Choosing Certification

Once you have decided that you want to be a translator, what is your next step?

This answer can vary, depending on your individual circumstances. For example, you could be at a university that offers such a degree. What I have found is that a lot of people joining the translating world often stumble into it, as I did. Circumstances, such as living in a country that does not speak your native language and you become fully immersed into it, can often lead toward a translation career. Now, for those of you out there who already have degree in something else and would like not to go through all of that again, there are other choices.

Translation Degrees

If you do have the opportunity, this would naturally be a great way to both see what the field is about and if you really like it. As you can read in my introduction, I changed my major three times, so I know all about having grandeur ideas, or even just inklings. 

Pros would be coming out with a degree in translation, of course, including knowledge of theory, plenty of test runs, etc. Cons would be if you leave the country you receive the degree in. You would need it translated, evaluated, stamped by the Apostille of the Hague, and it may not match up with other countries. 

Certificates

These are more difficult, but all around cheaper and simpler to come by. Depending on which association or charter you receive it through, they often have international recognition. They also can mean high commendations. As part of these groups, the translation world also opens for you; newsletters, articles, seminars, and public talks on translation can all be accessed. Not to mention having such an accredited affiliation behind you.

CIOL DipTrans

This is the certificate I went for (which I will later elaborate on in a later post). My being in the European side of the world, the Chartered Institute of Linguists Diploma in Translation is the equivalent of having a Master's. They hold exams around the world once a year, and painstakingly take their time in their decision (14 weeks!!). However, if you can fully achieve this certification, it is recognised in more than one hundred countries. I must warn you: the full exam is seven total hours of testing, three translations, two of which are semi-specialised. Yes, it is tough. You are cramming two years of a Master's degree into one exam. It is jolly good. If you go this route, do something similar to what I did and take an exam prep course. It is necessary. 

To find out more, visit here: https://www.ciol.org.uk/

ATA Certification

In the United States, the main certification is given by the American Translator's Association. They have a similar exam, but it is about half the length of the CIOL exam. They also hold exams more often, and in different locations around the United States. However, if your goal is to stay in the States, this certificate would be suitable.

To find out more, visit here: https://www.atanet.org/

To be sure, there are many more certifications out there. These are what I have found to be the biggest and most accredited. However, these are for being an overall translator. Once you have obtained translator accreditations, the next step (which is not required, but extremely helpful) is to pick a specialisation. A different certificate is not required in this case, experience can speak for itself; but if you are someone like me, we can see ourselves taking that extra course to really give us a boost into the specific field we would like.

There are a lot of options out there, but I hope this helps. If you do decide to go the certificate way, keep an eye out for my next post on preparing for the CIOL DipTrans exam. 

-Em