By Meghan Konkol, ATA director and an ATA-certified French>English freelance translator

Have you been keeping up with professional development, networking, and the latest technology solutions for translators and interpreters? As a language professional, you can find all this and more through MATI’s parent organization, the American Translators Association (ATA). ATA offers several membership categories, with most individuals joining as an Associate or Student member. After joining, members can obtain Active (or voting) status through a quick and easy application process.

ATA is the largest professional association in the United States for translators and interpreters, counting over 9,000 members. ATA members need not be located in the US; they can be based anywhere in the world. There’s truly something for everyone in ATA, whether you’re a student or recent graduate of a T&I program, a career-changer, or a longtime translator or interpreter.

Below are some of the benefits you can enjoy when you join ATA. When you become a member, be sure to check out our member orientation session, a livestreamed event offered every few months, to learn more about these benefits and how to take advantage of them.

• Division membership: ATA Divisions are groups of ATA members working in specific languages or areas of practice, such as the Italian Language Division and the Educators Division. ATA currently has 22 Divisions, and members can join as many as they wish. Divisions offer resources including message boards, social media groups, webinars, podcasts, and newsletters.
• Language Services Directory: ATA members can set up a profile on the ATA Directory showing their language pairs, ATA certification, interpreting credentials, education, areas of expertise, and contact information. Clients seeking your services can find you here and send you requests.
• Business Practices: The online Business Practices community, facilitated by the Business Practices Education Committee, provides a space for ATA members to discuss business questions and the latest technology and industry developments relevant to professional translators and interpreters.
• Free and discounted webinars: ATA has an active webinar schedule, and many are offered for free or at discounted prices for ATA members. The Back to Business Basics series, free for members, provides business tips for translators and interpreters whether they are experienced or just starting out. ATA also releases a free on-demand webinar recording for ATA members each month. You can access the webinar anytime throughout the month and catch up on hot topics you may have missed.
• Mentoring Program: ATA’s Mentoring Program offers matching services to members at different stages in their career. Mentees set their specific professional goals and work with their mentor over the course of six months, with the option of extending to one year.
• Discounts on services, tools, and software: ATA members can enjoy discounts on essentials such as CAT tools, financial services, and professional liability insurance.

Your ATA membership pays back with direct local support to MATI, too. Remember to indicate that you are a MATI member on your ATA membership application. ATA calculates the number of members who have indicated membership in their local chapter and issues each chapter a rebate check.

With all these benefits and more at your fingertips, you’ll find a wide range of support, education, and networking within a community of thousands of other language professionals. We hope you’ll join us—and when you do, register for an upcoming member orientation and say hello!

Learn more about ATA membership: https://www.atanet.org/member-center/join-ata/

Hear directly from ATA members in this video: https://www.atanet.org/video/5-reasons-to-join-ata/

ATA’s mission is to promote the recognition of professional translators and interpreters, to facilitate communication among its members, to establish standards of competence and ethics, to provide its members with professional development opportunities, and to advocate on behalf of the profession.

Meghan Konkol, MA, CT is an ATA director and an ATA-certified French>English freelance translator specializing in international development, marketing and communications, and human resources. She received her MA in French>English translation from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee in 2010. She serves as chair of ATA’s Membership Committee, and also serves as the coordinator of ATA’s School Outreach Program. meghan@fr-en.com