| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | ATA Certification Thread poster: Alisha Rice
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Alisha Rice 
United States
Local time: 09:55
Member (Jun 2024)
Spanish to English
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How important is it to get ATA certified when seeking employment? I have noticed occasionally a company preferring it in the job description. I also wonder how much it weighs when a prospective client is looking for a translator on our website. I have two language pairs so it would cost me over $1,000 and I don't have that kind of money but I don't want it to hurt my chances of getting job opportunities. I also see that some translators on this website have the certification and others don't. ... See more How important is it to get ATA certified when seeking employment? I have noticed occasionally a company preferring it in the job description. I also wonder how much it weighs when a prospective client is looking for a translator on our website. I have two language pairs so it would cost me over $1,000 and I don't have that kind of money but I don't want it to hurt my chances of getting job opportunities. I also see that some translators on this website have the certification and others don't. Any feedback is much appreciated. ▲ Collapse
| | | | jyuan_us
United States
Local time: 12:55
Member (2005)
English to Chinese
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| Is being ATA-certified useful? It depends. | Jul 26 |
If an ATA-certified translator and a non-certified translator are both offering $0.15 per SW for a project, the former will get it for sure. However, if the non-certified translator charges $0.12, probably the project will go his or her way. In the latter case, the ATA certification becomes something fancy to decorate your room.
[Edited at 2024-07-26 21:43 GMT]
| | | | Mario Chávez
United States
Local time: 12:55
Member (Jun 2024)
English to Spanish
+ ...
| It is a requirement for some | Jul 26 |
I have to say that some organizations require a professional certification and the ATA certification is a requirement for the job. It may even be a requirement to work on a large project secured by a translation agency or LSP. If the requirement is for an in-house position within a company, it is possible to commit to getting the ATA certification within a reasonable period of time (12 months, for instance), so that the outlay is not too onerous for the applicant.
That said, ATA cer... See more I have to say that some organizations require a professional certification and the ATA certification is a requirement for the job. It may even be a requirement to work on a large project secured by a translation agency or LSP. If the requirement is for an in-house position within a company, it is possible to commit to getting the ATA certification within a reasonable period of time (12 months, for instance), so that the outlay is not too onerous for the applicant.
That said, ATA certification costs have been going up since I got mine 30 years ago. Similar associations are charging fees on ATA's level (see https://www.iti.org.uk/membership/fees.html for example).
Approaching the costs of life as an independent translator requires some strategy. I said it before and I'll say it again: meet your local ATA chapter and get to know its members. Along with that, get involved with suitable LinkedIn groups, knock on all doors, take part in loclunches, learn about Women in Localization, which has a mentorship program that you could benefit from. More info: https://womeninlocalization.com/
Proz.com is just one of many available platforms. Widen your gaze.
Alisha Rice wrote:
How important is it to get ATA certified when seeking employment? I have noticed occasionally a company preferring it in the job description. I also wonder how much it weighs when a prospective client is looking for a translator on our website. I have two language pairs so it would cost me over $1,000 and I don't have that kind of money but I don't want it to hurt my chances of getting job opportunities. I also see that some translators on this website have the certification and others don't. Any feedback is much appreciated. ▲ Collapse
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I’m not ATA-certified (after 40 years in the business I couldn’t see the need), but I joined ATA as an associate (249 USD for 1 year), so I’m on the directory and since I have been contacted by US agencies and direct clients. You could start by doing the same and see how it goes…
I should add that I’m under the impression that some clients can’t figure out what the terms ATA-certified and ATA-associate really mean and confound the two terms...
[Edited at 2024-07-28 11:00 GMT]
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Alisha Rice
United States
Local time: 09:55
Member (Jun 2024)
Spanish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thanks for the feedback. Can you explain to me what a direct client means? Does that mean just an individual?
| | | | Kevin Fulton
United States
Local time: 12:55
German to English
| Agencies/direct clients | Jul 28 |
Alisha Rice wrote:
Thanks for the feedback. Can you explain to me what a direct client means? Does that mean just an individual?
Agencies basically operate as intermediaries between end clients (in most cases business entities) and translators. Some have in-house translators, but that is becoming a rarity, at least in the United States. They outsource translation jobs to other agencies or – more commonly – to translators. Although direct clients can be individuals, generally, they are enterprises which contract directly with translators. Consequently they usually pay a much better rate than agencies to translators with subject matter expertise. Private individuals sometimes hire translators, but in my experience, they usually aren't prepared to pay the going rate since they don't understand the process involved. I can't begin to count the number of times I've been asked to "type" a document from a source language into English.
Based on your queries here, I do wonder whether in the course of your studies anyone presented a lecture (or two) addressing the realities and practical aspects of the translation business. Maybe now you can begin to understand why some colleagues have been disparaging translation "studies."
[Edited at 2024-07-28 19:41 GMT]
| | | | Mario Chávez
United States
Local time: 12:55
Member (Jun 2024)
English to Spanish
+ ...
| Translation Studies | Jul 28 |
Kevin,
The subtopic of translation studies might deserve a separate thread, but as someone who has done the self-employed translator job for many years and studied Translation Studies, I can offer a simple perspective: areas of research in Translation are best pursued in academia. Trying to talk about translation theories, for instance, or how corpus analysis helps translators is a dead horse to many colleagues because they see no practical value in them.
