Below are the top five translator certification mistakes we see being made by both translators and those looking to start their career within the field. If you have 2-3 minutes of your time to invest in reading and avoiding making these same mistakes you could help your career move forward at a much faster pace than otherwise possible.

1. Completing a more expensive on campus translator certification: By our team’s estimates and records over 70% of translator certification participants are already working or studying full time while completing such the certification. Due to this it is important to strongly consider completing a certification in translator that is 100% online, meaning that the career coaching, video content, audio resources, forum, customer service, and testing is all online. If it is not you may have to work on another organization’s business hours, pay technology fees, or spend your valuable time commuting in traffic to attend in-person sessions or examinations. Even if your time is only worth $15 or $25 an hour these extra annoyances get in the way of learning faster and can add up to a higher cost than what you pay in total tuition.

2. Not investing at least a full hour in learning how to position yourself as being certified: While almost everyone who completes a translator certification immediately adds this fact to their resume, most stop at that point when they could be doing much more. Once you have invested 100 hours+ in earning this type of a certification consider positioning yourself further through one of these methods:

• Adding details about being certified to your Linkedin.com profile
• Adding the certification’s logo to your resume to highlight this special training
• Making sure your resume is only 1 page long maximum so it is more likely to be read
• Adding a badge linking to the translator certification program’s description on your personal bio website, blog or Linkedin.com, Facebook, Twitter, or Youtube.com Profile page
• Building a one page profile website which promotes your experience and training much like a resume

3. Assuming you are not experienced enough to complete a translator certification program: We get emails from undergraduates, graduate school students, and recent graduates every day who mistakenly believe that translator certifications are only for those with 3, 5 or 7 years worth of experience.

4. Not taking certification in translator serious enough: Everyone is busy and with several commitments to attend to each day it can be easy to put off reading, watching videos, or listening to audio resources for a certification program. It can help if you take a slow and steady approach and invest just 45 minutes a day each business day to covering the required reading and video-based materials for the program. Take notes while you study and start to put together a list of key ideas and pages to review in the future before your test.

5. Believing it is “too late” to complete a translator certification: It is common for professionals with 10, 15, or 20 years of previous work experience or small business ownership to want to re-train themselves to enter the translator industry either at an entry-level or mid-level position. This is natural and more common than you would think. Don’t be discouraged by the fact that you have 0 experience in the industry and no training, everyone starts from scratch at some point and your real life experience will pay off while on the job as you hopefully come off as a more respectful, mature, pro-active, and responsible employee who will be able to handle the politics of the work environment much better than many younger professionals.

These translator certification mistakes are taken out of the over 3,000 emails our team at the Global Translation Institute every month. We hope that by sharing these we can add value to your first while you evaluate whether to join a professional translator certification program.

If you are interested in learning more about one option to complete such a program our team offers the Certified Translation Professional (CTP) program.

Learn more about the Certified Translation Professional (CTP) Program.

Related Resources:

• Translator Training
• Become a Translator
• CTP Designation Program
• Global Translation Institute (GTI)

Tags: Translator Certification, Translator Certifications, Translator Certification Programs, Translator Certification Program, Certification in translator, Online Translator Certification, Translator Certification Review, Translator Certification Courses, Translator Certification Course

What is a translator designation? A translator designation is typically a certificate or certification program which confirms experience and or knowledge of translator professionals. When you walk into a doctor’s office or law firm you see their certifications and diplomas on their wall because everyone wants to be assured that they have taken the time to study and become certified as holding a high level of specialized knowledge within their area of work, earning a translator designation is similar to this, employers want to know they are hiring someone who is a specialist, not a generalist.

Who completes translator designation programs? Translator designation programs are completed by professionals around the world as developing markets mature and economies turn from mostly manufacturing based jobs to knowledge worker type jobs the demand for translator experts greatly increases. Some professionals who we know have completed translator designations in the past include:

• New Translators
• Students & Professors
• Experienced professional translators

How much in tuition should I expect to pay for a translator designation program? Our survey of the industry shows that most translator positions pay between $250 and $500 for translator designations. This is relatively inexpensive as this is about the same cost or slightly more than a single University course providing the skills needed to be a translator . In addition to expenses you may also need to incur testing or technology fees if your testing is done within a physical testing center. Books for most translator designation programs cost $100-$200 total.

