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Exploring Trades and Occupations

Certified Translators

On this page

  • Job description
  • Advancement and mobility
  • Training and requirements
  • Main skills and characteristics
  • Personality profiles (RIASEC)
  • Additional information

Job description

These individuals transpose texts from one language into another, faithfully conveying the message. They translate various types of written documents (literary works, school textbooks, research reports, etc.). They often translate from a second or third language into their mother tongue. They are self-employed or work for:

  • National or international organizations
  • Private companies
  • Cabinets
  • Media

Environment

  • Controlled ambient temperature

Main tasks

  • Faithfully convey the content, context, and style of the source text.
  • Adapt technological applications and technical documents to another language and culture.
  • Review and correct translated texts.
  • Train and supervise other translators, as required.

Advancement and mobility

  • These individuals may specialize in various fields (administrative, literary, scientific translation, etc.).

Training and requirements

Formation

Most training programs are offered in French only.

University

Translation
Bachelor’s degree

Placement rate: 80.1%

10.2% of graduates pursue further studies

More on graduates’ employment situation
Master’s degree

Placement rate: 82.9%

11.4% of graduates pursue further studies

More on graduates’ employment situation
This discipline is taught in the following institutions:
  • Concordia University
  • Université de Montréal
  • Université de Sherbrooke
  • Université du Québec en Outaouais
  • Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
  • Université Laval
  • McGill University

Also required

  • Membership in the Ordre des traducteurs, terminologues et interprètes agréés du Québec (OTTIAQ [Quebec Order of Certified Translators, Terminologists and Interprets]) to practise under the title of Certified Translator (C. Tr.).
  • Language transfer course.

Sometimes required

  • Two to five years of full-time translation experience, in a pair of languages, may be required.
    • Language pair does not necessarily include French.

Main skills and characteristics

Skills

  • Data collection
  • Active listening
  • Oral expression
  • Reading comprehension
  • Information processing
  • Written expression
  • Critical thought
  • Result evaluation
  • Active learning
  • Coordination
  • Teaching
  • Judgment and decision-making
  • Service oriented
  • Social perception
  • Learning strategies
  • Time management
  • Solving complex problems
More Less skills

Abilities

  • Oral comprehension
  • Verbal skills
  • Speech recognition
  • Speech clarity
  • Written comprehension
  • Written expression
  • Near vision
  • Information organization
  • Awareness of issues
  • Auditory attention
  • Selective attention
  • Hearing sensitivity
  • Deductive reasoning
  • Inductive reasoning
  • Classification
  • Originality
  • Time sharing
  • Perception speed
  • Information processing speed
More Less abilities

Knowledge and attributes

  • Capacity to work under pressure
  • Critical thinking
  • Autonomy
  • Capacity to adapt
  • Spoken and written bilingualism (French and English)
  • Rigour
  • Attention to detail
  • Knowledge of computer science, digital and electronics
  • Sense of observation
  • Knowledge of a foreign language

Interests

  • Draft, communicate, and inform
  • Work in the arts, culture, music, or leisure
  • Work in an office
  • Self-employment

Personality profiles (RIASEC)

Investigative
People with this profile prefer relying on theoretical knowledge before acting. They like observation, analysis and problem solving.
Conventional
People with this profile prefer specific, well-defined tasks. They like to respect the order of things and follow established rules.
Social
People with this profile prefer to be in contact with others, in particular to entertain, help or teach them.
Additional information

Appellation d'emploi liée (à traduire)

Translators, terminologists and interpreters  (CNP 5125)

Skill type

Art, culture, recreation and sport

Related occupations

  • Authors and writers
  • College and other vocational instructors
  • Editors
  • Other professional occupations in social science, n.e.c.
  • Translators, terminologists and interpreters
  • certified interpreter (C.Int.)
  • certified terminologist (C.Term.)

See also

  • Glossary (PDF 229 Kb)
  • Québec emploi This hyperlink will open in a new window.

Last update: March 27, 2023

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