Importance of Continuous Learning in the Translation Profession
Working as a translator is a very interesting profession, where you can gain new experiences every day, as you will imitate every profession in the field you deal with.
For example, when you translate in the Islamic field, you gain better knowledge in the Islamic Sciences such as Qur’anic Sciences, Hadeeth (Prophetic Speeches), ‘Aqeedah, Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence and Law), Islamic History, Arabic Language, etc. But will merely translating be enough for a professional who is looking to reach World-Class levels? The answer is no; only translating is not enough at all, but it is highly recommended to take a specialized course or training in this filed, so that you can master the translation by knowing the terminology used and the exact meaning of every text you deal with.
If you take the decision to specialize in one field then it will be perfect to have detailed knowledge of this field, as this will help you to be an expert in this specialization.
Having both a certificate and experience in any translation field will give you great advantage, and you will be a desirable resource for translation companies looking for skilled translators with good education and experience. Getting yourself ready is your main responsibility. If you are lucky, your translation company will offer you the required training to achieve their high-quality levels, and develop your career at the same time. It will be an excellent opportunity for you that you should take up, and make your best effort to get benefit from. Being part of this organization will give you the chance to dive deeper in translation world, where they may also offer training for new technologies available in the market. Technology is also a very important element of translation work; you must be able to cope with all new technologies they use that add accuracy and quality to their work.
It is not acceptable at all for a professional translator to refuse translation work because of lack of knowledge of a certain tool; but you must be able to learn that tool, and put it in your plans of continuous learning. If you refuse a project which needs a certain tool, you should take into consideration getting training for it at the earliest opportunity possible. Do not let yourself fall behind the market and peers. Always seek to gain more knowledge in your field of specialization. Do not let age, distance or lack of time be an obstacle in your path; be sure that you can learn any new technology or science, you only need good will and desire to break all these barriers.
Most good companies have their own Project Management System, and this also will need some extra effort to learn and cope well. Insisting to use old project management methods will leave a bad impression on your capabilities and abilities.
We at Al-Andalus Group for Islamic Translation appreciate the professional who can cope with our systems and technologies, and who is able to learn new sciences in their specialization field. We offer training and courses in all fields we work in through our own academy, where we offer the chance for our professionals to develop their career and gain more knowledge.
We are so keen that our professionals be at the highest levels and ready for new challenges we face in every new project.
Having this mentality will enable you to get the most benefits from your work and reach the highest levels in your career.
By: Hossam Ash-Sharkawy
Chairman
Al-Andalus Group LTD
