Before starting her journey at MIIS, Lucía Falcón Palomar worked as an attorney and legal translator in Mexico. She is a sworn legal translator certified by the Supreme Court of the State of Jalisco, Mexico. Lucía has worked for four years as a legal assistant and attorney at several law firms in Guadalajara, Mexico, specializing in corporate and notarial law. In addition to Spanish and English, Lucía speaks French. She is passionate about languages, music and Lucky Charms. She is a big fan of Amélie Nothomb and Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Hercule Poirot’s way of thinking and Michael Ende’s Neverending Story. Lucía adamantly believes that language shapes thoughts.
Currently a second-year student pursuing a Master of Arts degree in Conference Interpretation, Lucía shares insights about her summer internship experience as an interpreter and translator at the District Attorney’s office in New York.
Lucía Falcón Palomar MA Conference Interpretation 2017 Spanish/ English
Q1: What were your top 3 criteria as you selected your internship(s)?
First of all, since I am an attorney and a certified legal translator in Mexico, I wanted to intern in the legal field where I could learn from the American attorneys about the American legal system and their work.
Secondly, I want to work on the East Coast when I graduate and I had never been to the East Coast before this summer, so I wanted to know what it was like before actually making the decision to look for a job there.
Thirdly, it was extremely important for me to start networking with potential employers and/or colleagues. I wanted to see what the Federal Court in New York is like, and I also wanted to meet professional interpreters from the DA’s office and the Supreme Court.
Q2: What did you learn about your field during your internship?
I learned extensively about everything I wanted to learn. First of all, I learned how the system works from the inside. This was an extremely valuable takeaway for me, since I am very interested in legal translation and interpretation/court interpreting. When you fully understand your field, you can be a better translator or interpreter.
Moreover, I finally had the opportunity to work in a “real” interpretation setting, where people were actually depending on me in order to communicate and solve their problems. This was an amazing takeaway because it was when I realized that communicating is everything in this field and that being perfect is not what people you are working for are expecting from you: the most important part of this job is getting the message through as accurately as possible.
Q3: What did you learn about yourself during your internship?
This internship reaffirmed that I want to be a court interpreter or interpret and translate in a legal setting. I realized how much I like helping people communicate among one another, which motivated me to do a better job in every possible way.
Q4: From the employers’ perspective what does a good intern look like?
Good interns should have a thirst for knowledge. They have to be curious, professional, and always motivated by the passion of liking what they are doing. In addition, remaining humble is always extremely important; understanding that we do not know everything and that we can always learn more, regardless of the experience that we may have.
Q5: Any words of wisdom you would like to share?
I would tell you that the most important thing of being an intern is having the opportunity to get to know professionals from the field you want to work in, to learn from them and to start building your network. Be curious. Do not be afraid to ask questions or to ask for clarifications when you do not understand something. People appreciate this. It means you are interested and passionate in what you are doing. It also means that you want to grow both as a person and as a professional. Stay humble and as one very good interpreter once wrote: “You are not a machine. Think about communicating, rather than interpreting/translating, and do not be afraid to contribute the attributes that make you a unique enabler. But remember that good communicators make it all about their interlocutors. Good interpreters take genuine interest in those on the receiving end.” Good luck!
Have a question for Lucía? You can connect with her via email, luciafalcon(at)yahoo.com or LinkedIn.
–Winnie Heh Career & Academic Advisor wheh@miis.edu
Frances Pao-Fang Chang is a MAT (Master in Translation – Chinese/English/Russian) candidate at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. Prior to coming to MIIS, she obtained a B.A. in Russian Language and Literature from the National Chengchi University in Taiwan, and an MBA from Warsaw University in Poland. She had worked in a Taiwanese-based multinational company for 5 years as a Project Coordinator and Cost Manager before returning to school to pursue her passion for languages.
Q1: What were your top 3 criteria as you selected your internship(s)?
My internship was selected based on the size of the company, its location and the benefits it offered. Star-Group is the 6th biggest company in the language services industry. The internship was in Bangkok with airfare and accommodation covered.
Q2: What did you learn about your field during your internship?
The language services industry is changing dynamically with the emergence of cloud-based software. There should be more and more collaborative work in the field. I also learned the value of keeping well-trained in-house translators.
Q3: What did you learn about yourself during your internship?
I prefer to do market research and business analysis rather than doing pure translation work. I also learned that where I will work upon graduation is no longer as important as I thought. The most important thing is whether the job itself fits your career path.
