Ok...preparing for the NIC...

taylorno

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Been working hard, and hate seeing myself on video...any advice to help prepare for the test.
Should I wear a suit?
 
Wear what you would wear for any professional interpreting assignment. Color-contrasting clothes, look professional. Dress shirt at minimum, tie optional (I've seen male interpreters with and without), jacket is probably overdoing it, but better to bring it and not need it than not have it and wish you'd brought it.

I hate seeing myself on video too! Do you have to see yourself for the NIC? Thank goodness I never saw my CI and CT video tapes, that would have been scary. :eek:
 
Thanks for the advice, I should have mentioned that I am female. Suit may have assumed male.
I am excited to take this test. Are you Certified? New or Old test? Sorry if not my business. I just like to know, to keep the hope in me
Thanks
Heather
 
Oh, sorry Heather! I was thinking male from the suit comment, yup. I wouldn't wear a suit if I were you, that sounds too 80's and dressy, you know? You just want something that looks professional. A nice contrasting blouse and slacks or skirt should do it.

I am certified, CI/CT under the old system. I'm scared of the NIC because of the interview portion, so congrats to you for taking it!
 
Welcome Heather,

I took the NIC in 2006 (I already had an NAD V so I didn't have to take the written). I received the Advanced level of the NIC.

You will not see yourself on video, so do not worry about that. For the interview, make sure you look at the rubric that is posted on RID's website and frame your answers in the rubric.

I also recommend using the practice DVD that is available. While it is abbreviated, the format is much the same as the actual test and will give you an idea of what to expect.

For the interview, you will have the the choice of signing and talking at the same time or just signing. Spend some time practicing the interview both ways to see which one you feel most comfortable with. I did not do this and chose to sim-com, and I found myself talking in circles a couple of times.

I got up early, had some coffee, and left very early to ensure I got to the test site (my employer, actually) with plenty of time to spare.

Good luck; keep us posted on how it goes.
 
Hey Chris, is the written portion of the NIC waived for RID-certified terps too?
 
From NJ

I been in study group with local terps for few months now. I think it has helped me. We talk scenerios, ahtne analyze them for hours on end. We set up bubbles of all parties involved, and put ourself in their situation, creating the conflict within. So actually, the conflict isnt so much a obvoius 1, but there are individual conflicts also.
The Sign and voice part...we practice videos, taping ourself, then discussing how to improve.
Any advice is appreciated. I have the practice dvd, and am surprised how short it is and wish they included some answers they look for in the scenerio part.
A friend said when i do the scenerio part, act as if it happened, no ifs or buts. It happened, what would you do.
 
I have the practice dvd, and am surprised how short it is and wish they included some answers they look for in the scenerio part.

RID can't really do that because it isn't the rightness of your answer that is important. It's how you get to a correct answer, not the correct answer. Two correct answers may look very different. It's important to be able to talk about the whole ethical decision-making process, as well as to anchor your responses to a resource. It might be the Code of Professional Conduct, previous experience, scholarly research (Demand/Control Schema, etc), state/federal law, etc.
 
Maybe so, Chris, but after your previous post, I'm not sure I want to take it! Man, that's scary. I haven't seen a practice DVD or anything.
 
long time since my studies

Chris, I really appreciate your feedback.
I live in NJ, went to terp program few years back. It was encouraged to take state screening , never even thinking to take the NIC. I wish I jumped on it long time ago. Now I am struggling...ok, I been terping for 15 years, but never had to put into words what I have been doing or how I got to make my decisions.
So the study group is opening my mind to how all parties are effected, and reactions if i was to act different. Also...I have been in may situations where I have done nothing at all...just now, I am confronting issues.
So you are CI/CT and...NIC?
 
Wow Advanced

Sorry, I did read all the other posts, I realized this after i asked you about your certifications.
A friend terp joined a study group in Brooklyn, NY. This is where we got the information to seperately identify the conflicts to all parties. I would love to know how you answered,...the practice dvd
Deaf man out of town coming for a 3 day convention. His/her company calls several local agency and notice the high rates. So the company calls you the freelance terp.
Conflict, do do, why.
I had a problem identifying a 1 obvious conflict, so broke them up to all parties involved, such as, Deaf-needs a terp, ADA right, Wants qualified terp and knows agency has screening, worry for job security, concerned regional signs,
Freelance terp, who client, language, conflict with agency if works for, length of convention, who hire team if needed,
Agency, competion with freelance, freelance might be an employee,
company, needs to provide terp, meet law ada, $$ concern,
DO DO I would tell company that I work with an agency, ask if they contacted them, if not, then ask if will accept my contract/policy, inquire a team is needed and get all details
WHY conduct ethical business practice, and respect all consumer, collegues including the agency.
This all didnt just come instantly, I really had to rip it apart to get these "answers"
The dvd doesnt really show what they want. Any pointers with this scenerio?
Advanced is awesome! You must be a great terp to work with. Are you a CODA? Do you know any terps from NJ?
 
Taylorno,

I am not a coda. I was just fortunate enough that my brain seemed prewired for picking up a visual language and music. And I worked very hard. I lived, breathed and ate ASL in college and I'm sure I annoyed a lot of deaf people when I was learning. I was very passionate about it and it was fun, so it didn't really feel like work per se, but it was.

Regarding that scenario on the practice DVD, I'll admit that when I first watched it I was like, "What conflict? I'm a freelance interpreter and they want to hire me. Big deal."

Then I realized you have to look at a deeper level. I might have a contractual agreement with the agency that the company already contacted that would preclude me from taking the assignment on my own. Even if I didn't have a contract and the agency found out I took the assignment, it might look like I was undercutting them and taking business. Also if I take this assignment, I may have to worry about payment (they're already balking at paying the agency's fees). It also might set a precedent that the company thinks they can hire interpreters outright w/o going through an agency; that might or might not be the case, depending on the local market. Also, would I be responsible for finding a team or would the company do that? The deaf person has a right to qualified interpreters; but the local market is a determining factor in how that gets arranged.

There is more that could and should be included in an answer, but you have to look behind the question and see things that aren't explicitly stated in the scenario.
 
HOH, I agree with respecting the agency, I work for agencies, and prefer to . Half the time, I do nothing in most situations, NOW I do. I dont like confrontation, or conflict in my life, so usually avoid it. I like the agency, because, I can or not accept the job. I dont dare say this on the test, I need to build my confidence level. I need to represent all terps and do and say the right thing.
I have spoken up in my real life situations. Studing has helped me identify what I need to do, and should have done.
In this situation, for the test. I originally would have not accepted the job, only from experience that I work for an agency. But...talking to many freelance that do not work for agency, they tend to disagree. I became confused to where I stand.
So...do you think personal experience is the better option to include on the test. I have been stressing thinking what RID would want as an aswer.
 
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