ÎÞÓÇ´«Ã½

Building windmills

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‘There are two kinds of people in this world: those who build walls to keep the wind out as it blows and those who build windmills to harness its power,’

Ibrahim Kadouni.

Are you one who resists the winds of change, or do you turn challenges into opportunities? In times when many translators are having to find solutions to drops in their traditional workloads and reassess their professional identity, having a success mindset is an asset. This article looks at ways for the most introverted of translators to find success in times of artificial intelligence (AI).

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What is a success mindset?

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A success mindset is a mental attitude focused on growth, resilience and achieving goals. It involves believing in your ability to succeed, embracing challenges, learning from setbacks and staying persistent despite obstacles.

‘I still remember clients asking us, or us asking as an agency, can you please provide interpreting over Skype or Zoom? And you would have a couple of linguists not agreeing to that. Now, interpreters have leveraged that, which is great because you can see how they’ve flourished with it … I think that's a great example of how to really think outside the box.’

Ilenia Goffredo.

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Why is a success mindset so important for translators?

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‘Work is quite unstable, especially in the last quarter, and it’s worrying. It is scary … I always try to stay positive, and I always try to be optimistic. It’s really about your approach and your mentality.’

Ilenia Goffredo.

The impact of AI on the world of translation combined with the geopolitical climate has led to a reduction in translation workload for many. As a result, translators who need to make a full-time income are having to find new income streams. For many, the old ways aren’t working anymore. This means it’s time to adapt.

The shame of it all is that many of us were happy with the status quo. We loved being full-time freelance translators. And, let’s be honest, before AI came into the mix, many professional translators who had mastered their craft were able to make a substantial full-time living from it without having to do much marketing or even CPD. Now, for the majority, it’s more of a case of translation and what else?

During the ÎÞÓÇ´«Ã½ Roundtable, the panellists encouraged attendees to think about upskilling and new service offerings. In the Q&A at the end, some attendees raised concerns about how they were supposed to take this new world 'by storm' if they don’t actually feel they want to.

The rest of this article will look at thoughts from the panellists on this point.

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Why does a mindset shift feel so hard?

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‘We’re synonymous with invisibility. The translator has always been branded in academia as being invisible. But yes, we do need to evolve.’

Ibrahim Kadouni.

During the roundtable, the subject of professional identity became a focal point to explain why making professional changes feels so hard for translators. See article two in this series: ‘Lost in translation? Tips to find your professional identity in 2025’.

And it isn’t as if translators are suddenly choosing en masse to offer new services or change careers. This is a change imposed by an external force beyond our control. When faced with such a brutal imposition, you would be forgiven for wanting to shout I hate you AI and then march off to your room and slam the door.

Then there’s the stereotypical personality type associated with translators: introverted, detail-oriented and disciplined, often preferring the quiet of the workspace to the bustle of social interaction. A stereotype is just that and not necessarily true of you. But if it is, it might explain resistance to marketing activities.

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What does success mean for you?

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‘It's also the definition of success that we need to try and redefine. Of course it's financial stability. That's for sure. But it's also building those long-term relationships with our clients.’

Ilenia Goffredo.

To help with your success mindset, it may be useful to spend some time reflecting on what success means for you.

Success in work is closely linked with our personal lives. Think about your values, what matters most to you in life: respect, creativity, gratitude, fairness, family (see a to help you). How do those values align with your work? Over the years, has your work always aligned 100% with your values? If not, where has there been misalignment?

One of the reasons for reflecting in this way is that it may help to dispel rose-tinted views. A change is an opportunity to improve a situation. What components make up your perfect work scenario? What do you need to make that happen for yourself?

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Start small to make it easier

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If you’re hesitant to act, start with baby steps. You’ll be surprised how much you can achieve and how much easier things will be once you get moving. Below are some ideas to help you make a mindset change while hardly noticing it.

1. Expand on your comfort zone

If stepping out of your comfort zone feels like too much, think about how you can expand on it. In terms of professional evolution, what’s a next evolutionary step for you that feels achievable? Getting in touch with a client, sorting out a clear headshot for your LinkedIn profile, learning how to use a new tool …

2. Upskill through self-study

‘We’re masters in doing the job we do. But perhaps we aren’t matching that mastery level in promoting ourselves and in generating leads for our business and in getting more and more.’