Q4: From the employers’ perspective what does a good intern look like?
A person who takes initiatives and has the perseverance to finish every task will gain more from the internship and leave a positive impression with the employer. Our supervisor encouraged us to interact with local employees. I’d like to add that, in a multicultural setting, it is paramount to respect each other’s cultures.
Q5: Any words of wisdom you would like to share?
-Every step counts. Think long-term. Have an open mind. And of course… really enjoy the summer and make tons of friends!
Do you have a question for Frances? You can reach her at paofangc(at)miis.edu.
–Winnie Heh Career & Academic Advisor wheh@miis.edu
This checklist is designed to assess your job search skills and strategies. Your answers to the following questions may help you identify areas of focus. Answer each question “Yes” or “No.” Then tally your answers to discover which areas need to be strengthened. You can also go beyond the “yes/no” answer and jot down your answers. It is a great way to start collecting your unique “career data”! Please review your results with me as a way to jump start your career management activities in your 2nd year in the T&I program. I look forward to working with you.
Ten months ago, I returned to my alma mater, the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, as Career and Academic Advisor specializing in the translation and interpretation programs. My first “cultural shock” came when the incoming 1st year students answered my question: “What are your career aspirations?” To my surprise, 90% of them want to become diplomatic interpreters. I applaud them for aiming high, but I also knew the world they graduate into offers them an abundance of career choices. There are many careers within the language field, such as diplomatic interpreting, that can be deeply gratifying and rewarding. My students motivated me to “paint the big picture” and “connect the dots” for the wide spectrum of career choices. I created the “Eco-System for Language Professionals” to paint the possibilities. I want my students to make career choices after they have contemplated their own interests and options rather than going for a default answer.
My graphic depiction attempts to show the possibilities rather than a complete list. I have no doubt that new jobs will continue to show up. All of the jobs here are real and I have held or managed many of these positions during my 25-year career in the language services industry. Language professionals can transition among these positions with the understanding that each move requires education (formal or informal), networking, and diligence.
You may say: “I get it. There are many career options in the language world, but are there really career opportunities for me?” The answer is “yes.” Here are some good news I would like to share with you.
Big industry: According to Common Sense Advisory, the outsourced language services is worth US$38.16 billion in 2015. Please not this amount does not account for the money spent by government and NGOs on providing language services.
High growth: Common Sense Advisory is predicting that this market will grow to $47 billion in 2018.
Globalization helps us: According to Byte Level Research, the top 25 websites support an average of 52 languages.
New U.S. import tax law helps: The U.S. raised the import duty exemptions in April, 2016. Overseas eCommerce merchants are expected to increase their efforts to reach U.S. consumers which will create opportunities to localize communication into English.
If you choose to live in this eco-system, with exposure and focused learning, you have many future career options to move into. What are your thoughts?
My 2nd year T&I students are about to graduate. I spoke with them during their last “Translation and Interpretation as a Profession” class today. This is my “send-off” message as their Career Advisor:
In the last two years, you have spent thousands of hours honing your professional skills and you are ready to be strong contributors to our profession. Here are some lessons I have learned in my professional career and would like to share with you.
First, speak your gratitude. A simple “thank you” goes a long way AND it makes you feel good saying it.
Second, I can guarantee that you will encounter setbacks in your career. When I encounter a stumbling block, I tell myself I am going to use it as a stepping stone. Rather than allowing it to block my way, I step on it.
Third, make your communication actionable and precise. Minimize adjectives and adverbs. Discipline yourself to use verbs, nouns and numbers.
Fourth, when you are in meetings and see people talk round and round in circles. Remind yourself of this question: “What problem are we trying to solve?” If it is appropriate, ask this question respectfully. You will stand out as the voice of reason.
Fifth, Be nice to people. The best thing to do is to be nice always. This way you don’t have to expend mental energy to remember: Am I being nice on my way up or on my way down now?
Sixth, when my team comes to me all flustered because we have encountered a problem. This is what I say: “No one is going to give you their good money if you can’t make their lives easier. Problems are job security. Be the solution.”
Seventh, don’t gossip. Eleanor Roosevelt said: “Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events and small minds discuss people.” Stay away from small minds and strive to have great minds.
I wish you the best of luck.
–Winnie Heh Career & Academic Advisor
wheh@miis.edu
My first semester at MIIS has been one of the most rewarding experiences both professionally and personally. Alongside rigorous professional training, I was fortunate enough to have worked closely with Career and Academic Advisor, Winnie Heh. I learned a great deal through her Career Management classes and the projects we worked on together, while working at the Center for Advising and Career Services.
