Lesson 3: How to Select an Individual Translator
Learning Objectives
- Identify the key professional proficiencies required when selecting a translator for a project
- Evaluate translator qualifications using industry standards and best practices, including ISO 17100 competency areas
- Develop comprehensive selection criteria tailored to specific project requirements and organizational needs
Of course, it takes a whole team to produce to translations, such as designers, engineers, and localization quality assurance (LQA) assessors. While the recommendations we share here could be generalized and applied to hiring for a variety of production roles, for now, we'll work on answering the question, "How can you strategically select a translator?"
When selecting a translator, look for these specific professional proficiencies. The translator needs to know…
- The language of the message you would like to translate, known by language industry insiders as the “source” language
- The language into which you would like to have your message translated, known by insiders as the “target” language
- The specific subjects of your message in both the source and target language
- How to communicate the intent with the specific audience of your message
- How to do the work of translation, of reformulating ideas and addressings gaps in cultural systems - being bilingual doesn't automatically give someone these skills
- How to follow translation workflows in collaboration with international teams
- How to use any required technologies
- How to use specifications, that is, how to collect the work requirements that will allow them to deliver on your desired outcomes
The translator also needs to have sound business practices, such as any licenses and documentation and the ability to keep your intellectual property organized and protected.
Indicators that a translator has these professional proficiencies include lived experiences, professional work in an area, studies and degrees obtained, and membership in professional and affinity organizations.
⚠️ Insider's Tip
ISO 17100 is a frequently referenced standard in the language industry when discussing requirements around translator qualifications. The standard identifies these competency areas for translators: the source and target languages, translation, research, culture, technical competence, and domain competence. These competencies can be demonstrated through five years of professional experience, a degree in translation or a degree in any field plus two years of professional experience. Work is currently being done to establish standards on qualifications that don't unfairly exclude professionals who don't have access to traditional education or training.
Thought Exercise: Imagine Your Ideal Candidate
Scenario: Imagine that you are searching through the resumes of professional translators. You come across the below profile, and you believe it looks like a great fit! "But wait..." you may be thinking. "What profile?" That's because you'll be coming up with the characteristics for an ideal candidate.
You're encouraged to be demanding as you fill in the template below. Adding more detail creates more paths via which a candidate can qualify for the role. The more suitable paths you identify helps you to get both more targeted and a wider range of applicants, increasing your chances of making a good connection. Just remember that like with any job, often candidates don't meet every single one of our requirements.
Your Task
- Take a moment to reflect on the hiring processes you've participated in. What did you learn from those experiences that you could apply to this exercise?
- Think of a specific project that you would like to have translated. Jot down some notes about pertinent details that might influence your selection criteria.
- Fill out the below profile with the experience, skills and qualifications of an ideal candidate for that project.
Profile
- Working languages: What languages do you need translation between?
- Location: Do you need to work with a translator from a specific country? Does working in the same time zone matter to you?
- Specializations: What specific specializations are you looking for?
- Services: What type of services should the talent offer? For example, do you need project management?
- Technologies: What technologies does the translator need to work with?
- Experience: What previous experience are you looking for?
- Experience Level: What experience level do you need?
- Credentials and Degrees: What types of credentials or degrees might someone who meets the above criteria have to demonstrate their expertise in whatever area?
- Affiliations: What types of organizations might they be affiliated with?
- Budget: Does the translator meet your requirements while staying within your budget? If not, you can either adjust your expectations, or allocate more budget.
Check Your Work
The next lesson presents a checklist of requirements we recommend that a professional translator should meet. Once you're finished, check your work against our recommendations.