SENSE 35-year Jubilee

Claire’s account

A lot can happen in ten years. On 21 June, language professionals met in Amersfoort for the SENSE 35-year Jubilee conference. This was ten years after my very first SENSE event – the 25-year Jubilee at the Paushuize in Utrecht – so I was feeling a little nostalgic. Back then I was a fledgling language professional in the early stages of transitioning from lab-based research to at-home editing. Now – thanks largely to some great people I met through SENSE – I am a successful scientific language editor and scientific writing trainer with plenty of work. At least that’s the story I would be telling if we had celebrated the SENSE Jubilee two years ago! A lot has changed in the industry in the last few years and it is putting a strain on all of us.

The challenges facing our profession were, not surprisingly, the main topic of the day. Jackie Senior defined these challenges in her presentation of the results on her survey on what SENSE members think about the rise of AI and how it is affecting our jobs. Apparently our response to AI has not been overwhelmingly positive. Far more of us are feeling apprehensive rather than positive about AI, and half of us have seen a drop in our income. Jackie’s tips to future-proof our language businesses included upskilling and diversifying, with a focus on doing what you enjoy and valuing your time. Jenny Zonneveld also talked about how we can survive AI by thinking like an entrepreneur and increasing our visibility, for example by attending conferences, volunteering, and sharing useful content on social media. One thing that struck me, attending the presentations and chatting to people, is how much we care about what we do – and how good we are at it! Although the sense of doom and gloom is undeniable, we are not ready to give up just yet. We know that we offer valuable services to our clients and cannot truly be replaced by AI.

After Jackie and Jenny’s talks on surviving AI, I took a welcome break to focus on my physical and mental well-being. Anne Hodgkinson and Monique ten Boske showed us a series of yoga and tai chi moves that we can do at our workplaces. The beauty of these moves is that they benefit the mind as well as the body, helping us to concentrate better while combating the aches and pains associated with too much sitting. That’s something we all need! Next came Ana Carolina Ribeiro and her talk on rebranding. Ana had recently successfully rebranded herself as a translator and copywriter working with Brazilian Portuguese and used her own experiences to give us an effective seven-step strategy to the rebranding process. She also encouraged us to think carefully about whether we need to rebrand or not (apparently it is far from simple!). Through her questions, she helped me to realize that a rebrand could be just what I need. I had not completely realized it, but I am moving further away from basic copyediting of scientific articles (that AI can do) and focusing more and more on structural editing (that AI will probably mess up seeing as it can’t think!) and teaching. This shift in services and focus means a rebrand is on the cards. Finally, Marieke Krijnen gave an engaging talk on interventions that improve the clarity and readability of scientific articles. Marieke presented sentences that had appeared in papers she had edited, diagnosed the problems with these sentences, and then showed us how she solved these issues for her clients. This prompted plenty of ardent feedback from the audience!

As always, it was an absolute pleasure to mingle with my SENSE colleagues for a day. It gave me the chance to catch up with old friends and meet new ones – including my colleagues on the Content Team, who I have been working with for years but never actually seen in person! Such are the joys of in-person networking. It was a thoroughly enjoyable day and I am already looking forward to the next event!

Tomas’ account

On Saturday 21 June young (at heart) SENSE members and guests gathered in Amersfoort to mark the 35-year Jubilee. Kicking off with an enlightening session on future-proofing your business by Jackie Senior, SENSE members got a breakdown of survey results concerning, among others, member’s attitude to AI: are they curious, avid, or willfully ignorant of AI’s supposed powers? Jackie’s talk led nicely into Jenny Zonneveld’s even more wide-ranging take on the broader economic outlook, from geopolitics down, with a focus on the thorny question of how – or indeed whether – to integrate AI into work processes. Meanwhile, in the other room Michael Friedman shared his expertise on legal citation.

After a tasty lunch, there was the choice between two contrasting talks: how to improve writing and translation processes by Simon Berrill, or an introductory yoga and tai chi session. For most, the choice was obvious and immediate and both sessions were very well received.

Later, the Unconference session run by Lloyd Bingham was a valuable introduction to the concept for the uninitiated. The subjects were decided on by the group and led to a lively and respectful exchange of ideas around the ever-present theme of pricing and an accompanying emphasis on core freelance business skills.

After a short break, Marieke Krijnen led a somewhat riotous and thoroughly enjoyable session looking at copyediting interventions that improve clarity and readability, while Courtney Greenlaw gave a wonderful talk on fantasy, translation and the use of digital tools.

Attendees then returned to the canteen for a plentiful dinner and a well-received speech by new Chairwoman Liz Cross, before wrapping things up with a zesty Crema Catalana.

All in all an enjoyable day with great food and plenty of opportunities to chat and network.