Translation - art & business » Getting established »
Beginner Russian-English translator: certifications, courses, and tools
Thread poster: Natalia Chetvernina (X)
Natalia Chetvernina (X)
Natalia Chetvernina (X)  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 08:34
Russian to English
+ ...
May 19, 2018

Hello everyone! I'm just starting out and glad I found this website. About me:

I have a Master's Degree and a career in a field outside of translation, and I have little professional experience in translation at the moment. I do think, however, that I have some advantage of growing up in Russia and in US, possessing a native and near-native command of both languages, and an immersion in both cultures, as well as - and probably most importantly for me - a great passion for translati... See more
Hello everyone! I'm just starting out and glad I found this website. About me:

I have a Master's Degree and a career in a field outside of translation, and I have little professional experience in translation at the moment. I do think, however, that I have some advantage of growing up in Russia and in US, possessing a native and near-native command of both languages, and an immersion in both cultures, as well as - and probably most importantly for me - a great passion for translating. I plan to specialize in the AEC industry translations because of my background, but also plan to expand into other fields that interest me.

I understand that just being bilingual is not enough, so my general question is this - what kind of certificates, courses, and technical tools would you suggest for someone like me? There is a lot of resources out there, but it'd be most helpful to get some feedback before spending a lot of money and energy on something.


Would greatly appreciate any advice from the experts on these three topics:

Certificates: Are there any "beginner" certificates out there, something that is respectable in the industry, yet not as extensive as an ATA Certification, for example? Any tests that can at the least show potential clients that you're competent and serious as a professional? Or would you suggest diving right into getting the ATA Certification? (Probably after taking some courses to prepare for someone like me?).

Courses: Any suggestions for beginner courses for Russian/English translators? Maybe something that would also give a certificate at the end of completion? Are there any good courses to prepare for ATA Certificate or does one just go for it and take the exam with enough experience?

Technical tools: Is it worth my time in the beginning to learn/try out any of the translation software out there? Which ones are most useful for beginners, if any? I'm pretty comfortable with learning any new tools, so I don't think this will be an issue for me, but, again, is it worth the time?


Thanks in advance for any advice!

Natalia

[Edited at 2018-05-19 19:49 GMT]

[Edited at 2018-05-19 19:49 GMT] ▲ Collapse
 


To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator:

Moderator(s) of this forum
Jorge Rodrigues[Call to this topic]
Rita Pang[Call to this topic]
James Heppe-Smith[Call to this topic]

You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request »

Beginner Russian-English translator: certifications, courses, and tools







TM-Town
Manage your TMs and Terms ... and boost your translation business

Are you ready for something fresh in the industry? TM-Town is a unique new site for you -- the freelance translator -- to store, manage and share translation memories (TMs) and glossaries...and potentially meet new clients on the basis of your prior work.

More info »
Protemos translation business management system
Create your account in minutes, and start working! 3-month trial for agencies, and free for freelancers!

The system lets you keep client/vendor database, with contacts and rates, manage projects and assign jobs to vendors, issue invoices, track payments, store and manage project files, generate business reports on turnover profit per client/manager etc.

More info »