Why should I complete a translator designation? First off, if everything else is held equal and you are competing against someone else with your same educational background and work experience than it will most likely help you give you an edge if you have completed a translator designation. These programs help potential employers know that you:

• Have re-invested in your own training and self-improvement
• Hold specialized knowledge within this niche area, potentially much more so than others competing for this job who do not hold a designation
• Are pro-active, goal-oriented and serious about your own career development

How do I determine which translator designation offers the most value? When you evaluate designations designed for translators consider whether that organization will allow you to complete the training while working or going to school full time. Almost all of us must earn these types of designations within already full schedules so it is critical that all video training, testing, and interaction may be completed 100% online without any hidden testing or technology fees that most Universities sneak into the fine print. Typically this will be clear on the organization’s website but if it already clear email the team and ask them about whether there are any additional fees in addition to the tuition payment and purchasing of required texts.

What is the Certified Translation Professional (CTP) Program? The Certified Translation Professional (CTP) Program is a 100% online designation program for a translator professional who is looking to work within the industry. This program was built by experienced translator experts to help train and verify the knowledge of other aspiring translator professionals.

Who is this program not for? This program is not for those looking to simply get a quick boost to their resume without doing any work. Like anything in life you get out what you invest into the program and our program is not something you can join and pass with flying colors by winging it or just using an online translator cheat sheet of some sort. If you are looking to build your credentials by paying for a designation in this space we are not the program for you. If on the other hand you are looking to complete an online translator training program and designation to greatly improve the depth of your knowledge within this industry while also verifying this knowledge than this program could be of huge value to you and your career.

Register or Learn More About The Certified Translation Professional (CTP) Program
Tags: Translator Designation, Designation for Translator, Translator Designations, Translator Designation Program, Online Translator Designation, Designation Programs for Translator Professionals

There are many benefits to completing online translator training programs but not all of these are immediately obvious. Completing your training online may or may not be the best option for your unique situation but it is important to at least be cognizant of the differences upfront before you enroll within any program. If you haven’t considered these items in the past they may be able to save you over $2,000 over the next few years.

24/7 Support and Learning Resources: Traditional schools are setup to provide you with customer service and support during business hours. Online translator training programs are setup to help you find answers efficiently at any time of the day with online forums, extensive FAQs, click to chat services, and more responsive email and phone call support as well.

More Value – Less Tuition: Traditional schools typically provide a lecture which is 1.5-2 hours in length. Why is this? One of the main reasons is that it takes a certain level of effort to get the professor and all of the students in the same room at the same time, so once this is accomplished you may as well fit in a few hours of training. What is wrong with this is that extensive scientifically backed research shows that most professionals start to lose focus and stop paying attention after 20-40 minutes and no studies have provided conclusive evidence that watching someone lecture for over an hour straight is a productive method of instruction. If you enroll into an online translator training program the host organization does not have to force you to sit through 2 hours straight of lecture, video or audio resources can be broken up into concise, focused 5-20 minute segments which help you learn about one idea at a time or skip over supplemental videos if they cover an area which you are already familiar with. This is just one of the ways in which completing your translator training online can provide you with more value while typically paying 30-70% less in tuition.

Adaptive and Dynamic: Online translator training programs are typically built based on industry best practices, industry demands, and participant requests. This is in contrast to more traditional school-based programs which are provided on-campus and are typically structured around theory, a textbook, or a single professor’s knowledge. While most on campus translator training programs completely change their course matter and subjects as professors come and go within departments online training programs typically are constantly building our their coverage of the niche area, always adapting, evolving, and improving. This is possible because knowledge is passed through digital media such as video and audio resources instead of being held in someone’s mind and class notes of what “should be taught.”

Time is Money: Everyone’s time is worth something whether that is $6/hour or $60/hour you need to calculate what this number is in your case and calculate commuting costs to complete an in-person course or examination vs. an online training program. I believe if you take moderate estimates of this wasted time into account you will see that your commuting time is costing you almost as much if not more than the tuition. For example, if your time is worth $27 an hour and you spend just 40 minutes commuting each way to campus every week for 16 weeks that total cost of your time is $576. What is the real cost of not getting trained online?

Superior Alumni Benefits: Since online translator training programs must develop video and audio based resources it is much easier to then offer these same resources or related online training modules to alumni for little or no extra cost. The result is that alumni are actually treated like valuable members of a community instead of just someone that a more traditional school may contact for a donation to their foundation after a few years. Traditional universities and campuses must pay for their buildings, land, and overhead so in the end you are either paying an online training organization to develop great resources or you are paying more for a campus to keep up maintenance on their buildings and land. Which is more valuable to you and your career? A good example of how this is unfolding in other industries can be found in the movie rental business. In this industry everyone is asking themselves: Why pay $5 per movie rental to pay for someone’s building, electricity, and overhead when you can pay $10 or less a month and rent several movies through Netflix?

