied that “money” was the best gift. I’m sure she got it, and still gets it from other interpreters. As for me, I saw that as blackmail, unethical, and deplorable! The final straw was when I went on an assignment as a team terp. I thought my team member was also a certified terp (CI/CT) and ready for the assignment. Turns out she was one of the terps that poured money the scheduler’s way, and this terp was only a QA II terp (without the necessary skills for the job). When I arrived at the assignment I was greeted with (by the requester), “Where’s the other terp? She’s the one that is the lead terp, that is what the scheduler told me.” HOW SHOCKING!
I was to be the second up to a QA terp, HOW SHOCKING! (did I already say that?) And that is only one example.
In my area most of the deaf consumers want their church terp. Most of the hearing consumers want the cheapest terp. So, I keep on keeping on.
But I did work in Houston, Texas for Sign Shares and know first hand that they atr honest, hard working, matched team terps appropriately and didn’t look for a kick back. Debbie Gunter ran an awesome agency with EXTRA AWESOME staff members. Debbie, you are missed! You were our angel on earth, now you are with the angels in heaven.
Kitty
Enjoyed your response!… So true!… I’m actually a working interpreter in CA.. from Houston TX.. so, I’m gonna keep your info “at-hand” when i come to visit family during the holidays, gonna check out the agency– USING YOUR NAME!! Just teasing.. Yes, this could be a very SHOCKING situation.. Good luck and blessings to your future
.. again- thanks for the feedback! gefs
Hey Greggory, I would suggest you find Sign Shares on-line and send them an email informing them of your dates in Houston. Sadly Debbie Gunter passed away Dec 15, 2011 at the young age of 58. But my understanding is that the staff is still keeping everything together and terps are still fully employed. But check it out. This is the type of agency I wish we had in my area. Debbie put me to work immediately upon arriving in Houston for my husband’s cancer treatments. We lived there for almost three months. I was scared of Houston, scared of cancer, and scared of being broke. Debbie was awesome, found me work a mile from our apt. Handed me my paycheck on the day we left (running from hurricane IKE) and gave losts of hugs!
hope you can meet up with the Sign Share gang and please do say my name, Kitty from GEOOOOOOOOOOOOORJAH!
Kitty,
What you describe relative to the scheduler suggesting that a “kick back” would give you a leg-up relative to receiving work is truly shocking. It is unfortunate, but there are entities and individuals that fail to consider the impact of their actions on the long-term health of their businesses, careers and the industry as a whole. It’s truly unfortunate and is the ugly underbelly of industry.
Your examples raise an important point, so agency owners and employee take note; there is an equally important investment needed on your part for your company’s success. Management, and by extension their employees, should be investing in creating an expectation and environment that is conducive to building a relationship of trust with interpreters.
It is this trust that allows for the interpreter to ethically determine if they are suitable for an assignment and ultimately allows for a positive experience to be had by those utilizing the service. It is in building this type of environment of trust that will allow you and your business to succeed in a weak economy as well.
Hey Brandon,
Did I mention the guy (who runs his own agency) that I hired to sub for me while I was at a week long workshop? who solicited the job from my employer and lowered his rate? who then sent terps who possessed NO credentials? AND the bottom line to my ex-employer: He is cheaper!(this had been a potential two year plus assignment). Are there any ethics?
Ahhhhh too many stories, too little time!
Kitty
Sad. Sad. Sad. Unfortunately, the race to the bottom is a fast one.
Showing integrity, respect to consumers, keeping things confidential, being on time, not posting your “guess where I worked” blasts off Facebook, will get you a lot more work than kissing up to the scheduler. I think the deaf consumers are realizing what is really happening in our profession. I would be thrilled to see the consumers putting their foot down on this hypocrisy.
As a consumer, I would hope that my request for communication access are based on my communication needs, and the interpreters skill.
I hope it is not based on if an interpreter went out for body shots on Friday night with the scheduler, or if the interpreter takes the job because they have a house payment due.
The bottom line should always be, the consumer’s communication needs and the skill level of the interpreter. Period.
Lucky,
Thanks for participating.
I’ll address both of your comments here.
