How to cope with the first few years interpreting/feeling wildly unqualified?
I’m an interpreter working in education currently (teamed with a more experienced terp). I’m working towards licensure to team and learn in community settings in the near future. I feel like I’m working day and night to improve my ASL conversational skills and my interpreting skills. I’m out in my local Deaf community. HOWEVER!! I still feel like an idiot and like I don’t know anything. I feel like I make stupid mistakes and people look at me like “THIS girl is interpreting??” I know ASL is not my native language, but I genuinely feel so hopeless and DUMB when I’m hanging out with my Deaf friends and they’re signing amongst themselves. I have a Deaf mentor and interpreting mentor.
I feel like I’m doing everything I’m supposed to, and I still just feel so dumb and like I will NEVER be qualified to interpret for anything. I’m so terrified that I’m not doing right by the Deaf community by even having a job in this field at this point. Does it ever get easier??😭 How did everyone here get past these feelings early in their career?