Translator Certification Requirements

Translator Certification Requirements

In the world of translation, it is common knowledge that while certification is not actually mandated as a requirement, most companies seek a translator who is certified by a reputable program. Translator certification requirements are thus more of an advisable, smart thing to do than a mandated thing to do before working as a translator. People who are bilingual or expertly fluent in multiple languages often do not see the need for the translator certification requirements, but obtain certification anyway in order to attract the attention of prospective employers. This is simply a smart way to market the skills and abilities of the translator.

Translator certification requirements or guidelines are situations where an applicant pursues a certification program where the courses are completed and the tests that follow are passed with good scores. This serves as one way to show a company or potential employer that the translator measures up to a certain standard and will perform the necessary job well. Going through the certification process can also serve as experience gained for a new translator, for translator certification requirements typically involve hands on experience in translating projects. Certification and experience are two things most potential employers will look for on the resume of a translation candidate.

Those who have graduated from a translation certification program are the best indicators of how reputable and marketable the translator certification requirements are from a particular source. Sources for translation certification range from colleges and universities to online websites and distance learning opportunities. Some colleges and universities will also offer advanced degrees in translation as well as programs that fulfill basic translator certification requirements. The basic certification programs are enough to get started in the field, however the more experience and more specialization a translator has the more attractive they are to prospective employers.

Translator certification requirements serve to train and prepare candidates for jobs in the translation field, especially those who are new to translation in general. Translation certification requirements typically request native speakers or people who are expertly fluent in both the source and target languages they intend to translate. Being fluent in a particular language means the translator can speak, understand, read and write in the languages that are being used for the job or the project at hand. Fluency should be as close to native speaker abilities as possible.

-By Adriana Tassini

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