I agree that interpreters need to demonstrate integrity, respect for the community, punctuality (the customer’s time is as valuable as mine), and the ability to maintain confidentiality in order to create a positive reputation among the D/deaf community. To your point, how well they do this will result in either an increase or decrease to the volume of their work.
With that said, I believe in most case schedulers attempt to match the communication needs of the customer with the skillset of the interpreters they work with. However, in most communities there are a large number of interpreters that would likely “fit” or “qualify” for any one given assignment. It is when multiple interpreters fit and are likely available that the relationship an interpreter has with a scheduler is super important. Unfortunately, as stated in my comment to Kitty above, because there is an ugly underbelly to the sign language interpreting industry, some interpreters have likely received a first-right-of-refusal for work as a result of taking body shots (or the like) with a scheduler.
At the end of the day, I believe most interpreters act ethically and in the interest of their customers. My suggestion that investing in the working relationship one has with a scheduler is simply that when an interpreter is competing, and make no mistake—they are competing, with their colleagues for an assignment, a strong working relationship will assist them in being engaged a higher percentage of the time.
The note about responding to e-mails and phone calls with requests, even if you are unavailable, is especially on the mark. I schedule interpreters directly (not via an agency) for my employer’s needs and purposefully look at freelance interpreters to fill the job. Those that I e-mail are selected by me and are contacted because they are my first choice to fill the job (I am usually, but not always, the consumer as well) and I really do want to know if you are available – OR NOT. A reply is the best thing you can do to keep yourself on my radar. After several unanswered job offers, I keep note and I tend to drop off my distribution list those who do not bother to reply. It’s professional to reply, even if it is a simple “not available” and then click delete to keep your inbox clear.
Squirrelly Girl,
Thanks for adding the perspective of a scheduler to the discussion.
Are there additional courtesies, other than not replying to inquiries, that you would encourage interpreters not to forget in order to remain on a local scheduler’s radar?
In response, I think it is important to know how that agency/hiring official likes to work. I do make an effort to know my schedulers and consumers as a real people, I think it respects the humanity in all of us. Some of the statements I have read in this thread reminds me of how blessed I am; although I realize I am competing, and am sometimes the one favored, I have not been expected to pay for that access with cash, and I would likely limit work with such those who operate with such unethical business practices.
In my area, because there are so many interpreters competing for the same work, many schedulers do NOT want interpreters to respond if you are unavailable. Again, knowing the scheduler and their preferences…
CMH,
Thanks for joining the discussion.
You make a great point and one that has been missing in this thread. Ensuring that we understand how the scheduler prefers to communicate and what their operating protocol is is key. In your experience, is it as simple as asking the scheduler their preference relative to your responses to inquiries?
I always get a little nervous when I hear recommendations like the ones you’re offering, Brandon, for some of the reasons others have already shared. If we could assume competence, self-awareness and ethical decision-making as givens, then these recommendations make intuitive sense. Unfortunately, many practitioners prioritize these business strategies over actually increasing their suitability for the additional jobs they might get offered as a result.
On the other hand, it’s also a good wake-up call to the more experienced and/or skilled interpreters to not take their reputations for granted, but to actively look for ways to make the lives of schedulers easier. One thing I’ve taken on is to consider myself a partner, of sorts, with the scheduler in keeping the customer happy. Sometimes this means offering to waive a cancellation fee if there seems to be a good reason to do so, or to keep him/her posted on jobs where I might not actually be needed (a college studio/lab class where a team is booked but unnecessary). Showing an interest in the continued viability and reputation of the agency is a pleasant and very welcome surprise to the agency staff and owners.
My continued thanks to you, Brandon, for giving us this wonderful forum for lively discussion on important issues in our field.
Cheers,
Aaron
Aaron,
Thanks for joining the conversation. As always, your participation deepens the discussion.
You have a keen sense of deduction. You are correct, I do largely assume a level of competence, self-awareness, and ethical decision-making are the basis of any engagement that results in the provision of sign language interpreting services. Let’s call it being a true professional.
You make a very important point here, Aaron. Interpreters who are unable to earn the status of a professional will likely resort to cheap antics in order to secure work. It is unfortunate, yucky, and true. To your point, these folks would do well to spend some time in a process of introspection in order to determine where they can fortify their skills and professionalism to qualify as a practicing professional.
