Can I Trust a Translation Certification Program? Here Is How to Tell

How do you really know if you can trust a translation certification program? Is there a single thing to look for or check to make sure it is credible, well known, practical, and worth completing? The short answer is no, there is no easy way to tell, and that’s why we are writing this article to provide advice on this very topic.

While there are many translation certification programs around the world the two most global and popular and probably the Certified Translation Professional (CTP) and ATA programs which are completed by professionals in many different countries. If you were to evaluate these programs or other more regional programs what would stand out that makes them more credible than not? Here is a list of features which helps certification programs become more beneficial for participants to complete while also making them more credible?

• Career coaching
• Global participation and evidence of satisfied clients (testimonials)
• Resume feedback and coaching
• Video training modules
• Study guide and/or syllabus
• Keywords to review within the assigned readings
• Email & Phone support for participants
• Audio expert interviews

This review of translation certification program features should help you determine which certifications are more credible than others. It is not extreme to ask program sponsors about each of these resources and whether they offer something in those areas as each part will help you move forward within your career.

The piece of advice we would give on this topic is to be careful about calling yourself a certified translator within countries like Canada or other countries where there are legal restrictions over titles that you can give yourself within that specific state or country.