8 The Linguist Vol/63 No/2
ciol.org.uk/thelinguist
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Why peer-to-peer mento
professional developmen
Mentoring offers personalised support among
professionals and boosts career growth. Early examples
can be traced back to Greek mythology. In Homer's
Odyssey, King Odysseus goes to war, leaving his son,
Telemachus, under the guidance of his old friend Mentor.
The term 'mentoring' derives from the Greek μέντωρ; the
prefix 'men-' means 'one who thinks' and '-tor' means
'man', so 'mentor' literally means 'a man who thinks'.
'Protégé' comes from the French verb protéger, meaning
'to protect'.
Mentoring can take many forms. As an experienced
language professional, I've had the privilege of
mentoring new entrants to our field. This has allowed me
to share my knowledge and skills, and enabled my
protégés to develop their business practices. But
mentoring isn't just about guiding newcomers. Peer-to-
peer mentorship, a form of reciprocal mentoring that
fosters mutual motivation, inspiration and accountability
among seasoned professionals, has also significantly
contributed to my career path. I've found immense value
in both types of partnership.
The CIOL Mentoring Platform is a great place to start
if you are a linguist interested in becoming a mentor or
a potential mentee looking for advice and guidance.
My own mentoring connections have originated
through the ITI Polish Network, which uses an informal
matching process.
A focus on business skills
I studied business as an undergraduate and international
business as a postgraduate, and have successfully run a
translation and interpreting practice for over 20 years.
Levering this, I use a conventional business mentoring
method to guide industry newcomers through the
complexities of managing translation projects and
developing essential business skills. Translators often
work as freelancers and therefore essentially run small
businesses. Many translation graduates find that their
course hasn't really prepared them for that aspect of
their career. That's why business mentoring is helpful,
Someone
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