Why attend a professional association AGM in person, when it is offered in hybrid form?
On Friday evening, I attended the AGM of UNIVERSITAS Austria – Berufsverband für Dolmetschen und Übersetzen – an association that I joined in 2020, just as the pandemic was taking hold. Consequently, this was the first event that I had attended in person. The AGM was held in hybrid form, and previously I had attended events in virtual form – as had been the norm during the pandemic.
I chose to attend in person to take advantage of a new members’ networking session beforehand and further chances to network afterwards. I know some people might struggle with in presence AGMs – but they are really worth attending in person if you can. If you find physical attendance daunting, arrange to meet someone you know there.
An AGM is a good networking event
It was great to talk to other members – catching up with some after a long time and also speaking to others for the first time. It provided me with a good opportunity to catch up with other translators and interpreters. Some I hadn’t seen for several years, and I was able to meet others in person for the first time, although some of whom I knew from posts on LinkedIn – as fellow #litranslatorsThe hashtag #litranslators on LinkedIn is used by (predominantly freelance) translators to talk about their work, workflows, specialities, and profession.. It was a good opportunity to also have a chance to finally meet various board members in person.
For me, membership of an association is not a one way street: it is not just about “taking”, but considering and acting upon what I can also “give back” to a profession I have been part of for 24 years. So many professionals work on their own in an industry dominated by BigLang, so solidarity with my fellow professionals is essential. After all, I remain a SPLSUA Single-Person Language Services Unit (SPLSU) is an in-house language services unit consisting of a single dedicated employee., albeit as part of an organisation with a far higher headcount.
Events, certification and mentoring
UniversitasUniversitas (or Universitas Austria) is the Austrian Interpreters' and Translators' Association. The name Universitas reflects that it was initially established for university graduates of degrees in interpreting and translation. certification and mentoring are areas that I hope to be contribute to. Associations are also vital for relevant CPD measures, and UniversitasUniversitas (or Universitas Austria) is the Austrian Interpreters' and Translators' Association. The name Universitas reflects that it was initially established for university graduates of degrees in interpreting and translation. is very receptive in this area. There are some exciting events planned for this year – the association’s platinum (70th) jubilee year.
As a full-time in-house translator, in a predominantly freelance/self-employed industry, or one with many people for whom translation/interpreting is only a component of their working life (job splitting), it is important to appreciate the issues affecting the profession (and not just the industry).
Turning a corner
Attending an AGM in person is also a way to gauge the health of an association – to see at first hand how the work falls on the (few or many) sets of shoulders of the board and its committees. The previous winter had been a tumultuous one – with a series of meetings that at one stage had even had the dissolution of the association on the table.
The outcome had been to have a paid administrator – an option I supported from personally having been an executive secretary of a non-profit organisation at an earlier stage of my career. It was pleasing to see that the association is turning a corner and making progress to a more stable and professional footing.
Thanks should again go to Universitas’ board and volunteers dedicating their time to furthering our profession. I’ll definitely be looking forward to attending more in-presence events.
Why not join?
If you are a translator in Austria, or even outside of Austria, and have not joined, why not reconsider? UniversitasUniversitas (or Universitas Austria) is the Austrian Interpreters' and Translators' Association. The name Universitas reflects that it was initially established for university graduates of degrees in interpreting and translation. is a nationwide association, with logical ties to the ZTW in Vienna, INTRAWI in Innsbruck and ITAT in Graz. While the lion’s share of members translate into or from the “Big 5 EU languages”, there are many members covering far more languages.