Life After IAPTING in Athens…

It’s been 20 days since IAPTI’s Conference in Athens dropped its curtains and I took my time to absorb the lectures, the speakers, the attendees, the information…

I have to confess this has been my first-time, in many things!!!

My first time in a translation conference.
My first time meeting so many foreign colleagues, in person.
My first time seeing facebook come to life.
My first time seeing the faces behind the blogs.
In many ways, it was an eye-and-mind opening experience.

So let me sum up the 10 things I have learned during those 2 wonderful days:

1. Think about and explore your professional needs
2. Plan and define them.
3. Go off-road if you have to, in order to explore new grounds & possibilities.
4. Trust and believe in yourself.
5. Then, “sell” and “promote” yourself.
6. Don’t sell yourself short.
7. Define your boundaries & their elasticity.
8. Stick and defend your plans, your choices, your needs, your dreams.
9. … and customize them, if needed.
10. And, last but not least, Stay calm and Carry-on Translating!!!

So, I have to say, that I left Athens with more food-for-thought than I could chew!!!!