I know that many translators and interpreters can find recertification challenging, so I wanted to share tips on how to make it easier based on my recertification experience.
NAATI also has detailed information and advice on the recertification page of the website.
Work practice
Remember the work practice component is approximate. No one expects you to be exact. The important thing is that you are a practitioner!
If you can’t meet the practice requirements in the catalogue, just put in what you do. If you have low hours/words, you can include a note to give a reason to help NAATI assess your application.
Working for agencies and language service providers (LSPs)
- Agencies/LSPs will send you the amount of work you have done for them, both for interpreting and translation, so you just add those hours to the total.
- Add any volunteer work you do to the totals.
Translation private work
Calculate approximately how much you have earned in 3 years from translation then divide the total by what you charge (on average) per word. For example:
- you earned roughly $10,000 for all your translation work,
- you usually charge $0.40 per word,
- so 10000/0.40= 25,000 words (approx.)
If you translate in both directions, then add up the total as above and then calculate a rough percentage that you do into English and into LOTE. For example:
- you do 70% into English and 30% into LOTE.
- from the above 25,000 total words, allocate 17,500 (70%) into English and 7,500 (30%) into LOTE.
Interpreting private work
Calculate approximately how much you have earned in 3 years from interpreting and then divide it by what you usually charge per hour. For example:
- If the total earning from interpreting work is $10,000 and you charge $80 per hour: 10000/80=125 hours
Uploading work practice evidence
You have a few options for providing evidence of your work practice.
- Letters from LSPs.
- For private work, a Statutory Declaration signed by a JP, stating that you have completed X number of hours interpreting or X number of words translating.
- If you have a tax agent or an accountant, ask for a letter from them stating that all or a large part of your income is from interpreting and/or translating.
Professional development
- Remember, while you have to meet the work practice requirements for each credential you have, you only need to meet the PD requirements once per recertification cycle.
- Total of 120 professional development points (no matter how many certifications you hold). This is an average of 40 points per year.
- Keep an eye on the NAATI/AUSIT newsletters and do a range of PD. There is a lot of free PD available and there will be more on NAATI Learn soon.
- Keep the emails with your attendance certificates or PD registration in a specific folder in your inbox.
- If you are organised, keep a list of your PD on a spread sheet, (or anywhere, even in a notebook)
- When you are completing your PD Logbook, remember that a lot of PD is good for both translation and interpreting.
- Remember any learning (formal or informal) which helps you perform your work is PD.
- Any participation in the T&I industry earns you PD points, for example regular posting on Linkedln on aspects that are of interest to your colleagues counts as PD (2.12)
