What is a Translator? Key Skills, Qualifications and Career Path UK Career Advice

September 10, 2025

There are also many online technical translator courses to help get the education required to be a technical translator. The most common colleges for technical translators are the National University and the National University. Not many people know that there is a significant difference, for example, between literary and technical translations. Official translation qualifications include the CIOL CertTrans, the CIOL DipTrans and degrees in translation awarded by universities. The best qualifications to get if you want to be a translator are the CIOL Diploma in Translation (DipTrans) an MA in Translation Studies. These are both official post-graduate translation qualifications that are well-respected in the translation industry.

Modern Technical Translator Resume Example

University of Chicago

Now that we’ve examined just how to become a technical translator and some of the methods for gaining experience, we can take a look at the different types of careers that can be pursued.
Some great schools for technical translators are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success.
In addition to perfect language skills, it’s necessary to network, and accumulate experience in the technical fields you want to work in.
Their work requires the understand the technical with great writing skills, precision and in-depth knowledge of the specific sector.
Professional translators often encounter specialized terms, phrases, or concepts.
Translator certification refers to both official translation qualifications and to unofficial certificates in translation.
You will begin this self-paced course by learning what Informational Technology (IT) support is all about.
Becoming a professional translator requires more than just fluency in multiple languages; it also involves formal education, specialized training, and practical experience.

At Espresso Translations, we have a global network of qualified linguists who work in over 150 different languages and who are subject matter experts. This means they have both the language skills and knowledge of medical terminology to allow them to work in this healthcare language service. Whether Aqueduct global content intend to become a certified translator or take medical interpreter training, to become qualified you will need to be fluent in at least one foreign language. High school diploma level French isn’t going to be enough, your knowledge will need to be at degree level.

Queens College of the City University of New York

Certifications and Professional Credentials

How do you advise clients on environmental regulations and sustainability practices in agriculture?

They also offer MAs in Translation, Translation and Interpretation, and Translation and Localization Management. Though this is the most notable, there are other highly regarded universities like, Kent State University in Ohio or University of Maryland in Maryland that offer very strong tracks for Translation degrees. But these are just a few examples – honing both source language and mother tongue skills is something professional translators do in many ways on an ongoing basis throughout their careers. However, the main focus of medical translation services is accuracy in all areas of the work. A professional translator in this field has a serious set of responsibilities. Any mistake could be costly in terms of patients health, medical diagnoses, medication or treatment requirements, research outcomes or a medical professional’s practice.

Do I need a qualification in translation to become a translator?

Average technical translator salary by education level

If you want to start your career as a technical translator without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for technical translators. Some great schools for technical translators are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. If the best universities for technical translators are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. It is extremely important that the translator perfectly knows the target foreign language, as a translation error could distort and compromise the final meaning with potentially very serious repercussions. If a translator is trustworthy, they will have a lot of leverage within the field, but one wrong move and it will put their entire line of work in technical translation services at risk. They tend to specialise in certain fields to provide Professional Translations that meet standards and legal requirements. Translators skillfully convey the meaning and spirit of the source material to the target language without changing the message or its registers. This step goes beyond mere Translation because it involves properly adapting the content to fit the target population’s cultural context. So, although there’s no particular personality that makes a good translator, there are a few key qualities that will help. A good translator needs the ability to research terminology and concepts in depth. But they also need a great attention to detail, and a flair for creativity. Translators serve as the unsung heroes of globalization; they are the vital bridge that connects diverse languages, enabling seamless communication and fostering mutual understanding across nations. Investing in training on the use of these tools can lead to better job opportunities and higher salaries. One must understand that both solutions have advantages and disadvantages, so there is no single best solution in the translation world. This is especially true for translation, a profession that is learned and perfected through practice. University manuals and translation techniques are helpful to a certain point, but to embark on this path, it is necessary to experience firsthand how to translate a text, again and again. To work as a translator in this field, the translator needs to possess linguistic and specialist skills in the precise sector in which one chooses to operate.

How to become a certified medical translator?

Becoming a qualified translator is no longer optional if you want to work as a translator. A translation qualification shows that you’ve learned the professional process involved in producing an accurate and idiomatic translation (drafting, checking, editing and proofreading). This post explains the different options available to linguists who want to become certified translators by obtaining a translation qualification. So, anyone can set up as a translator without any type of translation qualification. This means you can offer translation services without having to pass any translation certification exams or tests, regardless of your language combination. Your expertise within your chosen industry combined with your language skills gives you the basis for a career working in technical translation services.

A technical translator deals with translating and adapting technical texts

There are several ways to gain experience in technical translation when you first start out. It is important to build on your qualifications through practice and learning as well as building up your portfolio. To be successful as a technical translator, you need to be fluent in at least two languages and have the ability to write with ease on a technical level. Organizational skills and the ability to follow a routine are essential since the translation process often involves working with tight deadlines. Not knowing how to organize your time is one of the most common mistakes among novice translators.