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técnico en publicidad

English translation: (degree of) técnico (associate) in advertising

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:técnico en publicidad
English translation:(degree of) técnico (associate) in advertising
Entered by: HeidyBarrientos

16:24 Aug 24, 2017
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Education / Pedagogy / Study Certicate
Spanish term or phrase: técnico en publicidad
This term appears in a Study Certicate of a local University and it reads as the following:

La egresada ha cursado en esta universidad la carrera de "Tecnico en Publicidad"
HeidyBarrientos
El Salvador
(degree of) técnico (associate) in advertising
Explanation:
I agree with the point Phil has made about "técnico". Although "technician" is the right translation in some contexts, it very often isn't. In English the word "technician" is strongly associated with engineering and technology, whereas "técnico" simply means someone with technical expertise in the broadest sense: someone possessing professional skills of some kind. An advertising technician implies someone who keeps the computers working, for example. A "técnico en publicidad" is simply someone with professional skills in advertising. So as a job, "técnico" is normally best translated as something like "specialist", sometimes "officer", or something like that. It's not a consultant, in any case. A consultant is someone who advises others on how to do their job; a "técnico" is someone who actually does the job at a practical level (so not a manager).

Here, however, it doesn't refer to a job, a post in an organisation, but to a degree. And in that context, "técnico" has other implications. It refers to a relatively short degree course of a primarily practical nature. In Spain, there is a distinction between shorter vocational degree courses called "técnico superior" and longer academic degree courses formerly called "licenciatura" and now called "grado".

The same distinction apparently exists in El Salvador. If you look at the degree courses available in the field of marketing and advertising, you'll see that some are called "Técnico" and others "Licenciatura". The former last 2 or 3 years, the latter 5:
http://www.universia.com.sv/estudios/marketing-publicidad/dp...

The course descriptions, though not very explicit, tend to support the idea that "técnico" degrees give people the skills and knowledge needed to work in the field (with some theoretical background but probably not very much), whereas the "licenciaturas" provide a fuller training (almost certainly with a much larger theoretical component) for people who will often go into management positions.

So I think that in this context "técnico en publicidad" means the equivalent of what is known in the US as an associate degree in advertising:

"An associate in advertising is a two-year program that prepares students for entry-level positions in advertising and equips them with the knowledge and skills required to pursue careers in advertising."
http://www.excite.com/education/business/advertising/associa...

In the UK the equivalent term would be "foundation degree in advertising".

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 17 hrs (2017-08-25 09:26:05 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I forget to add that as you can see in the answer box I would retain the Spanish term "técnico" and add the English equivalent in parentheses. This is not essential, but I think it's advisable, since (as has been pointed out many times here in the past) equivalence in these matters is rarely exact, and the qualification is not actually an associate degree but the Salvadoran equivalent.
Selected response from:

Charles Davis
Spain
Local time: 10:54
Grading comment
Thnak you very much for your clea explanation!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2(degree of) técnico (associate) in advertising
Charles Davis
4 +1Advertising Technician
Michael Powers (PhD)
4 +1advertising consultant
neilmac
Summary of reference entries provided
We've had this many times before.
philgoddard

  

Answers


8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Advertising Technician


Explanation:
The graduate studied the major of Advertising Technician

Michael Powers (PhD)
United States
Local time: 04:54
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 412
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you very much Michael!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  David Hollywood
51 mins
neutral  philgoddard: Técnico is a false friend. "Technician" usually means someone with technology expertise.
4 hrs
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15 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
advertising consultant


Explanation:
Despite the "years of experience" caveat, I think this works better than "technician"...

"Advertising consultants have years of experience in the field, bringing an expertise to an agency that may lack it."

Example sentence(s):
  • An Advertising Consultant focuses on the way that businesses communicate with current or prospective clientele
  • Advertising consultants are typically independent contractors,...

    https://www.upwork.com/hire/advertising-consultants/
    https://profile.theguardian.com/agree/GRS?skipConfirmation=true&returnUrl=https%3a%2f%2fjobs.theguardian.com%2fjobs%2fadvertising%2fconsulta
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 10:54
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 527
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you very much Neilmac!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Mónica Hanlan
5 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

16 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
(degree of) técnico (associate) in advertising


Explanation:
I agree with the point Phil has made about "técnico". Although "technician" is the right translation in some contexts, it very often isn't. In English the word "technician" is strongly associated with engineering and technology, whereas "técnico" simply means someone with technical expertise in the broadest sense: someone possessing professional skills of some kind. An advertising technician implies someone who keeps the computers working, for example. A "técnico en publicidad" is simply someone with professional skills in advertising. So as a job, "técnico" is normally best translated as something like "specialist", sometimes "officer", or something like that. It's not a consultant, in any case. A consultant is someone who advises others on how to do their job; a "técnico" is someone who actually does the job at a practical level (so not a manager).

Here, however, it doesn't refer to a job, a post in an organisation, but to a degree. And in that context, "técnico" has other implications. It refers to a relatively short degree course of a primarily practical nature. In Spain, there is a distinction between shorter vocational degree courses called "técnico superior" and longer academic degree courses formerly called "licenciatura" and now called "grado".

The same distinction apparently exists in El Salvador. If you look at the degree courses available in the field of marketing and advertising, you'll see that some are called "Técnico" and others "Licenciatura". The former last 2 or 3 years, the latter 5:
http://www.universia.com.sv/estudios/marketing-publicidad/dp...

The course descriptions, though not very explicit, tend to support the idea that "técnico" degrees give people the skills and knowledge needed to work in the field (with some theoretical background but probably not very much), whereas the "licenciaturas" provide a fuller training (almost certainly with a much larger theoretical component) for people who will often go into management positions.

So I think that in this context "técnico en publicidad" means the equivalent of what is known in the US as an associate degree in advertising:

"An associate in advertising is a two-year program that prepares students for entry-level positions in advertising and equips them with the knowledge and skills required to pursue careers in advertising."
http://www.excite.com/education/business/advertising/associa...

In the UK the equivalent term would be "foundation degree in advertising".

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 17 hrs (2017-08-25 09:26:05 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I forget to add that as you can see in the answer box I would retain the Spanish term "técnico" and add the English equivalent in parentheses. This is not essential, but I think it's advisable, since (as has been pointed out many times here in the past) equivalence in these matters is rarely exact, and the qualification is not actually an associate degree but the Salvadoran equivalent.

Charles Davis
Spain
Local time: 10:54
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 676
Grading comment
Thnak you very much for your clea explanation!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  neilmac: Fair enough on the course title, but in general I think "consultant" works as an informal way to express the "técnico" notion...
49 mins
  -> Thanks a lot, Neil :) Sometimes, perhaps, but I generally prefer something like specialist. A técnico is very hands-on.
agree  philgoddard
3 hrs
  -> Thanks, Phil
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Reference comments


12 hrs peer agreement (net): +1
Reference: We've had this many times before.

Reference information:
It means specialist, or analyst, or anything along those lines.


    Reference: http://www.proz.com/kudoz/spanish_to_english/certificates_di...
philgoddard
United States
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 259
Note to reference poster
Asker: Thank you for the information.


Peer comments on this reference comment (and responses from the reference poster)
agree  neilmac: Yes. There are some things where "technician" doesn't cut it and this is one IMHO.
3 hrs
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