I agree with your comment that reputable interpreters should not forget the value of partnering with scheduling personnel. After all, the economy has changed and there are larger numbers of interpreters competing for the same assignment. Making small little investments, as you described, will go a long way to keep you on Squirrely Girl’s radar.
I can’t tell you how many amazing interpreters that I talk to who are struggling to find work in their local areas.
I think how you have framed the positioning of your investment in the working relationship you have with local schedulers is perfect. What makes the customer happy? If each of us aligned our investments in our working relationships with this interest in mind, we would be a lot further along as a field (and, Kitty, might not have found herself proposition for a kick-back.)
How do we adjust the smash-and-grab mindset? Perhaps, a rubber bracelet with WMCH?(What Makes Customers Happy?) on it?
BTW, you are very welcome for the StreetLeverage forum. I am glad to know you are enjoying it!
Good tippers get prompt attention of underpaid staff at restaurants and bars. Scheduler pay is not on par with interpreter pay. Interpreters depend on these schedulers for assignments. Treat them well and you will make a decent living.
@ “Treat’em well” ummmmmmmmm tips? First horse in the second race? Not sure where you are located, but, these schedulers in our state are living well, ummmmm not from my “tips”.
I agree with you, Treat’em well. Make the small investments, framed as Aaron shares above – a focus on keeping the customer happy, and your professionalism will keep you near the front of the opportunity line.
Thank you, Brandon, for the article- very interesting. Okay, I must admit, I sometimes read feedback before I read the article- I read the article partly– somewhat got the gist- then moved on to the feedback!… AWWWWWW!! Clearly anyone posting should have schema re: his article… but “read-ups” are always welcomed especially for the novice interpreter. I guess you can say people “get” out of something whatever they’re looking for———- GUESS what, Brandon- Your Article just provided me with a “professional network” contact, as you may have noticed I replied to an individual that had posted in response to your article and she just wrote a plethora of info– that i grabbed!!. So thank you Kitty LaFountain & Brandon.
@Greggory: 40 years in this business, almost EVERYTHING has happened to me! (and I’ve been grabbed many times)
Greggory,
I am pleased to know that StreetLeverage has been both entertaining and professionally beneficial for you.
I look forward to your continued participation on the site.
Interesting discussion everybody! I’m jumping in from the agency perspective. Ours is a ’boutique’ (read smaller) agency in the Los Angeles area. I am not the scheduler, but I have noticed how some interpreters call in periodically to ‘check and see if we have any needs’ or to report back on a job recently completed. These are also the interpreters who answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ when a job request goes out. It’s not unusual for them to call as a request has just come in. All things being equal, and if they are a proper fit, it makes sense to ask them while they’re on the line. We’ve never had anyone ‘drop by’ and I am blown away that ‘tips’ and ‘kickbacks’ are sometimes part of the game. I’m unaware of our schedulers hanging out with interpreters, but there is something to be gained by maintaining a level of visibility….checking in….responding…..offering feedback. I think many would be surprised at how these simple courtesies can set you apart. The world of interpreting can be a small one – - regardless of the city in which you work. We know which interpreters can always be counted on to show up….on time….present themselves professionally…keep their skills current and rarely have to cancel at the last minute. Word gets around. With this kind of work ethic, agencies will want you at the top of their call list. This may not be the right forum, but I would also welcome feedback regarding how agencies can make your job easier as well.
ALL the best!
Evelyn
Evelyn,
Thanks for adding perspective from an agency point-of-view.
I would agree with your comment regarding the benefit of maintaining a level of visibility with a scheduler. Regardless if it’s with a scheduler working with an interpreting agency or a direct hire relationship, being top-of-mind will increase your overall opportunity. And to your point, it is the courtesies that really do that.
Again, I think it goes to the point Aaron and Jon make above, that if we treat schedulers as partners and work with the happiness of the customer in mind, we will find that our schedules will be fill more regularly. Clearly, and to your point, all the courtesies in the world won’t overcome poor business practices (i.e. being late, canceling last minute and regularly, etc.).
And yes, let’s work to be the ones that schedulers can depend on!
I like the idea, Brandon.