Alisha,... See more Kevin,
The subtopic of translation studies might deserve a separate thread, but as someone who has done the self-employed translator job for many years and studied Translation Studies, I can offer a simple perspective: areas of research in Translation are best pursued in academia. Trying to talk about translation theories, for instance, or how corpus analysis helps translators is a dead horse to many colleagues because they see no practical value in them.
Alisha, can you share in what university did you pursue your Master's in Translation?
MC
Kevin Fulton wrote:
Based on your queries here, I do wonder whether in the course of your studies anyone presented a lecture (or two) addressing the realities and practical aspects of the translation business. Maybe now you can begin to understand why some colleagues have been disparaging translation "studies."
[Edited at 2024-07-28 19:41 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Adding to what our colleague Kevin Fulton said, some direct clients are international organizations. They usually organize periodic competitions and call for projects with lots of requirements. Their work is challenging but rewarding, sometimes well-paid...
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Kevin Fulton
United States
Local time: 12:55
German to English
Mario Chávez wrote:
Trying to talk about translation theories, for instance, or how corpus analysis helps translators is a dead horse to many colleagues because they see no practical value in them.
I personally have nothing against translation studies (I have an academic background in languages myself which I've managed to overcome). I've worked on large projects involving old-timers (20+ years experience) and "kids" (≈3 years). The less experienced ones who studied at good programs (e.g. Monterey (now Middlebury), Kent State, NYU, etc.) had a better concept of how to approach a project compared to their peers. They knew how to manage the database, make sensible queries, knew how to check spelling, had fewer technical problems, and made active contributions to the progress of the job. In short they were problem solvers rather than a drag on the process.
I looked at the course list at the OP's alma mater,* and there was nothing pertaining to how to manage a translation business: no practical course covering basic operating skills such as bookkeeping, invoicing, marketing, payment practices, etc. – not even a 1-credit lecture series. I suspect that we can expect queries relating to these topics.
* My suspicion is that for the instructional staff in these programs, translation is just a side hustle since they already get a salary from the educational institution. Their endeavors are devoted to literary translation which is an entirely different world than the one most of us toil in.
[Edited at 2024-07-29 13:08 GMT]
| | | | Alisha Rice
United States
Local time: 09:55
Member (Jun 2024)
Spanish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Translation Studies | Jul 29 |
You are right Kevin. There is no course on any of the aspects of the how-to's in the freelance industry. That is because not everyone in the program pursues this route. I think it would be a nice addition and I think as an alumni, I may suggest that as an optional course now that I am getting all of this feedback on the forum. When I thought about entering the translation field, I had absolutely no experience and did not know how to approach a translation so my first thought was to enter int... See more You are right Kevin. There is no course on any of the aspects of the how-to's in the freelance industry. That is because not everyone in the program pursues this route. I think it would be a nice addition and I think as an alumni, I may suggest that as an optional course now that I am getting all of this feedback on the forum. When I thought about entering the translation field, I had absolutely no experience and did not know how to approach a translation so my first thought was to enter into a Master's program. What people do not know, who are just on the experienced side rather than any academic background, is that in the program we aren't just learning about theories but we are also learning practical experience. You can discount what you want to call assignments but they are translations and there are quite a few so it is experience and the theoretical part of it to me isn't dead but very much an important aspect of how to approach a translation more effectively and see the different ways in which one can translator better. One has to be in the program to understand it. I just translated a book for a Brazilian author and she was really impressed with the way I was able to translate it. I couldn't have done that without the knowledge I gained from the program. I am not discounting the knowledge people gain just through experience. In my program, I chose to focus on professional and literary translation. I think my education in combination with the experience I build will only add value to my knowledge as a translator. It's only my opinion. ▲ Collapse
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Research is a key skill for a translator. Answers to most of the questions asked in these threads could be found easily on this site or elsewhere online.
| | | | IrinaN
United States
Local time: 11:55
English to Russian
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| This is hopeless... | Jul 29 |
Alisha Rice wrote:
What people do not know, who are just on the experienced side rather than any academic background, is that in the program we aren't just learning about theories but we are also learning practical experience.
Yes, all educated and experienced adults here are clueless and lost in misunderstanding. It's like "old folks" talking to a rebellious teenager. It will pass, one way or the other. Hopefully, not after too many hardships.
I rest my case, even though I have a couple of posts waiting to be vetted for 6 days or so.
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Zea_Mays
Italy
Local time: 18:55
English to German
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Christopher Schröder wrote:
Research is a key skill for a translator. Answers to most of the questions asked in these threads could be found easily on this site or elsewhere online.
That's true, but I think the human exchange and communication is also of great value, and not just for the "newbies".
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I translate as many words per week as I did in an entire year of my translation programme. Which means I’ve done 1,500 times more words since. And somehow I still don’t know it all.
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Zea_Mays wrote:
That's true, but I think the human exchange and communication is also of great value, and not just for the "newbies".
Yes, but then maybe it should be received with gratitude and humility rather than dismissal and snarkiness.
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