Reporting Credentials: University Degrees & Professional Memberships Thread poster: Marcelo González
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Marcelo González 
United States
Local time: 23:26
Member (2005)
Spanish to English
+ ...
Hello,
I have a couple of questions about reporting credentials:
1) Since many of the organizations listed in the (US) drop-down menu (on Proz) do not have certification exams, does reporting a "credential" with these organizations require anything other than membership/affiliation?
Many (if not most) of the organizations on the US drop-down menu are affiliates of the ATA (The American Translators Association). If one selects "NMTIA" (New Mexico Translator... See more Hello,
I have a couple of questions about reporting credentials:
1) Since many of the organizations listed in the (US) drop-down menu (on Proz) do not have certification exams, does reporting a "credential" with these organizations require anything other than membership/affiliation?
Many (if not most) of the organizations on the US drop-down menu are affiliates of the ATA (The American Translators Association). If one selects "NMTIA" (New Mexico Translators & Interpreters Association) from the drop-down menu, would s/he need to have passed the ATA exam (since the affiliate itself [NMTIA] does not offer an exam of its own)?
2) Are certificates, certifications and degrees "in Translation" the only credentials that can be reported (and verified)?
On the site, it says "Use this page to report any professional credentials." Thus, I wonder if other (presumably language-related) degrees can be reported, as well?
(Some Prozians with degrees in "Spanish"--presumably linguistics or literature--report credentials in both directions, quite possibly without having been tested in translation, or perhaps without having taken translation courses as part of his/her degree. In the US, many Spanish programs--at both the undergraduate and graduate level--do not require coursework in Translation.)
Kind regards & happy holidays,
Marcelo
[Edited at 2005-12-18 21:22]
[Edited at 2005-12-18 23:01]
[Edited at 2005-12-19 01:25] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | You can actually report anything that you find relevant | Dec 18, 2005 |
You can actually report anything that you find relevant, and anything that you consider a "credential". It is not the organisation, proz, that decides the validity of what you report, but rather the prospective clients who view your profile page.
To give you an example, in the beginning, before I obtained a translation diploma, I reported my bilingual secretary qualifications. When I obtained my translation diploma, I deleted these and reported the diploma instead. This obviously... See more You can actually report anything that you find relevant, and anything that you consider a "credential". It is not the organisation, proz, that decides the validity of what you report, but rather the prospective clients who view your profile page.
To give you an example, in the beginning, before I obtained a translation diploma, I reported my bilingual secretary qualifications. When I obtained my translation diploma, I deleted these and reported the diploma instead. This obviously increased the number of enquiries I received.
In order to have a credential verified, you need to mail or fax a copy to the proz.com office, along with a letter.
Astrid
P.S. As regards whether you have passed the exams of a particular organisation or not, or have obtained membership in some other way, or maybe membership is not based on examination, your prospective clients will ask you further questions if necessary, if it is not clear to them, from what you have reported, what your qualifications are.
[Edited at 2005-12-18 23:28] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | I would like a 'postgrad. diploma' option... | Dec 19, 2005 |
The 'translation-related degree' dropdown only gives the option 'other' for people who hold the IoL Dip Trans, and people like myself, with a Danish postgraduate diploma.
I would like a 'postgrad. diploma' option as well.
It is not an MA, which (in Denmark at least) requires two full-time years of training after the BA. My diploma required one in total, or longer when taken as a part-time course.
There is no interpreting and no big thesis as in the MA cours... See more The 'translation-related degree' dropdown only gives the option 'other' for people who hold the IoL Dip Trans, and people like myself, with a Danish postgraduate diploma.
I would like a 'postgrad. diploma' option as well.
It is not an MA, which (in Denmark at least) requires two full-time years of training after the BA. My diploma required one in total, or longer when taken as a part-time course.
There is no interpreting and no big thesis as in the MA course, but the core subjects are very similar.
It is often taken as distance learning or evening classes, while the Danish MA is only available to those who can attend a full-time day-course at a business university.
The IoL DipTrans is different again, but it is a translation qualification in addtition to a BA or other degree, not the same as an MA.
The DipTrans may be taken by people whose BA is not strictly language related, and it is widely accepted and acknowledged. When I enquired about it, I was told that my Danish diploma would exempt me from it.
I can't just select BA on my profile, because I don't have a BA. My bachelor degree from the UK is a BSc, not primarily in translation, though it did include German to English as a subsidiary subject; and I have other bachelor-level diplomas from Danish universities, but not enough to add up to a complete BA... Besides, these are in French and German, which are not my working languages, although a lot of the theory applies to all European languages.
The Postgrad. diploma covers Danish to English, which is relevant...
I am sure there are other postgraduate diplomas in translation, which it would be nice to be able to show - these are just the ones I know.
It probably makes no real difference, but 'Other' does sound woolly by comparison to BA, MA and PhD.
Just a thought... ▲ Collapse
| | | | Marcelo González
United States
Local time: 23:26
Member (2005)
Spanish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Two Menus: Degree vs. Credentials | Dec 19, 2005 |
Astrid: I had suspected it was largely up to the translator. Your response really highlights the importance of the community in regards to (self) reporting, most notably, potential employers, as their understanding/acceptance of one's credentials may be the key to being awarded/denied a job/contract.
Cristine: Your suggestion is excellent; more options might be considered on the degree menu (other than just BA,MA, Ph.D & Other). What about the various other types of degrees, as wel... See more Astrid: I had suspected it was largely up to the translator. Your response really highlights the importance of the community in regards to (self) reporting, most notably, potential employers, as their understanding/acceptance of one's credentials may be the key to being awarded/denied a job/contract.
Cristine: Your suggestion is excellent; more options might be considered on the degree menu (other than just BA,MA, Ph.D & Other). What about the various other types of degrees, as well as postgrad. diplomas, or graduate certificates (as they are often called here in the US)? Should we consider including some of these, as well?
Though such a list may not be exhaustive (what list is?), it might be considered a move in the right direction, as we recongnize the existance of (at least) a few more of the degrees universities issue throughout the world (recognizing, of course, the differences, for which we cannot control, among degrees with similar names). Such a list might include BS, MS & EdD (to name but three here in the US), as well as BSc and Postrad. Diploma/Graduate Certificate. Again, the list will not contain every degree ever issued, but at least it will begin to reflect the variety of degrees held by the Proz community.
As for the drop-down menu for the "**Credentials**" (those that appear on the lower right hand of one's profile), in regards to the US list (the one with which I'm most familiar), it might be examined more closely to determine if there's any overlap, i.e., organizations included in both the "Memberships" drop-down and that of the "Credentials." As mentioned above, many organizations in this menu are ATA affiliates and, as such, do not have their own exams; in addition, many of these organizations are already listed under "Memberships." Would it be a good idea to include affiliates (and like organizations without exams) only under "Memberships"?
I'd like to thank the two Prozians that have contributed to this discussion, as well as the many Prozians who have taken the time to consider the issue(s).
-Marcelo
[Edited at 2005-12-19 18:16]
[Edited at 2005-12-20 15:32] ▲ Collapse
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