ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the skills and competences needed to become a professional translator beyond the expected language competence. It does so by reviewing some of the key translator competence models that have been developed since the late 1990s, such as PACTE’s, Göpferich’s and the European Master’s in Translation (EMT). The discussion of the models encourages readers to reflect on the usability of each model for their own development as translators and to start mapping the soft and hard skills they will need to develop to work as a budding professional translator. This chapter then moves on to discuss the issue of translator qualifications. Readers are encouraged to reflect on the potential professional and ethical implications of the fact that, in many countries, translation remains a largely unregulated profession, meaning that anyone can call themselves a professional translator regardless of their educational qualifications.
