Perceived benefits of translator certification to stakeholders in the translation profession : a survey of vendor managers

Despite a “social turn” in the field of Translation Studies, there have been few systematic and descriptive studies of the translation profession. In this paper, the theoretical framework of information economics is utilized to examine the perceived benefits of translator certification to stakeholders in the translation profession. The vendor managers (i.e. the persons who are responsible for hiring translators in translation companies) were surveyed using an online questionnaire. The translation companies surveyed are a fairly diversified sample of the population of translation companies in the world representing small, medium-sized and large players. The respondents see translator certification as something that can enhance the overall image of the translation profession. In their view, certification does bring some benefits to translators who hold it (e.g. increase in number of job offers, higher self-esteem and respect from co-workers). However, increased monetary benefits brought by translator certification might be minimal. Translation companies generally welcome a system of translator certification, as it provides a relatively reliable signal of applicants’ linguistic ability, and this has made the recruitment process easier and more time-efficient.