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Translation - art & business » Getting established »
TRANSLATION CERTIFICATE RECOMMENDATION
Thread poster: Rafa Alba
Rafa Alba
Rafa Alba
Spain
Local time: 09:59
Inggris menyang Spanyol
Sep 28, 2021

Hi fellow translators!

I am currently looking for a Certificate for translators (English to Spanish in my case) that is like a quality assurance for the client.

I don't want to study a Master's degree at this moment, but would like to have a certificate which is valued and may open some doors in the job market.

I have been specializing in audiovisual translation for film and TV, but I'm also open to other jobs in order to get practice and improve my skills... See more
Hi fellow translators!

I am currently looking for a Certificate for translators (English to Spanish in my case) that is like a quality assurance for the client.

I don't want to study a Master's degree at this moment, but would like to have a certificate which is valued and may open some doors in the job market.

I have been specializing in audiovisual translation for film and TV, but I'm also open to other jobs in order to get practice and improve my skills, specially in education and social sciences.

So far I have found these two certificates:

https://www.atanet.org/certification/exam-schedule-and-registration/
https://www.ciol.org.uk/diptrans

If anyone can shed some light on this topic it will be greatly appreciated.

Best,

Rafa ▲ Collapse


Serhan Elmacıoğlu
 
Rita Translator
Rita Translator  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 09:59
Jerman menyang Inggris
Both are fine Oct 1, 2021

Both of those certifications are very reputable. Whether they will make a difference for your clients is something that's hard to quantify. I'm ATA certified and get contacted because of my listing in the ATA directory occasionally. Usually it's students who want to study in the US and have to have their transcripts translated by an ATA-certified translator, although I have one regular, long-term client who found me through the directory once upon a time.

The certification certainly... See more
Both of those certifications are very reputable. Whether they will make a difference for your clients is something that's hard to quantify. I'm ATA certified and get contacted because of my listing in the ATA directory occasionally. Usually it's students who want to study in the US and have to have their transcripts translated by an ATA-certified translator, although I have one regular, long-term client who found me through the directory once upon a time.

The certification certainly won't hurt anything, but don't expect new business to suddenly rain down on you once you have it. ▲ Collapse


Jorge Payan
Esther Dodo
 
S. Kathryn Jiménez Boyd
S. Kathryn Jiménez Boyd  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 09:59
Member (2018)
Spanyol menyang Inggris
+ ...
ATA for me until DipTrans allows online resources Oct 3, 2021

Both are indeed good choices and neither are easy to pass.

Personally, I opted for ATA certification (SPA>ENG). The pass rate hovers around 13%. I chose this exam because it allows you to use the normal resources you would use as a 21st-century translator (online dictionaries/forums like WordReference, Linguee, Kudoz past entries, etc.).

I started full-time translation in 2017/2018, so naturally I've never cracked a paper dictionary in my entire translation career, nor... See more
Both are indeed good choices and neither are easy to pass.

Personally, I opted for ATA certification (SPA>ENG). The pass rate hovers around 13%. I chose this exam because it allows you to use the normal resources you would use as a 21st-century translator (online dictionaries/forums like WordReference, Linguee, Kudoz past entries, etc.).

I started full-time translation in 2017/2018, so naturally I've never cracked a paper dictionary in my entire translation career, nor will I probably ever need to. Many translators who have been in the game longer will definitely disagree with me on the usefulness of paper dictionaries.

I would love to take the DipTrans exam once they get with the program and give you the option of using online resources. Obviously I don't want to chat with any outside source or ask anything on the forums, I just want to use the resources I use in my day-to-day work as a modern translator. I can't see being able to pass it if I have to waste time thumbing through multiple, thick dictionaries (not to mention money buying them).

I do find that after getting certified my new clients take me more seriously and I can also justify higher rates, so I've raised them twice since the exam results. I did double my income the year after getting certified (2019 vs. 2020) and that income has remained steady this year as well. I'm not sure how much of that was natural income growth from having a couple years of solid experience under my belt and how much could be attributed to the certification. It's certainly easier to win Proz bids and convince new clients that I know what I'm doing now, at least in my sector (mostly medical/scientific/business).

That being said, I don't know how useful this certification would be in the audiovisual sector. Solid experience and good references may be better valued.

As Rita says, don't expect huge clients coming from the ATA directory, it's mostly students needing transcripts and diplomas translated (and I imagine in the opposite language pair, ENG >SPA, you won't see this very much, either, because the students will be outgoing from the USA and will need certified translations in their target countries). Perhaps someone who is a certified ENG>SPA translator can fill us in on whether there's another market/sector that uses the directory?

ATA worked for me to get taken seriously as a translator in my fields, but perhaps someone who focuses more on audiovisual translation could be of more help in this matter. ▲ Collapse
 


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TRANSLATION CERTIFICATE RECOMMENDATION


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