Attending to and maintaining good relationships is just good customer service.
It does make a difference. I reach out periodically, just to touch base, to let people know what’s going on with me, to find out about my consumer (agencies would also fit here) needs and trends…I provide feedback about assignments, both positive and negative, when I feel it is appropriate…and I don’t linger as schedulers are very busy. There are a few where I drop by to introduce myself or say hello, if I am nearby. Schedulers and representatives are also often visible at community events and professional development, I touch base there too.
It only takes a minute, it recognizes that schedulers are people too, and I’m not asking for anything. I think the schedulers I have worked with appreciate that.
I am also professional and certified and match the needs of several consumers, and I carefully consider assignments that I accept. I know that not every scheduler is doing the same when they contact me, so I ask questions, and note whose practices don’t fit with my way of conducting business (and limit work with those).
Anyway, great work Brandon, glad to see you still provoking thought and discussion, smile.
I agree, CMH, investing in the working relationship we have with a scheduler does make a difference.
I really like your comment that it is helpful to the relationship to swing by and introduce yourself if you haven’t met them in person and to make time at a community event to interact with them.
I believe as interpreters, at times, we can be found guilty of viewing schedulers to hold an inferior position to ours, which may lead to the failure to invest in the relationship in a meaningful way. I believe this goes to Treat’em Well’s point above, if we see them as an equal with a different role to play we will be reminded of the importance of investing in the working relationship.
And to your point, it all starts with the investment we make in our craft. If we fail to understand the importance of customer service and an investment in the people we work with, we should not be surprised to find ourselves without work.
Excellent article and excellent ensuing discussion. Brandon, Thank you for this important contribution and valuable information. As professionals we should take heed.
Moose
Cheryl,
You are too kind. Thanks for your comment and participation on the site.
Absolutely true! I’ve become so friendly with one booker ( scheduler ) that I’m already beginning to miss her now the clients one year contract has finished . Our parting emails were touching . We became friends over the airwaves and I was always at the top of her appointment book . Taking an interest in the person at the other end of the pen , so to speak, added another layer of pleasure to the assignment .
Several months later here, but I just got around to catching up on some of my reading.
Brandon, in your original article one of your points is:
“Extend a small appreciation gift on occasion (something on administrative professionals day is a no brainer)”
In my opinion totally inappropriate and unethical to the Nth degree.
I cherish the schedulers I work with who put the effort in to making good matches for the Deaf Consumers. I let them know they are appreciated by thanking them and making sure that I communicate my pleasure to Agency owners. I do call in regularly and often to keep my name in the frontal cortex of the schedulers brain. But give a gift? NEVER!
That would be unethical. Anyone who gives “Tips” “Kickbacks” or money in any fashion to someone who coordinates schedules should be stripped of their certification and the scheduler should be fired immediately.
I am absolutely mortified at the thought of this concept. After 17 years in this profession I have worked with some kick-butt schedulers who I would bend over backwards to help out if they were in a pinch. I have worked with lousy schedulers who never comprehended why thinking about which interpreters you send is critical to maintaining the agency’s reputation.
Promptly answering communication from an agency is called Good Business. Giving Kudos to great schedulers is called Good Business. Reporting repeat glaring errors in judgment of a bad scheduler is called Good Business.
Giving money or gifts is called Graft and is illegal.
I really love your site, I read it with great anticipation. But I do feel that you erred by even suggesting that interpreters give a gift to schedule coordinators.
Respectfully,
Dwight
Dwight,
Thanks for joining the discussion.
I appreciate your perspective and participation. Further, I know your comments are offered with respect and intended as a caution.
In response to your comments that I have “erred” by suggesting that extending “a small appreciation gift on occasion (something on administrative professionals day is a no brainer)” is “unethical to the Nth degree,” let me expand my comments here in an effort to replace your mortification with something more tenable.
Having previously owned and operated one of the nation’s largest sign language interpreting companies, Visual Language Interpreting, for nearly a decade, I was keenly aware and interested in the dynamics that existed between the schedulers and interpreters in our employ.
