Becoming a Certified Spanish Translator

by Earl Artis
(Roswell, GA, USA)

Earl asked: How can I achieve ISO certification for English to Spanish translations? Most of the information I find talks about finding jobs and building a client base. I want to know how to become certified.

Also, beyond ISO and ATA certifications, are there any other certifications that are recognized in this industry?



The Spanish Translator: Those are some great questions to ask, Earl, so I appreciate you taking some time and asking these questions about Spanish translation certification.

Your first question was about achieving ISO certification for Spanish translation. First, for the benefit of our readers, we'll take some time to explain what ISO translation certification means. ISO Certification really refers to ISO 9001:2000, which is short for International Standards Organization Standard No. 9001, Year 2000 Version.

So what exactly is ISO certification? Well, first of all it's important to know what ISO certification is not. It's not a certification of a translator's ability or his/her quality of work. It is also not a measure of quality for a translation provider. If ISO certification doesn't measure translation quality, then what does it do?

Well, in its most basic form, all ISO certification is certify that a translation provider has a process in place to manage translations. The thing about this is that everybody that has ever worked for a company knows that a process does not make the product necessarily any better. If you want to know some more, be sure to read this article about ISO certification.

About your next question: There are many places to get certified as a translator, with some schools even offering online translation certificates, but the American Translators Association is probably the most well-known certification organization in the United States. That being said, certification in general can be a touchy subject among those that work in the translation industry. Yes, there are clients that only want translators that are certified, but at the same time, there are many clients that just want a translator that will do a good job, and there are many ways to prove to a client that you are a good translator without having to rely on a piece of paper.

So what should you do? Well, it all depends. If you feel that certification will help you get more clients, go ahead and become certified. But don't think that certification alone will build your client base for your freelance translation business. For that, you'll have to rely on your networking skills and marketing acumen.

Hope that helps, and good luck!