Whether you require Vietnamese translation of software, documents, or online material, you need a Vietnamese translator with the requisite education, accreditation, professional development, and technical skills for the job. Every project makes different demands on a translator, from technical terminology to tight deadlines. For this reason, it is critical to understand what qualifications are required for Vietnamese translators, and their relative importance.
Education
Educational requirements vary, but most professional Vietnamese translators have at least a Bachelor’s degree and many have earned their Master’s degrees. Vietnamese translators who specialize in a field such as pharmaceuticals or law usually possess additional educational or professional experience in that field.
Accreditation
Different countries have different accreditation programs. In the United States, the American Translators Association offers one accreditation program. It is important to remember that although a Vietnamese translator may not have formal accreditation, he/she may still have the experience and education to be a highly-skilled, professional translator.
Professional Development
Perhaps even more so than during their education, successful Vietnamese translators need to develop specialized translation skills in the course of their careers. The more professional experience an Vietnamese translator has, the more likely he or she is to have mastered specialized terminology (telecommunications, for example), approaches to subject matter research, and the ability to maintain efficiency and accuracy under tight deadlines. Exposure to a wide variety of clients and project types also increases a Vietnamese translator’s skill set.
Technical skills
Beyond pure linguistic talents, modern translators need to have proficiency with translation memory (TM) tools such as Trados, Déjà Vu, or Catalyst. Such tools assist translators in managing terminology and repurposing repeated text for added consistency and efficiency. In addition to TM tools, it is helpful if Vietnamese translators have a working knowledge of desktop publishing applications.