American Sign Language, or ASL for short, is a very unique field of work. This line of work isn’t for everyone because it requires dedication, a love for people, and of course, some level of training, especially if you choose to be part of the medical or legal industry. There are times when your drive for your job slows down, and the need for motivation becomes more pertinent. But how can you stay motivated as an ASL interpreter?
Our Day Interpreting blog shares a few ways to remain motivated as an ASL Interpreter. Let’s dive right in.
The Best Tips to Stay Motivated as an ASL Interpreter
Remember Why You Started as a Sign Language Interpreter
Remembering your ‘why’ is an excellent place to start when seeking inspiration or motivation in your career. Try to answer the question of what inspired you to become an ASL interpreter in the first place.
For many sign language interpreters, their inspiration comes from helping those in the deaf community gain accessibility to goods and services, connect with those in the hearing world, and carry out business successfully and securely.
For many deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals, your contribution to their everyday lives is priceless, mainly because not many can communicate in sign language.
If you’re able to remember your ‘why,’ you might be able to find some inspiration and motivation there.
Join a Community Outside the Deaf Community
There’s a saying that ‘no man is an island.’ There might be instances when your job as an ASL interpreter becomes so lonely. This feeling of loneliness can happen in many other careers as well. One of the best solutions to this is to keep making connections.
Being part of a community helps with motivation. Being part of a group with like-minded people, some of who are more seasoned than you and others who are just starting out, allows you to learn from everyone.
Support comes in many different ways, and if you’re part of a community that ‘speaks your language, then you’ll be able to connect and share with those within that space.
Connecting with other people proves that you’re not alone on your journey and that whatever you’re experiencing isn’t unique, and there are, in fact, solutions to the challenges you may face.
Volunteer with Sign Language Interpreters
Giving back creates an attitude of gratitude many of us appreciate. Giving your services to help those who really need it can greatly boost your morale and confidence in your work. This is also a great motivator. Seeing first-hand that what you do makes a difference.
Volunteering also allows you to show other people the importance of your role as an ASL interpreter and how important it is to be the bridge to breaking down barriers to communication.
Pay it Forward
Sharing your knowledge and what you’ve learned as an ASL interpreter can help much more than you think. You can become a mentor to upcoming interpreters or even to those already in the field. Knowledge can never be too much.
Believe it or not, sharing your experience can indeed reignite your motivation. It shows you a roadmap of the progress you’ve made. – how you started out and moved from one stage of your career to the next can really help you to put things into perspective and appreciate your journey.
Paying it forward is also a great way to motivate others, to show them that they too can do it, and be great at being an ASL interpreter.
Put your Professional Life into Perspective
What habits and routines can you change to be more productive and offer a better experience for your customer? Putting your professional life into perspective can help you to check your priorities and align them with the goals you have for your life.
You become more focused and more effective in your day-to-day tasks. Putting things into perspective also helps you figure out what works and what doesn’t, giving you a clearer understanding of the direction, you need to take better to serve your clients in the best way possible.
Reward Yourself
It’s often said that the reward for hard work is more work. Regarding staying motivated, work cannot be ongoing without an end. Instead, you have to find balance, and rewarding yourself is one of the best ways to do so.
Think about what you like or enjoy doing and reward yourself accordingly.
Let’s Wrap Up
We hope these tips can help you get and stay motivated to do your critical job.
At Day Interpreting, we know the importance of motivation. We’re always looking for reliable and professional interpreters to be part of our team. We offer interpreting services in every language.
If you’re looking for on-demand interpreters, download the Day Interpreting app on Google Play store or the App store.
Kayan is a multi-talented writer based in the beautiful island of Jamaica. Her strong point is ideation and she loves to take on new challenges.
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