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Benefits of ATA membership
Thread poster: Mahmoud Rayyan
Mahmoud Rayyan
Mahmoud Rayyan  Identity Verified
Egypt
Local time: 14:49
English to Arabic
Jul 4, 2008

Peace be upon you all,

I am starting my own work as a freelance Translator, and I was wondering if I applied for the certification test in the ATA, this will help me in my work as a freelance translator, I mean should it let me meet new clients or give me more chances to work with organizations?
Please advise
 
islander1974
islander1974
Canada
French to English
+ ...
Depends on what you want Jul 6, 2008

I have been an associate member of the ATA for some time which means paying an annual fee and getting the magazine. It's actually quite good to keep you up to date with what's happening on the US translation market and I love it.

In terms of certification, I think it will help in certain quarters but will make little difference to others who value competence above all. However, I would encourage you to do it while reminding you about (1) how much it will cost you to travel to the... See more
I have been an associate member of the ATA for some time which means paying an annual fee and getting the magazine. It's actually quite good to keep you up to date with what's happening on the US translation market and I love it.

In terms of certification, I think it will help in certain quarters but will make little difference to others who value competence above all. However, I would encourage you to do it while reminding you about (1) how much it will cost you to travel to the US to take the exam, and (2) the low pass rate of the ATA exam. I would therefore urge that you prepare for the exam fully by doing past papers, available from them at a cost of US$50 per paper, and having these corrected. The annual conference is being held in Disneyland this year so you could go for it. But remember to book very early if you're interested, particularly for the exam part on November 8.

I must say, however, that in terms of "paying off" I think a wiser and surer investment is fixing up your CV and joining proz.com for at least 6 months as a full member. You'll be able to bid on jobs right away. Also, I think your language pairs are in high demand!

Good luck! ▲ Collapse
 
Mahmoud Rayyan
Mahmoud Rayyan  Identity Verified
Egypt
Local time: 14:49
English to Arabic
TOPIC STARTER
The shortest way Jul 7, 2008

Thanks islander for your reply,
Actually I am seeking the shortest and professional way to build my career life as a freelance Translator, I am skeptic and I don't know how to start or where to start, I thought also of being member in proz, but the issue of bidding and how it will be done is so ambiguous for me, I can't figure how to bid and what to write in my bidding.
I believe I will postpone the issue of ATA for a while and act as you advise about membership of proz, but I will g... See more
Thanks islander for your reply,
Actually I am seeking the shortest and professional way to build my career life as a freelance Translator, I am skeptic and I don't know how to start or where to start, I thought also of being member in proz, but the issue of bidding and how it will be done is so ambiguous for me, I can't figure how to bid and what to write in my bidding.
I believe I will postpone the issue of ATA for a while and act as you advise about membership of proz, but I will give myself a while to build more kudoz points in order to get a higher rank when being membership
seeking your advise
B.R
Rayyan ▲ Collapse
 
islander1974
islander1974
Canada
French to English
+ ...
... Jul 8, 2008

The bidding part is the last difficult. Have a look at the profiles of your various colleagues who translate into Arabic and from Arabic. See what their rates are if they display them.

Building kudoz points is a great way to get started and to familiarize yourself with the website. I know a couple of people on the site have said that it really helped them build confidence in themselves and credibility with others.

I must confess I joined as a full member before I s... See more
The bidding part is the last difficult. Have a look at the profiles of your various colleagues who translate into Arabic and from Arabic. See what their rates are if they display them.

Building kudoz points is a great way to get started and to familiarize yourself with the website. I know a couple of people on the site have said that it really helped them build confidence in themselves and credibility with others.

I must confess I joined as a full member before I started answering kudoz questions...

[Edited at 2008-07-08 00:51] ▲ Collapse
 


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