Translators’ associations: Why join one?

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New to the field of translation and want to give your career a boost? If this is the first time you’ve heard about professional associations for translators, or if you already know something about them but want to get a deeper understanding of the topic, then this article will definitely be useful to you. Here I will tell you what translation associations are, what they do, why they are so useful, and whether it is worthwhile to join one.

What is a professional association and what’s it for?

Translators’ associations are professional associations. They unite people according to their professional interests. The number of all kinds of translation and near-translation associations (national, regional and international) is quite large. Every one of them has its specific goal or challenge, which usually are

—raising the overall prestige of the translation profession

—protection of translators’ interests when dealing with employers and the government

—creation of favorable working conditions for translators

—advanced training and certification of translators.

In order to fulfill all these tasks, they usually hold meetings and gatherings for their members, conferences and seminars on current issues in the theory and practice of translation. They also inform their members about all relevant events, as well as about incoming translation orders. An association can publish its own printed edition (paper or electronic), post information sites on the Internet, send out regular membership lists with contact information within the organization, send out lists of members with their specialization to the largest employers (e.g., chambers of commerce) once a year. They develop and publish recommendations on rates for translation services, negotiate preferential conditions for participation in scientific conferences, discounts for the purchase of dictionaries and computer programs for their members.

You can find different types of associations that we can divide by territory or by field of activity. For example, there are regional and international associations (Union of Translators of Russia, American Translators Association, the European Union of Associations of Translation Companies, Federation Internationale des traducteurs). There are also associations such as the Union of Free translators, which deals with alternative funny translations for films; the Association française des interprètes et traducteurs en langue des signes, which promotes interpretation and translation from French to French sign language (LSF) ; the International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA), a clearinghouse of information about medical interpreting worldwide; the Ladies’ League of Translators, which aims to translate romantic literature for women, etc.

What is the benefit of joining a translator’s association?

The point of joining one is its benefits, of course. Let’s see what you can get from becoming a member of any one of these.

First of all, it can be a great bonus for your resume/CV. Then, the membership of the association gives you the opportunity to participate in all events held by it, share ideas and initiatives regarding the organization’s activities as well as discuss current professional issues related to translation with colleagues. They may elect you to manage different bodies of the association and thereby you will be able directly participate in making different decisions concerning the activities of the organization and regulation of the translation market. One of the most desirable things of every translator is the opportunity to receive translation orders (very rare!) and to exchange orders between the members of the organization by establishing direct contacts (more realistic!). You can also have access to all kinds of information related to the translation market, get references for employers and other organizations, receive legal assistance in case of conflict with employers (e.g., violation of translators’ copyrights or non-payment of royalties), a discount on dictionaries and computer programs (on rare occasions!)

Other members of the translators’ community benefit from such organizations too.

—As a translation lobby, translation organizations serve as advocates for all members of the translation community.

—Interpreters who are not members of such an organization also have, to a certain extent, access to the organization’s informational materials and recommendations.

—Non-member translators have the opportunity to participate in conferences and seminars held by the organization.

—All interpreters, regardless of membership, may obtain professional certification from such an organization.

—All interpreters may consult and seek legal advice and assistance regarding their professional activities.

How successful the existing translation associations really are in solving the mentioned above tasks is another issue.

Disadvantages

If, after reading about all the advantages of these associations you immediately want to join one of them, we recommend you not hurry and read this article to the end.

Along with the advantages, all such associations have their disadvantages.

The first one is the fee. Most professional organizations require payment of annual fees. There may also be an initial fee. Although $100 or so does not seem like much, the amounts go up when you join several associations. In addition to applications and membership fees, you will also spend money on food and on transportation.

Another disadvantage is that all these activities and meetings take time. Some of the associations may hold annual meetings, others may gather their members weekly or once a month. If you are a member of more than one association, weekly meetings can take time. While reading the monthly newsletter, e-mails and publications keeps you up to date, it is time-consuming too. Some associations devote more meeting time to pleasant socializing, snacking and sipping drinks, than to actually sharing experiences, what you can find time-wasting.

Besides, the association may take a position on a policy with which you disagree and assume that all members will support it regardless of their personal points of view.

So, as you can see, joining a translators’/interpreter’s association may be quite useful if you are planning to go deeper into the profession. These organizations can provide you with lots of benefits and information, not to mention the opportunity to expand your professional network. But they have their disadvantages too. Sometimes the fees are too high, and meetings take too much time. Anyway, it is up to you to decide whether to join one or not.

Alina Chaplygina – M1 TSM (2021-2022)