New world, new work... new Chief Executive

One of the higlights of the ITI Conference 2024 in Edinburgh was the keynote given by ITI's Chief Executive, Sara Robertson. Drawing on her Scottish heritage Sara entertained us with her witty comparison of the cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow. She suggested that Edinburgh is ostensibly a city that embraces its traditions and doesn't readily welcome change, whereas Glasgow is always up for new adventures with its innovative and upbeat ethos.

So, although the future remains a little unclear and uncertain, Sara acknowledged the inherent adaptability of translators and interpreters and encouraged us all to be a "wee bit more Glaswegian."

She also laid out a four-point strategy to help professionals build resilience and create a robust personal business continuity plan:

• Embrace a mindset of lifelong learning and continuing professional development.
• Maintain and enhance subject specialisms and focus on niches to set you apart from the machine.
• Cultivate sales and marketing skills to attract the kinds of clients you want
• Get out there; cultivate your community and bolster your personal support network.

Reminding everyone of the conference theme - New World, New Work - Sara concluded that perhaps there also needs to be a New You.