Community Spanish-English Interpreter Certification Courses, Tests, College Credit

Community Spanish Interpreter Certification
This is one of the most valuable assets on your resume as you enter the job market, or seek a higher paying position. A community Spanish interpreter certificate shows that you have expertise beyond the most people who consider themselves to be bilingual. These days, almost everybody has taken a few years of Spanish, and many more have grown up in a Spanish speaking environment. But when it comes to actually facilitating conversation and helping community members get advice from their doctor, social worker, lawyer or contractor, your employer and/ or clients will want to know whether you are qualified to accurately interpret what is being said.

It does take skill, but it is actually easier than you might think.

And the money is good. Once you are certified as a community interpreter Spanish to English from an accredited college or university program, that is usually proof enough for people who often will call you up and need you to get to work right away. Very often, individuals with this Spanish community interpreter degree get a full time salaried position within six to eight months of obtaining the diploma, or they start making money sooner by going into business as a freelancer and quickly discover that there is much more work than they can handle.

This overload of demand is an increasing issue as Spanish speakers become more integral to our society, which means that for community interpreters this is and will continue to be a time of feast. In other words, this certificate could determine the course of your career in a very lucrative way.

What kind of work and jobs are available people who have the community Spanish interpreter certificate? Primarily health care, which includes both hospitals and insurance companies where the interpreter will have to work with the claims adjustor and the paralegal or lawyer working on the personal injury case. Also media outlets and online publications are always in need of Spanish translators and interpreters to expand into the Hispanic marketplace. Social workers serving a variety of the community’s needs do and will continue to rely heavily on certified community Spanish-English interpreters. There is good money in both the public and private sectors and the employment outlook is exceptional.

Getting the degree isn’t a cakewalk—it can take as long as a year and you will have to study and apply yourself. You will also need a few Spanish prerequisites, check with your school. But overall it is a lot easier than many math and technical degrees. Plus, if you like languages as most participants in this program do, you will enjoy the challenges of the lessons and exercises, and you will make good friends with fellow classmates as you all have something in common: a passion for languages. Friendships with other students are extremely important, and it is never too soon to start networking because these folks will be your colleagues when you all enter the workforce together.

Even online certificate courses for the community Spanish translator/interpreter degree can be a forum where friendships are made. And it is not uncommon for students to meet outside the virtual classroom, in-person, to go over assignments, study for upcoming exams, and sometimes just to socialize (i.e. network), because the smarter students will be looking for work even before being awarded certification, just to be the first out of the starting gate, and the more you talk about available opportunities and share info, the more you will benefit in return. There is more than enough work to go around.

Training Resources
Community Spanish interpreter degree Sampson Community College at Clinton, NC 28328
Community Spanish Facilitator course descriptions provided by Durham Technical Community College at Durham, North Carolina 27703
Spanish For Communication I first in six-part series of courses provided by the University of California at San Diego in La Jolla, CA 92093 designed to prepare students for the Professional Certificate in Spanish Language. Take a placement exam and enroll online.

Find more Spanish certification courses here.