I hope these benefits of online translator training help you decide whether these types of programs are right for you. If you have some follow up questions feel free to contact our team or read more about our Certified Translation Professional (CTP) program on TranslationCertification.org

Register or learn more about the Certified Translation Professional (CTP) Certification.

Related Resources:

1. Translator Certification
2. Online Translator Training
3. Translator Designation
4. Translation Certificate

Tags: Online Translator Training, Online Translator Training Program, Translator Training Online, online Translator Training Programs, training programs for translator professionals

Below is a brief interview regarding the translation certificate program offered through the Global Translation Institute (GTI).

Why do professionals complete translation certificate programs?  Our team has identified three main groups of professionals who typically complete translation certificates, these include:

1) Students & Recent Graduates:  Many professionals who have completed a two or four year degree find themselves without a job because their knowledge is not specialized enough.  Everyone wants a job but companies generally want to hire professionals with every specific abilities, skills, training, and experience.  The $100,000 question is how do you get these skills and abilities if nobody will give you a chance to work for them as a translation in the first place?  One way to improve what you can offer is completing a translation certificate, as note below these programs can help you position yourself within this competitive industry.

2) Entry or Mid Level translation professionals:  The largest group of translation certificate participants are those which are 1-5 years into their career as a translation and have identified the need for further training.  The translation industry is so large that your responsibilities within the first few years of your career in this space may change drastically as you are trusted with more responsibility.  As opportunities to be promoted or hired away into a better job arise you will want to be there with the specialized experience and training that employers value to give yourself the best shot at making that leap forward.

3) Experienced Professionals:  The last type of professional we see commonly completing certificates in translation are those which have 5, 10, or 20+ years of experience within another field and now want to transfer their career over to being a translation position.  In our experience these professionals are highly motivated to succeed but are hesitant about “starting over” or they question whether it is “too late” to make the move.  Our advice to everyone is that if you know in your gut that you should make a move than trust yourself and write out a 3-5 year plan for making it happen.  Most important things in business and life take hard work and sacrifice and it will likely never by easy to make this adjustment.

How can I complete a certificate in translation? What is involved? Most translation certificate programs will require you to read 300-800 pages worth of books on translation.  In addition to the reading most will include video modules, lectures, expert audio interviews with industry experts, and practice examinations.  The goal of most of these programs is to help you master the necessary skills to do well within at least an entry level translation job.   All certificate programs that we have reviewed end with some sort of test or examination, and the best programs will also examine your practical application of the material as well.

How much does a online translation a certificate program cost to complete?  During our last survey of the translation industry we saw that programs typically cost $700 to $3,500 to complete.  In addition to the costs of tuition and acquiring the required readings watch out for hidden technology, testing, or commuting costs which are often added in when completing programs at Universities or community colleges.

Are these certificates complete online or on-campus somewhere in-person? While many programs are offer on-campus a few of the most popular are now offered 100% online as most participants who complete translation certificates are already working or studying full time.  Make sure whichever program you join that it requires a practical application of knowledge, career coaching, resume feedback, and some sort of online training component.

What are the benefits of earning a certificate in translation? The benefits of completing a program are diverse and go beyond what may be immediately obvious if you are considering completing a translation certificate.  Some of the benefits of completing such a program include:

·         Third party verification of your translation knowledge, skills, and abilities

·         In depth training and specialized knowledge within the translation niche

·         Career coaching, resume feedback, and support systems for alumni

I am interested.  How Can I Complete a translation Certificate Program? To complete your translation certificate you will need to first identify which program you would like to complete.  While there are many options available on  the market, one which our team offers is the Certified Translation Professional (CTP) program.  After identifying which certificate program to complete you will typically need to acquire some required readings (books), and then study for 3-6 months to prepare for the examination.  Typically 75-100+ hours are needed to complete certificates within this field.

I hope these interview questions and answers help you evaluate whether you should be planning to complete a translation certificate.  If you have any further questions about completing certificates in this area please email our team or read our FAQ on TranslationCertification.org

Register or learn more about our Certified Translation Professional  (CTP) certificate program.

Tags: Translation Certificate, Translation Certificates, Translation Certificate Programs, Translation Certificate Program, Online Translation Certificate

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Below is an Expert Translator Audio Interview that our team completed with Paulo Eduardo Rogdrigues who has 8 years of translation experience and works from Brazil.

Tags: Translator Audio Interview, Interviews with Expert Translators, Translation Experts, Translation Best Practices

Tags: Translation Training, Translation Training Online, Translation Training Interview, Expert Translator Interview, Audio Interview With Translators, Translation Industry Mentor, Interviews With Translators