Volunteerism

A few months ago, at the BYU Translation and Localization Club event, I sat in on a presentation given by Jeff Beatty. He talked about the importance of volunteerism in the professional localization field and how to make your volunteer activities work for you and not the other way around. He explained a few principles including how to describe your volunteer duties in a way that relate to future employers who read your resume. He explained that the hours that you put into volunteer activities can be just as important and valuable to you as a professional as your hours in an internship or a job. I really took that to heart and have been looking, not only for applicable volunteer opportunities, but opportunities that I could really sink my teeth into, using skills I am currently developing and skills I want to attain.

First, as a vice-president in the Translation and Localization Club, I have been focusing on the club website. Trying to update and improve the website has not only been an opportunity for me to use skills that I have recently acquired but also an opportunity to stretch myself to learn new things about web development. Since then, I have played around more with web development by creating a website for a wiffleball league and helping some friends and family update their own personal websites and blogs.

At the beginning of this year, I wanted to start attending the Spanish ward just to keep up on my language. Because Sabrina doesn’t speak Spanish, I started to attend the sacrament meeting and then went to my own ward with my wife. The first day that I went, I noticed that they had interpreters in the back of the sacrament meeting. After the meeting, I approached the interpreters just to talk to them about it. They explained that it wasn’t a calling but simply a service that was provided because the high council members and some frequent visitors don’t speak Spanish. Right then, I offered to help and, since then, I have been interpreting sacrament meeting for the ward.

This has turned out to be a great opportunity since I get to work on my simultaneous interpretation weekly and I also have the opportunity to learn more about the professional equipment. This volunteer opportunity turned out to be particularly gratifying as this weekend was the stake conference. The presiding figure was Elder M. Russel Ballard of the Quarum of the Twelve and I had the opportunity to interpret for him in two different sessions and for Elder Allen D. Haynie in another. What an awesome opportunity!

Although it is a small service that I am providing (and I’m interpreting from the kitchen), these volunteer activities are helping me to gain more experience and knowledge that could some day be very applicable to or even help me in getting that dream job!