Poll: Would you be willing to mentor a new member on the site? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Would you be willing to mentor a new member on the site?".
This poll was originally submitted by Patrick Dotterer
View the poll here
A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For more inform... See more This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Would you be willing to mentor a new member on the site?".
This poll was originally submitted by Patrick Dotterer
View the poll here
A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For more information, see: http://proz.com/topic/33629 ▲ Collapse
| | | | Dina Abdo 
Palestine
Local time: 09:07
Member (2005)
Arabic
+ ...
| Interesting (Meaningful this time) Poll :) | Oct 9, 2005 |
When I first started as a freelancer, I started seeking help everywhere. Still, no one wanted to take the risk of trying my services for the first time. Till I got a help from an angel colleague. I sent her asking why and how ... Guess what, not only she answered me, but also supported me with jobs, and even recommended me to some clients I worked greatly with and still up till now.
Most of you may forget; by time, how hard it was when you first started. But I don't think I'll be on... See more When I first started as a freelancer, I started seeking help everywhere. Still, no one wanted to take the risk of trying my services for the first time. Till I got a help from an angel colleague. I sent her asking why and how ... Guess what, not only she answered me, but also supported me with jobs, and even recommended me to some clients I worked greatly with and still up till now.
Most of you may forget; by time, how hard it was when you first started. But I don't think I'll be one of such people; at least .. I hope not.
I'll never mind supporting a new member, because I've been there, and I know how hard and sometimes hopless it may be. Still, I voted with "maybe" on this poll because I won't be supporting EVERY new member asking for my help. I must know if he/ she worth it first
Once again, good poll this time ▲ Collapse
| | | | | mentoring ON the site | Oct 9, 2005 |
Hi Dina
I agree with you, and I also met an angel in this site, but I wonder whether the poll is not about "mentoring to learn how to use Proz.com".
Claudia
| | | | Dina Abdo
Palestine
Local time: 09:07
Member (2005)
Arabic
+ ...
Claudia Iglesias wrote:
but I wonder whether the poll is not about "mentoring to learn how to use Proz.com".
If it's so, then I'll also help ... but I'll spend less time helping I guess
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Roomy Naqvy
India
Local time: 11:37
English to Hindi
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| Excellent idea | Oct 9, 2005 |
I would be glad to mentor a new translator. This would be similar to some extent to mentoring students in the University where I teach...
Roomy Naqvy
| | | | | 50-50 balance | Oct 9, 2005 |
The mentee has to be willing to do some work themselves.
We have loads of posts and articles online about getting started as a translator etc, and yet there are still plenty of people out there who basically want to be spoon-fed all the way and then bail out when the going gets tough. Unfortunately, I have had my share of this kind of situation, so forgive me if I seem a tad cynical.
As I've said before in a similar post, the relationship between the mentor and mentee has to... See more The mentee has to be willing to do some work themselves.
We have loads of posts and articles online about getting started as a translator etc, and yet there are still plenty of people out there who basically want to be spoon-fed all the way and then bail out when the going gets tough. Unfortunately, I have had my share of this kind of situation, so forgive me if I seem a tad cynical.
As I've said before in a similar post, the relationship between the mentor and mentee has to be relatively balanced in order for it to work. Otherwise, it will certainly turn into an "all-give and no-take" situation for the mentor. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Parrot
Spain
Local time: 08:07
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Checks and balances | Oct 9, 2005 |
May I just point out that such a program might need some kind of control, unless that's already been thought about? We've heard too many hairy stories about student work getting sold and published, as it is, without the mentees ever seeing any form of gain (tangible or otherwise).
On the other hand, some universities also have programs whereby more experienced graduates (including those operating agencies) take seniors and fresh graduates under their wing under controlled circumstan... See more May I just point out that such a program might need some kind of control, unless that's already been thought about? We've heard too many hairy stories about student work getting sold and published, as it is, without the mentees ever seeing any form of gain (tangible or otherwise).
On the other hand, some universities also have programs whereby more experienced graduates (including those operating agencies) take seniors and fresh graduates under their wing under controlled circumstances (university audit, etc.).
Subject to the existence of controls (like qualifiers and numerus clausus in every case), I'd consider it. The idea by itself is worthwhile, but has to be worked on a bit more to get good results, methinks. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Mentoring on use of the site might be helpful. | Oct 10, 2005 |
Sometimes new users need guidance about the protocol of using the site. They don't read the KudoZ rules and often they don't understand the criteria for selecting a good answer.
I'm not sure that newcomers would always appreciate good advice. Also, translators disagree on so many things; how would it be decided who is in a position to give the advice?
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Sam Berner
Australia
Local time: 16:07
Member (2003)
English to Arabic
+ ...
| It needs trust | Oct 28, 2005 |
To mentor is a gift.
It needs two kinds of trust: one in yourself and one in the decency of other humans.
In return, the mentor who does a good job mentoring gets
(1) positive karma (don't laugh, I get jobs raining on me when I perform acts of kindness - so karma is good for your bank account)
(2) great friends - very few people are inherently bad, manipulative and abusive. I have been mentoring for over 15 years, and the only time I was disa... See more To mentor is a gift.
It needs two kinds of trust: one in yourself and one in the decency of other humans.
In return, the mentor who does a good job mentoring gets
(1) positive karma (don't laugh, I get jobs raining on me when I perform acts of kindness - so karma is good for your bank account)
(2) great friends - very few people are inherently bad, manipulative and abusive. I have been mentoring for over 15 years, and the only time I was disappointed was when the person proved to be suffering from a mental disease. In which case, of course, there is no blame anyway.
(3) ability to hand out work to people you have trained yourself and therefore know what to expect from.
(4) ability to be useful to your agencies when they need an additional hand to help with a large assignment.
(5) a feeling of being useful.
In my faith, there is a philosophy of giving, but it is a special way of giving. The best is to give the person you are helping a way to set themselves in life, so that your's is a "sustainable charity" I see my mentoring of the younger/newer generation of linguists as such a "sustainable act". ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Thanks for the comments/feedback! | Dec 23, 2005 |
Hi all,
I just wanted to thank you all for your open comments/feedback, since I never did in October!
Well, I'm presently looking into this potential program, so I guess I'll keep you posted on the progress.
Thanks for using the site!!
Regards,
Patrick
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