Poll: What do you value most about membership in a professional translators' association?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Apr 20, 2017

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "What do you value most about membership in a professional translators' association?".

This poll was originally submitted by Angus Stewart. View the poll results »



 
Max Deryagin
Max Deryagin  Identity Verified
Russian Federation
Local time: 03:50
Member (2013)
English to Russian
Networking Apr 20, 2017

And not only in the sense of getting job opportunities from your association contacts but more so in the sense of building bonds with your colleagues and sharing knowledge. And in my case, the opportunity to try and make the industry healthier.

 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 22:50
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Other Apr 20, 2017

Client exposure + networking opportunities!

 
Marie-Louise Desfray (X)
Marie-Louise Desfray (X)  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 23:50
English to French
+ ...
Legislation changes and lobbying Apr 20, 2017

It's also about knowing regulatory changes that affect our work (France has a love for standards and new laws). It's also a way to talk to the government and bring some issues to their attention (e.g. currently the issues affecting the sworn translators in France https://www.sft.fr/fo/public/menu/archives_news/news_fiche&newsId=1986). United, we have more chances t... See more
It's also about knowing regulatory changes that affect our work (France has a love for standards and new laws). It's also a way to talk to the government and bring some issues to their attention (e.g. currently the issues affecting the sworn translators in France https://www.sft.fr/fo/public/menu/archives_news/news_fiche&newsId=1986). United, we have more chances to get the message across, we are stronger.

Being a member of a professional association is good. Also, those associations badly need volunteers to server the translator community as a whole: do think about getting involved!

You can find quite a few translator associations on FIT web site: http://www.fit-ift.org/members/

/mld
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Christine Andersen
Christine Andersen  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 23:50
Member (2003)
Danish to English
+ ...
Several of the above Apr 20, 2017

I voted for accreditation, because that was my main reason for joining the Iol, now CIoL.

I was not able to be State Authorized in Denmark, and without that title absolutely anyone can set up as a translator. I think it is important to have credentials.

Then, of course, just to make sure they mean something, there is the CPD and networking, which in fact means client exposure, and the magazine, group insurance.


 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 23:50
Spanish to English
+ ...
Other Apr 20, 2017

I assume the query doesn't consider proz to be a "professional translators' association", so all I can say is that any time I've looked into joining any, I decided it wasn't worth the bother. The UK-based one, whose name escapes me right now, was too expensive and demanding and would have required me to hunt for things like my original degree certificate, and all just seemed more bother than it would be worth. The ATA was much more accessible, but I never got round to joining that either, and an... See more
I assume the query doesn't consider proz to be a "professional translators' association", so all I can say is that any time I've looked into joining any, I decided it wasn't worth the bother. The UK-based one, whose name escapes me right now, was too expensive and demanding and would have required me to hunt for things like my original degree certificate, and all just seemed more bother than it would be worth. The ATA was much more accessible, but I never got round to joining that either, and anyway, I'm not American...

However, if we were to include proz, I really value the opportunity presented by kudoz to share and compare translation queries with colleagues. The news items and forums are interesting as well, and a lot of the job postings are good for a laugh too.
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Vanda Nissen
Vanda Nissen  Identity Verified
Australia
Local time: 08:50
Member (2008)
English to Russian
+ ...
All of them Apr 20, 2017

...except for I am not a member of any association:).

For me they are all equally important. The only thing, in Australia accreditation system for translators and interpreters is governed by NAATI which is a body owned by Commonwealth and State and Territory governments. Our professional association, AUSIT, is not in charge of accreditations.


 
Ana Vozone
Ana Vozone  Identity Verified
Local time: 22:50
Member (2010)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Accreditation Apr 20, 2017

I think accreditation (Qualified Member status) from a body such as the ITI in the UK is important: it is not indispensable but it has helped me get some clients that require... accreditation. I was also an associate member of the ATA but cancelled this year, although I can say that I got a few clients every year because of that membership.

The paperwork required by ITI was not excessive, specially when compared to the paperwork I have had to go through to get certain new clients...
... See more
I think accreditation (Qualified Member status) from a body such as the ITI in the UK is important: it is not indispensable but it has helped me get some clients that require... accreditation. I was also an associate member of the ATA but cancelled this year, although I can say that I got a few clients every year because of that membership.

The paperwork required by ITI was not excessive, specially when compared to the paperwork I have had to go through to get certain new clients...

So I do think accreditation is (can be) a plus.
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Giovanni Guarnieri MITI, MIL
Giovanni Guarnieri MITI, MIL  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:50
Member (2004)
English to Italian
Other Apr 20, 2017

all of them!

 
DZiW (X)
DZiW (X)
Ukraine
English to Russian
+ ...
no rights and duties dilemma Apr 20, 2017

The point is not what a translator values, but what he is valued for, and from this outlook everything named (accreditation, client exposure, networking opportunities, industry news, benefits, and opportunities, whatever) is no unique or exclusive to associations.

I don't consider such, because they mostly provide too little added value for me.


 
Mario Freitas
Mario Freitas  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 19:50
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Not a member Apr 21, 2017

I'm not a member of any association. I've never been a member of any professional association as a translator or in any of my other former professions. All I have ever seen associations do is to take more money from the associates than they return in services. In my country, associations, as well as labor unions, have a very negative image and history. I may be mistaken regarding international associations, but I still hope I will never give the money I work hard for, to these institutions.

 


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Poll: What do you value most about membership in a professional translators' association?






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