When you start knowing other professionals in your field, you realize that you are all working on the same thing, but you don’t have the same training. For instance, you can meet a scientific and technical translator who is actually a Sworn Translator, or you can meet the same kind of specialist but who is just a translator. This main distinction is what I am going to deal in this article and I will also try to convince you of studying a full translation course, which will enable you to attest and work as a public/sworn translator.

Basically, you have two options: studying the translation course where you learn how to translate different fields, e.g. literature, science and technology; or studying the public translation course which includes legal subjects (branches of law: civil, labor, administrative, etc), as well as the scientific and technical ones.

I’ve been translating for more than 5 years now and let me tell you, being a sworn translator has more advantages than you think, and I will explain some of them from my own experience.

Providing a secure income

No matter if you work for an agency or you are translating for several clients, being able to translate and sign public documents will allow a better payment and make a difference in your monthly income. Besides, sworn translation rates are fixed by the Association so you don’t even have to adjust or revise any budget.

Being the basis for your professional career

As you may have figured out, if you study the “plain” translation course, your job opportunities are naturally delimited. You are not trained on legal matters, so you are not allowed to sign and attest. However, if you study the public translation course, you are able to translate any type of text other than the legal ones. If you also notice that you enjoy more translating scientific and technical texts, you may go on a postgraduate course on that field and become a specialist.

Becoming a legal expert

The public translation course in Argentina is very complete and more specifically at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), you are trained together with the law course and if you prefer, you may take more exams and become a lawyer as well. In short, public translators are legal experts and they are allowed to work for the Judiciary.

Working as an interpreter

When I was in the fourth year of the public translation course, I was offered to travel to another province and work as a consecutive interpreter full time for two weeks. It was my first experience as an interpreter and I could realize that it is a complete different profession. Even so, the 3^rd article of the Argentinean Law 20.305, which regulates our profession inside the country, expressly authorizes sworn translators to work as interpreters in the languages they work with.

Having the best rates

As I mentioned above, when you are a Sworn Translator, there is an Association that fixes your rates and ensures that all of its members comply with the code of ethics. Whenever you hire sworn translators, you know you are paying not only for their quality, but also for their training, confidentiality and responsibility towards their client and their Association.