There are many budding professional translators and interpreters in the USA. They are fluent in more than one language in terms of understanding, speaking, reading, and writing. It requires practice, experience, and training to be at that level to be an expert in both languages.
So, if you possess such a level of expertise in more than one language, you can work as a professional translator in companies that provides language translation services.
Let us check out how to become a professional translator in the USA.
The Scope of Being a Certified Translator in the USA
A professional translator should possess fluency in at least two languages including their native language (mother tongue). A good translator needs high levels of language and translation skills. Moreover, their scope of being a professional translator in the USA is maximum. This is because the language service industry is quite huge. Even recession cannot cause distress in language and translation industries.
Earlier the translation and language service industry have an estimation of net worth at $43.08 billion as per 2017 reports. Currently, it is likely to reach $46.46 billion by 2021. So, naturally, this industry will grow steadily. There will also be a high scope of employment as a professional translator in the USA.
In the USA alone, there are over 3,000 language and translation service providers with 55,000 language and translation professionals. They provide translation services in other countries like China, Japan, Italy, Sweden, Luxembourg, Czech Republic, Singapore, India, etc. So, there a lot of aggressive competition in the US language and translation industry. Moreover, the market demand for getting translation service is greater than the current strength of professional translators.
So, it is very beneficial and satisfying to do translation work as a professional translator. Apart from the huge job scope in the translation industry, there is handsome pay too for budding translators in the US.
Steps to Follow for Bagging Your Dream Job as A Translation Professional
There is no shortcut to attaining the path of success. You need to toil hard and work smart in order to bag your dream job as a translation professional in the USA. Here are a few guidelines that can help you be a translation professional. These are:
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Get a Degree in a Particular Language and Translation Studies
You can get a bachelor’s degree in at least two languages, along with a major in one of the languages. In addition to this, translation courses are also important to be a professional and expert translator in various fields of arts, business, law, medical, finance, etc.
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Obtain Appropriate Certification from Authorised US Translation Schools
It is important for aspiring translators to obtain appropriate certification or accreditation from authorized US-based translation schools and translation organizations. Some of the organizations offering certification courses for upcoming translators are the American Translators’ Association (ATA), and the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators. Moreover, if you want to be a medical interpreter, you can pursue an online medical interpreter training course from the International Medical Interpreters Association.
You can also check if there are any other certification programs you can pursue in your state. It is helpful to get certification from the above-mentioned organizations because your name will be listed on their online directories. This is quite beneficial since potential clients may land upon you via their online directory.
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Get Language Proficiency Tests
You can show proof of your potentiality and language fluency to your future clients and customers. For this, you can get a language proficiency tests like the Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT).
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Gain Relevant Experience
You can start working as a translator by doing paid internships or working in some companies as a fresher. Once you gain some experience you can climb the ladder of success by getting lots of job opportunities. You can even show some samples of your previous work to get job recommendations and attract potential client’s interest.
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Engage in Marketing Yourself
Once you gain certification and experience as a professional translator, market yourself to gain new clients and good job opportunities. You can make your resume in job portals, and start looking for jobs in law firms, government agencies, private companies, language agencies, etc. You can even start your own website or blog. You may also join professional community sites and make connections with other fellow translators. If you don’t have knowledge about current translation market rates, ask these translators about their charges.
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Never Stop Learning & Advance your Skills
Translating some specific topic requires complete knowledge about the source and target language, and the translation topic. Thus, it is important to keep updated about specific industry terms, lingo, and trends. Moreover, you need to be a computer expert and start experimenting with the latest translation memory software.
Key Skills You Need to Brush Up for Being A Professional Translator
Like any other job, the role of a translator requires sheer dedication, hard work, and language knowledge. So, you need to have the following skills to become a successful professional translator:
- Complete fluency in both sets of languages in order to be a language professional for translation.
- Good computer skills including expert handling of MS Office Programs, Photoshops, In Design, Turnitin, CopyScape, Translation Software, HTML, and Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) Tools. Additionally, you must possess fast and accurate typing speed.
Conclusion
Therefore, to sum it up all, you can become a professional translator in the USA if you have a master’s knowledge in both sets of languages. On top of that, advanced research skills and deep subject knowledge is also equally required. Most important thing is to gain accreditation and certification from language translation organizations. Lastly, if you are fully determined and committed to your work, you can be a successful professional translator in the USA.
Pay a Professional USA Translator for Your Document Translation
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