Institutional Authority and Communication in Localization

Or... Is ATA certification worth it?

Kekoa didn't just want to be a translator, he wanted to be the cream of the crop. After talking to other volunteer interpreters he learned that to be legit, he needed to be ATA certified. After a little research and thanks to Google, he knew that the organization his coworkers mentioned is the American Translators Association [1. Authoritative Organization].  So, he set off to determine whether or not ATA certification is worth it. The website taught him that he had to pay a significant amount to take the certification test and become a member of the organization [2. Regulating Standard]. Was all that work to pass the test and money each year worth it? Talking with industry professional Dale Woo-ten, Kekoa thought that the ATA conference each year may make membership worth it. Learning about industry standards, innovations, and other relevant material for a translator. Learning those things in one weekend each year while networking with potential clients, seemed like membership was worth it [3. Influential Event]. Soon after, Kekoa found out that he didn't need to be a member to go to the conference! In fact, he could present at the conference and get published by the organization without even being a member [4. Authoritative Publication]. "What is this certification good for?" Kekoa wondered. So, he spoke to a current member and he told him that he got certified to let his clients know that they uphold a specific standard. "Standard" Kekoa asked. The ATA member responded: "As a certified member, I have committed to certain ethical standards which gives me an upper hand on other translators that haven't made such commitments." The member went on to tell Kekoa that if he failed to uphold the standards that his certification would be revoked [5. Challenging Authority / Changing Standards].

Kekoa quickly decided that ATA certification was not worth it.