National Association of Interpretation

No it is not the organization for folks who speak other languages. It is the professional organization for folks like me who help interpret natural and cultural resources for everyday folks. Interpreters are the people who lead the campfire program you went to at Yellowstone or gave you a tour of Molly Brown’s house in Denver. I’ve been a member (off and mostly on) since 1991 when I attended a regional conference in Cortez, CO. It is a vital org. to belong to if you intend to make interpretation a career. Over the years they have worked hard to validate this career field and support high standards of performance. For any of you who are an interpreter, please check out their website and look into getting professional certification. It really does make a difference. (besides the certification, the website has tons of other useful info)

The basic certification starts at CIG – Certified Interpretive Guide. A couple other are CIT – Certified Interpretive Trainer and CIP – Certified Interpretive Planner.

The career of being an interpreter is extremely rewarding and fun but also takes tremendous skill to do well. Get yourself certified to give you a leg up when searching for a job.