I would like to share with you the 3 major takeaways that inspired me to redefine how I approach my career path.
1.Know yourself.
Start with the basics. Discover what matters to you, what you enjoy doing and be open to new possibilities. There are so many places your language skills can take you; it may seem overwhelming at first, but the key to career success is in knowing yourself and what you want to be doing. Keep in mind that your career is not static; it’s going to constantly change in ways you would have never imagined.
Here is an example from my personal experience. I came to MIIS thinking I wanted to work as an interpreter for the EU or the UN. What I didn’t realize at the time was that Localization was such a promising field and could truly help me leverage both my language skills and management experience. As I got involved in various projects, I realized that the TLM profession is a window into the larger picture. This program may not be for everyone, but it is merely an example of how your career goals can change and why you should be open to new ideas.
2. Be intentional.
Whatever journey you embark on, always have a goal and build you decisions around it. Ask yourself: Where do I want to be in 5 years? This isn’t just a question someone asks you at an interview. It really matters that you know this for yourself.
Think about the following things when looking for a job or internship:
What am I good at? What do I like doing?
What are companies looking for? It is useful to look at job descriptions for the field you’d like to work in.
What company would I want to work for? Come up with a hit list!
This all ties into knowing yourself. By answering these questions, you will identify your marketable skills and be able to position yourself by articulating what value you are bringing to the team.
3. Create long-lasting relationships.
Try to take advantage of every opportunity while you’re at MIIS (and after you graduate) to create long-lasting relationships with alumni, students, faculty, etc. They will be your windows into new opportunities. Most importantly, keep your LinkedIn profile up to date and be active!
These 3 major lessons have helped me shape a “career-driven employment” mentality that goes way beyond finding a simple job after you graduate. Every resource you are given here at MIIS will go toward your long-term career goals. Take advantage of it!
Gayané ‘Gaya’ Saghatelyan
MA Translation & Localization Management – French, 2017
Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey
Sabela Avion-Martinez (MATI ‘01) is currently a Spanish Translator at the United Nations based in New York City. She came back to MIIS during an Alumni Reunion in October, 2015 and made a presentation to current students on career opportunities at the UN. I was impressed by her warmth, openness and her commitment to the growth of our future colleagues. I made a mental note that she is someone I want to interview when my blog is up. Here is our conversation.
1. What aspects of your work experience prior to joining the UN do you feel prepared you well for your current work?
I had always wanted to work at the United Nations, but I also knew I had to get experience in other fields. After graduating from MIIS, I worked for a large localization company between 2002 and 2006. I learned about translation processes, tools, budgeting and scheduling, client-provider relations… I’ve found myself applying all these skills at the UN at different stages.
Meanwhile, I kept an eye on any developments regarding careers at the United Nations. This has become increasingly easier over the years, as interested candidates have now access to a great deal of information on working at the UN in different language positions (editors, verbatim reporters, interpreters…), and exams or working opportunities.
2. What does your typical day look like at the UN?
If I don’t have an assignment to finish, I let the Programming Officer know I’m available. As soon as a document comes in, she’ll evaluate it and assign it.
We have our own CAT tool, called eLUNa – a translation interface specifically developed for the translation of United Nations documents. It provides access to previously translated documents (bitexts), terminology records and machine translations. As a longtime user of CAT tools, I’ve run the gamut from traditional to proprietary. This new system is web-based, and it’s been developed and adapted according to the specifications and requests of UN translators from all duty stations.
During the translation process, sometimes we find new terms without a set equivalent in Spanish. In those cases, we work together with our terminologists to improve our UNTERM Portal.
We also perform QC tasks on translations done externally. We provide them with an evaluation of their translation. Both internally and externally, translators are expected to have excellent translation skills, a perfect command of Spanish and a wide knowledge of the topics at hand.
The Spanish Translation Service has a strong online presence, and our blog and our Twitter account have hundreds of visits every day.
3. What aspects of your education at MIIS do you feel prepared you well for your current work?
Language awareness. It’s an odd thing to say to speakers of other languages, but Spanish is the official language in 21 countries, and has a large number of speakers in many others. At MIIS, I learned Spanish from my Mexican, Colombian and Argentinean classmates.
4. What are the things that you know now that you wish you had known when you were a student at MIIS?
Try to make room for classes in other programs.