I routinely observed that the interpreters who viewed schedulers as their colleagues and treated them that way, were a regular part of the constellation of interpreters presented with the opportunities VLI offered. Did these interpreters treat schedulers to the gift of a cup of coffee as a thank you for replacing them on an assignment when they had a sick kid, you bet! Did schedulers make cookies as a thank you gifts for the interpreters that bailed them out by accepting the job nobody else wanted, they sure did! Were small gifts exchanged during the holidays? Yup! Would I call these small investments “Grafts?” Nope.
Obviously, VLI was a higher contributor to the annual income of the interpreters who were a regular part of the constellation when compared to those interpreters who viewed schedulers as a “less than” in the professional population. Should we consider the interpreters who enjoyed greater opportunity and income as a result of the investment made to demonstrate their appreciation for their partner unethical? I might suggest it would be a stretch.
With all of that said, there is a point that we agree on, “Anyone who gives “Tips,” “Kickbacks” or money in any fashion to someone who coordinates schedules should be stripped of their certification and the scheduler should be fired immediately.” In no way am I suggesting that an interpreter’s investment in a scheduler come in the form of a “tip” or “kickback” or “money.” Clearly, that would be out of bounds, as I alluded to in my comments to other responses.
I think, as stated in my response to CMH above, that if we fail to invest in our partners, we should not be surprised to find ourselves at the back of the opportunity line.
Brandon
Just a quick reminder – that in a weak economy it is mostly the underemployed who get hit hardest. In these times, I think it’s just as important to extend opportunities to members of the Deaf community who also have experienced economic hardship.
Are we being a partner to the Deaf community?
Have we ingratiated ourselves to members of this community? Or only to the hearing people who hold the purse strings?
Have we shown an interest in the lives of the people we walk in the door to serve?
How many of us continue to offer pro bono services?
(NB – I think I preferred when it was just a natural part of our ethos of reciprocity, before it had the professional name- smile)
How many of us support agencies that are based in the Deaf/interpreting community – that also give back in-kind services to the community? Or do we primarily work for spoken language agencies that neither screen nor even know how to evaluate if an interpreter is qualified or appropriate for an appointment?
How many of us accept jobs for which we are inappropriate? And when we do, do we then “fess up” and say “You need to send someone else with “X” qualifications for this assignment? Or do we go back week after week to make a buck, not caring if the message is not transmitted well?
I appreciate that there are ways of increasing our income – but since we are in a service profession, I want us to also remember the overall picture – that we earn money by providing service to x members of a linguistically oppressed minority who have decreasing control over who comes to interpret.
We get a lot from interpreting – a profession, a certification, entry into a community that, if not for the language difference, would otherwise be just as happy to not have us in their finances, their performance evaluations, their funerals, their hospital stays, etc. Since we get so much, let’s always remember that part of “relationship” means giving back to them and not just agencies.
Thanks for letting me add these thoughts.
Stephanie
Thanks, Stephanie! We have some serious challenges ahead of us, the most present on my mind here in the Bay Area being the incursion of foreign language agencies into our industry, winning some big contracts with low-ball bids. The economic downturn has certainly facilitated this, but it has the potential to become the new normal, with these agencies being gatekeepers to the work long after the economy has returned to closer to what it once was.
With that in mind, I’ve been thinking that one of the most important things we can do as allies to the Deaf community is to adjust our individual finances so that we can afford to live on less, preparing ourselves to say “no” to work opportunities offered by players who add no value to our consumers or our industry. I know this is easier said than done (maybe completely infeasible for some), but being able to live on less will also leave us the freedom to continue the reciprocity you mention, which is such an important part of maintaining our authentic connections to the Deaf community.
Thanks again,
Aaron
Hi!
Ditto the comments above about not kissing up to schedulers to ingratiate yourself to rustle up work opportunities.
Be responsive, timely, provide excellent customer service, be consitently responsive and flexible, show respect, be thankful, offer creative solutions to challenges, work well with team interpreters, be honest and professional and enjoy your work.
I absolutely do not try to relate on personal levels and give gifts. That is shmoosing.
SH
This has always seemed like common sense to me. Now it may be due to the fact I coordinated interpreters for 5 years, but even before that I would always return calls and emals, even if it was just to say “I’m unavailable”.
I let them know when I finish a job. I can’t count how many other jobs I went to because I called in to report I was done/available.