Translation agencies in Iran: A brief investigation of the recruitment criteria

Abstract

The present study reports on the findings of a questionnaire which focused on the recruitment criteria of official translation agencies. To this end, 25 managers of official translation agencies in four cities of Iran were requested to complete a questionnaire about the basic requirements for becoming a member in translation agencies. The results indicate that the most important factors according to the managers are translation competence, language competence and experience in translation. Aspects such as academic degree (B.A. or M.A.) in Translation Studies do not seem to be of high value to the managers. The findings show that graduates in Translation Studies ought to improve their skills and gain practical experience in translation. Otherwise, they will not be considered qualified enough to be the members of translation agencies. Also, the results might contribute to more considerable attention to translation practice and better translation training in universities or translation institutes.