Find a language partner in your foreign language.
Don’t forget about your mother tongue.
Live in a foreign country!
–Winnie Heh Career & Academic Advisor
wheh@miis.edu
The annual career fair for our Translation, Interpretation and Localization Management MA Programs is taking place on February 19th, 2016. As I work with students individually and in groups, I was struck by the abundance of variety in opportunities that the current students can pursue compared with my time as a Translation & Interpretation graduate. The multitude of options can sometimes be anxiety-inducing. What type of internship position will give me maximum flexibility in my career choices upon graduation? Is it better to gain experience in an LSP vs. a direct client’s organization? In the long run, is it better to start by freelancing or accepting a staff position? The reality is there is no “one-size-fits-all” answer. I am someone who has made some unconventional career moves and I have learned that what you choose is less important than how you approach your work. Every project that you take and every friend you make along the way will reward you with learnings. And the job that you will take in 10 years may not even exist yet. So, I tell my students: “Be open-minded. Be a good colleague, always, always. Relax! Enjoy the journey.”
Dr. Andrew Clifford of Glendon School, York University interviewed me last year about my perspective on career management for T&I students. Here is the link to the interview.
Nataly Kelly VP of International Operations and Strategy Hubspot
Nataly Kelly and I worked together at Language Line close to 20 years ago. She went on to become a language consultant, an author and a marketer. When our paths recently crossed again, she is now an employer who is very interested in hiring graduates from the MIIS TILM program. She is the VP of International Operations and Strategy at HubSpot, a company recognized by Inc., Forbes, and Deloitte as one of the world’s fastest-growing companies. HubSpot was also voted as the #1 company to work for in Boston by the Boston Globe, Boston Business Journal, and the #4 company to work for in the United States according to Bloomberg. I sat down with her recently to interview her because she is someone who can impart great wisdom for our students and graduates.
WH: Nataly, you were a Fulbright Scholar in Sociolinguistics. Tell me how you ended up in a leadership position in one of the world’s fastest growing companies? What role has your language skills played, if any?
NK: The common thread in my career has been an interest in communication, and overcoming communication barriers. My first job out of college was at Language Line, but I left to pursue a Fulbright grant in Ecuador. When I returned from Ecuador, I co-founded my own business to do research and consulting within the translation industry. From there, I went to work at another translation company, where I developed new services and products, such as language testing and cultural competence training. After that, I joined translation industry research firm Common Sense Advisory, first as an analyst, then as their Chief Research Officer. Later, I moved to a translation technology start-up working in market development, developing a partner channel with translation agencies. That was my first foray into the world of B2B software-as-a-service (SaaS), which is a space I really love. Having dabbled in marketing in most of my prior jobs, I became their VP of Marketing, for which clear communication is an absolute must. And from there, I moved to HubSpot, also as a VP of Marketing. Initially, I led the Latin American Marketing group at HubSpot while also building out a localization program within marketing team. Recently, I moved into another exciting role here at HubSpot, and now I focus on international operations and strategy.
The role my language skills have played has been tremendous. I can’t imagine doing any of the jobs I’ve had without them. Granted, I haven’t needed interpreting and translation skills for each and every job, but those skills definitely enhanced my ability to carry out my work and to speak credibly to language issues. For example, at Common Sense Advisory, I was able to provide the viewpoint of a translator to ensure this perspective was reflected in the research. And in my current role, where HubSpot is a buyer of localization and translation services, I’m able to provide the perspective of the translator to ensure that we are the best possible client we can be, and that we make life enjoyable for the freelancers who work with us through our agencies.
WH: You are no stranger to the TILM programs at MIIS. What are the job titles that you see our students take up?
NK: There are so many important job opportunities available for graduates of the TILM programs at MIIS! The language services market is enormous, worth billions of dollars per year. There are many exciting (and well-paying) jobs within that industry, both on the suppliers side with translation and interpreting agencies, as well as on the buyer side, at companies like HubSpot, Google, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and so many more.
Here at HubSpot, we have roles in every single department that support our international business. On our support team, for example, several of our team members are in charge of our international support sites. On the marketing team, we now have a full-time person in Dublin who manages localized campaigns in multiple languages, and we have many international marketers who work with the localization team. On the localization side, we have a full-time person in charge of our software internationalization, and many of our engineers are involved in this work as well. And today, we have a localization manager, Chris Englund, who works with me, and we’re hiring for three full-time localization specialists out of our Cambridge, Dublin, and forthcoming Tokyo office set to open in 2016. This is just the very beginning for us in terms of international expansion. We have a long way to go from here!
