Translation as a Profession (Benjamins Translation Library)

164 Translation as a Professioncourse (or more rarely, fourth-year students). Which goes to show that (a)employers do not put much trust in BAs in translation and (b) they are firstand foremost interested in finding people who are immediately operational.Incidentally, conditions permitting, students tend to enrol for a graduatecourse at the university where they intend to do a postgraduate (Masters)course in translation. This gives them a better chance of being admitted to thepostgraduate course because they will be familiar with the trainers’ methodsand expectations. It also means that extensive training can be planned overlonger periods of time and that there are opportunities for alternating trainingperiods and work placements.SelectivenessThe best results are achieved by those courses that select their students onentry, simply because, bar a few exceptions, the quality of the intake naturallydeterminesthequalityoftheoutput.Selectiveentryintotranslatortrainingcourses and programmes is the rule wherever it is legally possible.National and international visibilityTranslators operate in a world market. Choosing a course simply becauseit happens to be conveniently located (or for any other personal reasons)is never a good bet. Also bear in mind that university or school careersofficers generally have no insider knowledge of the translation industry andjob markets and therefore find it difficult to objectively assess the quality of thevarious courses on offer. Moreover, there are still no national or internationalsurveys of translation courses taking into account graduate employmentfigures one, six, and twelve months after graduation. If such information isnot obtainable, forget it!Applicants should aim first and foremost for courses that are well recognisedin professional circles (the degree of recognition can be gauged simplyby phoning round a few translation companies or major translation workproviders who will oblige by indicating where the various universities offeringtranslator training stand employment wise). Universities themselves shouldalso be in a position to provide the references of alumni now working freelanceand/or of employers so that candidates can get first-hand informationon the employability record. Alumni of the programme should have formedan opinion that is worth hearing. If no contact is possible, again, forget it!Long-standing programmes usually offer the best prospects, because theyhave had the time to build up a reputation with employers, are contactedby employers looking for particular ‘profiles’ and have established ‘old girls’and ‘old boys’ networks. The reputation the course has with employers isparticularly important, even when considering a career as a freelancer, asthis guarantees that the training outcomes (skills and competences) are thoseactually sought by the work providers and, more generally, by the markets.