Posted by Nick on June 22, 19101 at 20:50:27:
I've been freelancing for just a few months here in the US and have found it extremely slow starting out, with less than a dozen small jobs so far despite sending my resume to at least 500 agencies. I was recently told I was a fool by one agency for trying to make a go of it without being ATA accredited. They didn't seem to think it was enough that I have a Bachelor's and Master's degree in my source language, as well as several years experience teaching it at a university level. I would like to get ATA accreditation, but the nearest sitting place for the exam is several hundred miles away from my home and I can't travel well.
So basically my question is: is my lack of ATA accreditation the reason I'm getting so little work, or is this usual for someone who's only been at it for a few months? Just how important is accreditation?
Thank you in advance.