WH: Something that will be of great interest to our students is what you look for when you hire? And what you look for when you hire language professionals specifically?
Life at Hubspot
NK: HubSpot looks for some very specific things when we hire. This is outlined extensively in our Culture Code, which really encapsulates how we think, act, and work at HubSpot. I encourage everyone to check it out, even if you don’t plan to work at HubSpot, because to me, it outlines a lot of things that I believe every great employer should prioritize for a healthy and enjoyable work environment. We look for people who have a clear track record of growth, a bias for action over inaction, and importantly, humility. One thing you consistently notice about people at HubSpot is that they’re all very nice people. That is definitely not something you see at every company. So, we hire for cultural fit very intentionally here.
As for language professionals, we’re looking for individuals who will play somewhat of an “editor-in-chief” role for the languages in question. This person will own the brand voice and style and help us stay on track with that, but will also be an expert in translation and editing for their language. It’s also very important for this individual to be a digital native who loves learning new tools, including learning how to use HubSpot products. This person needs to have the “final say” on matters of language, but they also need to be very open to the fact that language evolves, so they need to be in touch with the latest terminology and techie speak that marketers are using – or they have to show a strong willingness and aptitude for learning this particular domain. It’s very important that this individual strike the right balance between prescriptivism and descriptivism where language is concerned. That is, they need to be able to come up with clear guidelines to ensure a consistent and clear voice for the brand in their language, but they also need to know when to be flexible and creative with language too.
WH: It seems that how translation/interpretation services are provided and consumed are changing rapidly. What role do you see language professionals play in the future economy and how can our graduates “future proof” themselves?
NK: I think graduates should pay attention to all of the many roles that are emerging for people with localization knowledge and skills, because there are so many great things happening right now. Today, roles like “community translation manager” and “localization director” are popping up in a lot of great tech companies. I would definitely encourage graduates to view their language skills as a gateway into international business, which extends far beyond just the translation and interpreting industry, which is very large in its own right. There are so many interesting career options out there, and language increasingly touches so many of them. Remember too that these are niche skills that are in high demand. Often, companies hire people who don’t have a background in these areas because they can’t find talent locally.
WH: If your favorite cousin were one of our students graduating in May 2016, what advice would you give her?
NK: Well, I can’t pick a favorite cousin since I love them all equally! (Laugh!) However, here are the two pieces of advice I would give to my daughter if she were lucky enough to graduate from one of your programs.
First, follow your passion, even if you’re not sure exactly where it will lead. Look for a job that will align with what you enjoy doing most, and if that includes language, consider positions that will enable you to work in international areas. On my first international flight, I explained that I was traveling to Ecuador to perfect my Spanish, and she told me that every language you learn is like another college degree. So of course I went and studied every language I could possibly get access to! I have always followed my passions for language and international business, and that is where I am truly at home, especially in the world of B2B SaaS.
Second, choose your employers and coworkers very carefully. It might sound severe, but I really mean it. Work only with teams of people you truly admire, from whom you can learn a lot, and to whom you can also contribute something meaningful. Find a place that offers you a lot of room to grow. Look for managers who not only take pride in helping employees move forward in their careers, but who realize that this is actually a huge part of their job to ensure employee retention and overall growth of the company. Most importantly, work only in places with a mission you can truly identify with. At HubSpot, I’m having the most fun I’ve ever had in any job, because I work with extremely talented people who also happen to be very kind, every single day, and I learn at least as much from others as I contribute. Surrounding yourself with great people is a recipe for success in business as well as for personal happiness. As simple as it sounds, it’s perhaps the most important career advice I can give!
–Winnie Heh Career & Academic Advisor
wheh@miis.edu
Louis F. Provenzano, Co-founder of Certified Medical Interpreters, LLC and former CEO of Language Line Services was the guest speaker in my Career Management class in December, 2015. Lou speaks 6 languages, has worked in over 10 countries around the world and has successfully started, acquired and sold over a dozen businesses with an aggregate value exceeding $500 million. Many of you are familiar with the two medical certification exams in the U.S. Lou started to organize conferences and other activities in 2007 to push for the certification exams. He was one of the two co-founders of the Certified Medical Interpreters exam that is now administered by the National Board for the Certification of Medical Interpreters. (www.certifiedmedicalinterpreters.org) I was able to take part in this historic movement thanks to his vision.