Ibrahim Kadouni.

Once you’ve carefully chosen where you’re headed and what you need to learn to get there, you’ll find a plethora of self-study options where you don’t have to talk to anyone. Perhaps you’ve identified a knowledge weakness related to technology. In that case, get a free trial of whatever tool you’re interested in and do their complimentary online training.

3. Contact existing clients

‘How can we continue to retain loyalty from our existing clients? Because those clients, the existing ones, they know the value in our work.’

Ilenia Goffredo.

You already have a relationship with them and there are plenty of excuses for getting in touch. Reach out and ask them how business is going and if they’re offering any new services. Ask what you might be able to do to help them in their service offering.

4. Don’t let fear govern your actions

‘We shouldn't be scared of looking at our work and if we have to drop some areas, redefining where we want to focus. That's absolutely fine. It's even fine to do trial and error, you know, it may work, it may not work … [It’s about] switching that kind of attitude that sometimes we can have where we say oh no, I'm not going to use that.’

Ilenia Goffredo.

When you feel resistance, check in with yourself and see if it’s fear. If it is, consider whether the fear is justified (this looks like a phishing email to steal my bank data) or if it’s just a form of procrastination (what if they say no? I don’t want to feel like a failure). Don’t let fear of failure get in the way: it may never materialise and if it does, all the better to learn from.

5. Salami slicing marketing (it’s a thing)

‘Start safe and small. Take it as the salami slicing approach. Perhaps start with building a digital footprint.’

Ibrahim Kadouni.

If you’ve never built up much of an online profile, now is the time to take that first step. Start with putting a clear headshot on your LinkedIn profile and then iterate slowly from there.

6. Build your ‘team’

‘Build a micro community. If you find gaps in the way you portray yourself to your clients or you know you’re good in some areas but lacking in others then build yourself a community, a team. Ask for support from peers.’

Ilenia Goffredo.

Your ‘team’ could be made up of existing colleagues or even friends and family members. Consider getting a ÎÞÓÇ´«Ã½ mentor or a career coach for gentle support. Even with just one person to fall back on, you may find you start growing wings. In fact, the right person can become an essential motivator and guide.

7. Work on your soft skills

Soft skills are non-technical interpersonal abilities like communication, teamwork, adaptability, problem-solving and emotional intelligence. They affect how you work with others.

Perhaps you could use some training to help you communicate better with clients or be more assertive in negotiations. Maybe it’s worth working on empathy to help you better understand your clients’ pain points. You can develop soft skills indirectly by doing something fun, such as taking singing lessons to help you speak up with confidence.

8. Read more about your market(s)

‘Staying competitive means staying ahead of the curve, knowing your relevance and your value. Not just reacting to change but perhaps we need to anticipate it always.’

Ibrahim Kadouni.

Reading is a solo activity suited to the most incorrigible of introverts. Part of being effective in your domain comes from regularly reading about it. This can take traditional form through industry publications, such as The Linguist magazine published by the ÎÞÓÇ´«Ã½.

Another great source for new ideas is following industry thought leaders on LinkedIn. They’ll often lead you to others and you’ll soon have an arsenal of go-to resources to make sure you have your finger on the pulse in every area that interests you.

9. Look on the bright side

‘Being an in-house translator means … I don't have to worry about marketing. I don't have to worry about negotiating. All that’s done by the solicitors. I don't have to worry about invoicing or credit controlling. That's all done for me. So, it's a huge chunk of work that’s off my shoulders.’

Karine Chevalier-Watts.

During the roundtable, Karine shared that, after many years as a freelance translator, she had never expected to move in house. But as this quote shows, everything has its upsides.

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Be a builder of windmills

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‘We can either resist the winds of change like AI and new technologies or embrace them, finding ways to turn challenges into opportunities, as we have always done, and that fuels our growth and relevance.’

Ibrahim Kadouni.

We hope you’ve found this ÎÞÓÇ´«Ã½ Roundtable series useful. Remember you can on our YouTube channel or read the other articles in this series about how to solve a drop in translation workÌýand professional identityÌýhere on ÎÞÓÇ´«Ã½ Voices.