Required education to become a translator - Adding Translator Certification to Your Resume

Required education to become a translator - Adding Translator Certification to Your Resume

Translators have a variety of experiences and job opportunities in all kinds of industries. Companies from pharmaceuticals to engineering to government careers and more have positions available in the translation field. Obviously, translators need to be fluent in at least two languages. Many have bachelor degrees of some kind, but these are not necessary to work in the translation field. Some translators pair their language skills with other training or talents in another industry to craft the career they desire. Others use their language skills to travel to distant lands and experience exotic cultures. Though there is no required education to become a translator, certification programs can add to a translator's credibility.

Translator certification can also be helpful for those who work in internationally focused companies, such as finance, law, global corporations, etc. In the current highly competitive job market, credentials in language expertise can help make one resume stand out among a sea of qualified applicants. The format of the required education to become a translator who is certified can be all online, partially online, or at a campus, such as a college or university. For those who are already working or are preparing for an additional career with advanced schooling, the all-online option is usually the most cost-effective and convenient of the three methods.

For someone who wishes to focus solely on translating as a career, positions and projects can be extremely competitive. Selective companies seeking translators often look for the educational and credential qualifications of the applicants. To garner the best positions, ambitious members of the translation industry distinguish themselves from the crowd with a certificate and the required education to become a translator with that credential. These certification courses usually entail choosing the two languages of focus, such as English and French. Testing will be done in both translation directions, from English to French and from French to English. Good certification programs offer a variety of languages from which to choose.

Companies can benefit from offering continuing education in the translation industry for its employees. Improving language skills of those who deal with international clients and documents reduces mistakes and increases efficiency. Completing the required education to become a translator who holds certification credentials online allows participants to miss less time from their company duties. Many other continuing education programs require that employees spend time traveling to a separate location for training courses and certification testing.

-By Adriana Tassini

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