The world is their oyster

If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it is that change is inevitable. Perhaps that is why Gabriela Siebach’s 2021 ATA Conference presentation, Maintaining a Career as a Language Professional: An Endless Journey, caused me to reflect on how staff interpreters have been forced to unexpectedly reevaluate their career trajectories as a result of the “new normal.” Gabriela started the session by asking how many attendees were freelancers vs. staff language professionals. I discovered I was only one of two or three staff employees.