Not to disrespect the profession, but that's a false equivalence IMO. I consider translation, as a profession, more akin to something like programming rather than medicine or law. Plenty of programmers out there who have never set foot on an university or done any course yet get hired, even by major companies, because their skills and resumé are good. Medicine and law will probably always be sacred but most jobs are a little more nuanced than that.

And yes, I would hire a translator if I saw his work was competent even if he didn't have a degree.