Poll: Are you a member of a professional translation association?

Chris S wrote:

Socially I'm not interested
Professionally the entry barriers are generally set so low as to make them meaningless

Chris S wrote:

Socially I'm not interested
Professionally the entry barriers are generally set so low as to make them meaningless

Kate Deimling wrote:



I wouldn't say that it's enriched my social life, but I think that face-to-face interactions can give you a great sense of who someone is and whether you'd like to work with them if the opportunity arises. And it's nice to commiserate now and then. The freelancer's life can be a lonely one.

It's true that in the case of the ATA, anyone can join. Some of the other organizations mentioned by posters seem to have more restrictions. But I think belonging to a professional group still offers some cachet to clients, because it shows that you care enough to pay the membership dues and be engaged with professional issues.

When I was a beginner, I appreciated that anyone could join, because it was a chance for me to learn. And ATA also offers certification, which is a credential that provides some meaningful distinction. As in any group, you can tell pretty quickly which members are experienced and knowledgeable, who's a newcomer, and who is perhaps not all that competent.

On a related note, at ATA conferences, everyone wears a colored sticker on their nametag to show which language or languages they work with. At the last conference I attended, I saw one woman with about 20 different colors stuck to her nametag and wondered how anyone could possibly translate at a professional level in so many languages. And I think the answer is, in fact, that it's not possible.

Chris S wrote:

Socially I'm not interested
Professionally the entry barriers are generally set so low as to make them meaningless

Claire Cox wrote:



I think you'll find the entrance requirements for qualified membership of the ITI and the CIoL are quite high actually. I think you need a couple of references to be an associate member, but if you want to be a qualified MITI you have to obtain further references and either do an entrance examination (two translations in your chosen fields for each language) or an assessment of submitted work (if you've been translating enough for this to be a feasible option. You also have to have five years' experience as a professional translator and submit details of the volumes of work you've done over a 5-year period - no mean feat! This was certainly the case when I finally got round to joining a few years back and it required considerable commitment on my part to submit the application, references and test pieces. The exams are stringently marked by qualified professionals, as are the CIoL exams, I believe.

I had translated for many years before I actually joined, first as an associate and then as a qualified member, mainly because I worked in-house for the first five years of my career, so it wasn't really relevant, and then I worked part-time whilst my children were growing up, so didn't qualify on the volume front. It was only as I started to work full-time that I decided I really should join my professional association, if only to boost my own self-esteem. For me, it has been well worthwhile: not only the exchanges with like-minded professionals, but listing in the directory also provides openings for work. As an occasional outsourcer myself, I would look to outsource to a fellow ITI (or similar) member simply as a guarantee of quality. I'm not saying there aren't other good translators out there, but the fact that someone has jumped through these particular hoops suggests they must have a certain standard. For members starting out in the profession, the ITI offers mentoring schemes and advice from colleagues and the bimonthly Bulletin is an excellent way of keeping abreast of changes and events in the industry. professional indemnity insurance is also available at reasonable rates for members of the ITI, as is legal advice should you ever get into difficulties with clients.

For anyone who is really serious about the profession, I feel that membership of a professional organisation is a must. It shows to clients (and colleagues) that you are a serious contender and helps to promote the image of translators as a real profession, not something any Tom, Dick or Harry could do (although they often try...). You wouldn't trust an unqualified accountant or lawyer, why shouldn't the same apply to a translator? And before I'm shouted down in flames, I wasn't a member for many years because of my own particular circumstances and I felt I was a good translator then. Now I've made the effort to prove that to others and I'm really glad I did so!