A Day in the Life
You work at a company in charge of fixing software and developing patches for faulty tech. Its easy to get lost in the nitty gritty of tech. It feels like a mystery that only you, a skilled software developer, can decipher and solve.
Though you love the work, the interpersonal side of any job can be strenuous at times. You love interacting with people, coworkers included, but getting around communication barriers can be awkward. There are a few people in the office who you get along with and have relaxed conversations with the interpreter present. There's one now! Another employee about your age, Carlos, high fives with you and smiles as he passes. You know you enjoy each other's personalities and sometimes you have time to IM each other through the building-wide employee messenger board.
**PAUSE** Read How You Can Communicate Better in your packet (pg. 13)
This morning you have a meeting. It won't be collaborative-- the memo you received last week said it will be a briefing for all employees about new policies in the workplace. You quickly sent an email to the HR director and requested an interpreter-- Sara. You request Sara every time. She happened to show up one day and knew a bunch of tech signs that you typically have to teach even skilled interpreters before meetings start. Sara doesn't work full time. She is a Freelance Interpreter who is contracted with an interpreting agency. The agency sends her out to appointments through text and email and, as a contracted freelance employee, she has the ability to accept or turn down at her own discretion. You don't know her personally but as a professional, she is always on time, focused, linguistically skilled, and professional in dress and appearance. You've actually learned a few cool slang signs from Sara over the couple of years you've been working with her at this company. When someone says something weird or lame during meetings, you sometimes raise an eyebrow and sign "VEE" to Sara. A slang term for "innnnnteresting" that she once used and you liked so much you started using it too. You both think it is funny and she occasionally has to pause for a moment to avoid chuckling out loud but still, never breaks her professional "terp" mode while in a meeting.
Usually, you and Sara rendezvous by the front door about 15 minutes before a meeting starts but by now, she knows where the meetings are held. She's always on time, which is at least 15 minutes early if you are the interpreter. Interpreters arrive early because they need time to meet up with their client, find an area to place a chair that will be best for interpreting, ensure the lighting is not too dim or bright, talk with the hearing speakers who will be presenting if needed, etc.. You have no doubt she will arrive promptly but it is fun to meet her at the front door and chat on the elevator ride to the meeting room.
Are you in the mood to chat this morning or will you meet her in the room upstairs?
Though you love the work, the interpersonal side of any job can be strenuous at times. You love interacting with people, coworkers included, but getting around communication barriers can be awkward. There are a few people in the office who you get along with and have relaxed conversations with the interpreter present. There's one now! Another employee about your age, Carlos, high fives with you and smiles as he passes. You know you enjoy each other's personalities and sometimes you have time to IM each other through the building-wide employee messenger board.
**PAUSE** Read How You Can Communicate Better in your packet (pg. 13)
This morning you have a meeting. It won't be collaborative-- the memo you received last week said it will be a briefing for all employees about new policies in the workplace. You quickly sent an email to the HR director and requested an interpreter-- Sara. You request Sara every time. She happened to show up one day and knew a bunch of tech signs that you typically have to teach even skilled interpreters before meetings start. Sara doesn't work full time. She is a Freelance Interpreter who is contracted with an interpreting agency. The agency sends her out to appointments through text and email and, as a contracted freelance employee, she has the ability to accept or turn down at her own discretion. You don't know her personally but as a professional, she is always on time, focused, linguistically skilled, and professional in dress and appearance. You've actually learned a few cool slang signs from Sara over the couple of years you've been working with her at this company. When someone says something weird or lame during meetings, you sometimes raise an eyebrow and sign "VEE" to Sara. A slang term for "innnnnteresting" that she once used and you liked so much you started using it too. You both think it is funny and she occasionally has to pause for a moment to avoid chuckling out loud but still, never breaks her professional "terp" mode while in a meeting.
Usually, you and Sara rendezvous by the front door about 15 minutes before a meeting starts but by now, she knows where the meetings are held. She's always on time, which is at least 15 minutes early if you are the interpreter. Interpreters arrive early because they need time to meet up with their client, find an area to place a chair that will be best for interpreting, ensure the lighting is not too dim or bright, talk with the hearing speakers who will be presenting if needed, etc.. You have no doubt she will arrive promptly but it is fun to meet her at the front door and chat on the elevator ride to the meeting room.
Are you in the mood to chat this morning or will you meet her in the room upstairs?