WH:Lou, thank you for making the time to meet with my students. I bet in all those years that we worked together, you had never thought that you would be speaking to MY students at MIIS.
LP: No, I didn’t. I guess anything is possible in life. (Laugh!)
WH:And I think that just goes to show that career management is not some static end state that we choose upon graduation and it shall remain unchanged. A professional who cares about their growth needs to be ready to make positive changes that they may not have planned. With that in mind, I want to point out to our students that you have had a very successful and varied international career. Please tell us how you started?
LP: Thank you Winnie. My father was active in the student exchange program with Kiwanis in Europe. He and his colleagues observed how European children learn multiple languages and conceived the idea of starting a similar program. I, along with 25 other lucky children, was in an experimental program where we studied Spanish in first grade, added French while keeping Spanish and then added German while keeping Spanish and French. With this program and my higher education, I learned Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Russian. I studied Romance languages and international law in college. My language and business training opened up opportunities in my international career.
WH:That’s fascinating. Now starting a job is one thing, to keep the growth momentum going is another. How do you approach keeping your career growth?
LP: I am not an interpreter by trade, but I understand the importance of bridging language and cultural barriers. I have always been ready to use sound business protocols, my experience and my languages to build relationships. In addition, it is important to have a growth mindset – always learning and growing. I work as if I were looking for a career change every day. And you have to be well-prepared to function this way. I have found that every experience I have seems to be more exciting than the previous one.
WH:The two most “anxiety-inducing” topics for our students are “networking” and “compensation.” If you wouldn’t mind, I would like to focus on those topics for a bit. You are one of the best networkers I know. It will take us a while to get to your level. Please think back on your earliest professional life, what are the approaches that you used at those early stages of your professional life that you think our students can learn from?
LP: In terms of networking, I’d say the more you give, the more you will get. Networking is about contributing. For example, early in my career at Northern Trust, I volunteered to serve in a community outreach program because I am naturally outgoing and gregarious. The unintentional benefit from this volunteer activity is that I made amazing contacts with Board members and community leaders throughout this process. As a young professional, this opportunity also allowed me to hone my presentation and communication skills not the least of which was to develop new business opportunities for the bank!
You also have social media at your disposal. LinkedIn, Twitter and FaceBook are your friends. Use them wisely.
When it comes to compensation, I’d say: “Get over it!” (Laugh!) Do your research. Understand your value and stand behind your value. Start high and have the confidence to believe that you deserve what you are asking for. Salary negotiation is not confrontation. It is an opportunity for both parties to understand their assumptions and positions.
WH:You came into the language industry in the last 15 years after having achieved great success in other industries. Your language skills and your world view have given you the passion and unique perspective on this industry. Where do you see the language industry going and how can the new graduates from MIIS with their unique and excellent education prepare themselves for the test of time?
LP: Our world is becoming smaller and smaller. In today’s world, the ability to exchange goods and services are limited only by the ability to communicate. This makes interpreters essential for the global market. We have seen 10% to 15% annual growth within the language industry per year driven by migration and trade. Spanish speakers are predicted to be the majority in this country in 25 years. All that is to say there are tremendous opportunities for language professionals if you are open-minded and manage your careers diligently. Always look for and acquire the new skills needed in the future market. Getting your degree does not mean the end of your education. To future proof yourself, you need to keep learning. This is something I heard from Winnie: “Interpreters need to read a daily a day, a weekly a week and a monthly a month.”
WH:One of the questions that was raised by our students is this:
“I would like to know what the CEO looks for in an employee when hiring or promoting an employee internally. I’m hoping the answer will be something more concrete than just ‘leadership potential’.”
LP: I believe in performance-based recognition and reward. I look for someone who is creative, goes above and beyond their job description and who acts on the best interest of the company. At the end of the day, the most successful employees are the ones who make concrete and on-going contributions to the organization’s growth.
WH:One of the questions that was raised by our students is this:
“What steps can an employee take to make sure that every one of their jobs are fulfilling and educational?”
LP: Seek out learning opportunities and mentors. Ask for and take feedback. The biggest mistake any professional can make is complacency. Nothing stays the same for long. Always ask yourself: “How can I improve myself?”
WH: Thank you for your generosity in sharing your insights.
LP: My pleasure and best of luck to all of you.
–Winnie Heh Career & Academic Advisor
wheh@miis.edu
