Some advice on how to become a translator without a degree

There are many different ways to become a translator, the most typical being through a university degree in translation. The university path is common in major European languages in which universities offer translation degrees. However, there are also minority languages and smaller languages in which university degrees are either not offered or not common. One way of entering the business is therefore through work experience.

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      If your degree is in a subject other than translation

      Some translators have a formal education in something other than languages. Having a degree in a, for example, economics can be a great tool for translating financial texts just as a law degree could be a huge advantage for translating legal texts, a degree in medicine for medical texts, etc. In these cases, the ability to translate has been gained through work experience. Semantix is ISO 9001:2015 certified and follows the ISO requirements for education. That means that the basic requirement for becoming a translator for Semantix, with a university degree in a subject other than translation, is two years of full-time translation experience. Without any formal degree, the basic requirement is five years of full-time translation experience.

      Certifications to help you become a translator

      You can become a state-authorised translator by taking a test. The authorisation process is country-specific, so you need to check the requirements from the authorities in your country. In Finland, the authorisation is administered by the Finnish National Agency for Education; in Sweden by Kammarkollegiet; and in Norway by the Norwegian School of Economics.

      An interpretation qualification can also help you to enter a business, especially in minority languages, in which a university degree may not exist. Interpretation certificates or degrees can be offered, for example, by universities of applied sciences or vocational schools, such as Diak in Finland.

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