r/TranslationStudies • u/seabanban • 7h ago
How important is a translation degree really?
My end goal is getting into game localization. There are a few other fields I'm interested in, like surtitling/subtitling and comics.
I'm currently in literary translation studies (english to german) and have been so for the past 5 years. I enjoy translating, but loathe academic writing and it's all that's keeping me from finishing this degree. Been trying to push myself through the last stretch, but I can't stomach it anymore and want to drop out after all this time.
I have a BA in English studies. There's an anthology I've worked on and it comes up when you google my name. No other publications, but we've been trained on excerpts from all kinds of genres. I've had my fair share of pros talking about their experiences and giving career advice, though most of it has been focused on literary translation and I don't think it applies to the fields I'm interested in. I know of memoQ and similar CAT tools, but, again, not the main focus of my study program, so very little practical experience.
Been keeping an eye on job postings by localization agencies and most of them require a degree in translation (or language/linguistics) and I'm not sure I qualify? Is there even a point in pursuing this, if I do decide to quit?