Is ATA Membership worth it?

by Robert Finnegan
(Dili, Timor-Leste)

I live outside the US and go to the ATA Congress every year. Besides being a real learning experience every time, I have garnered several long-term, well-paying clients at the meetings.
I currently work fulltime in-house and am not seeking clients anymore and even sold my company. I still go every year and will continue to do so as conditions permit. I am not certified and never saw any benefit to it until this year's meeting - large clients, the US government in particular, are putting great stock in certification, and the time may come when it will be difficult to work in certain areas without it.
About membership, I think the nature of our work lends itself to individualism and self-reliance. That said, we can do more together than separately, and I am member to 3 translator's associations in 2 countries. My personal and professional growth has been greatly enhanced by networking and learning from others. The ATA is the largest professional association of its kind and I THINK IT IS WORTH IT IN TERMS OF CLIENTS, MEETING PEOPLE AND LEARNING - NOT NECESSARILY IN THAT ORDER!