Created by CakeYou'll learn:How to write a translator resume?What to put on a translator resume?Tips for writing the best translator
CVHow to write a translator cover letter?Translator resume sample
As the world becomes more globalized, multilingualism will gain more traction. A translator is usually employed to translate written materials into one or more languages. The primary responsibilities include ensuring that the context and meaning translated are properly maintained, implementing the correct terminologies, and pro
ofreading the translated documents. It’s important to note that translators differ from interpreters, the latter being more specialized in translating orally, most
often in real-time settings.
Seeking to market
yourself more by creating a fantastic freelance translator resume? Or perhaps you’re a fresh graduate crafting
your first entry-level translator resume? Maybe you want to create a specific language translator resume, such as a Spanish translator resume or an Arabic translator resume? You and
your career can benefit from having a firm grasp on the essence
of a good translator resume.
How to write a translator resume?
As a pr
ofessional translator, there is no doubt you would want to impress prospective employers with
your translator resume. One might think, surely, I can simply center my translator resume around my language skills and call it a day? Doing so might only do a disservice to
yourself, as there is more that goes into a resume than
your skills, all
of which will be discussed in this guide!Step 1: Understand the Differences between a
CV and a Resume
It’s easy to confuse a translator
CV from a translator resume because
of how frequently it’s interchanged. In general, a
CV would be mainly used in specific settings such as academia, medicine, or science fields, be more detailed and longer (over 2 pages) compared to its resume counterpart, and has a simple structure. In contrast, a resume is used for a job application; thus, it should only contain relevant details and be shorter in length (within 2 pages). You can also choose from a large variety
of templates for a resume. This usually matters for most jobs, but as a translator, you might specialize in various fields, and
your translator resume might need adjustments in length, content, etc. Thus, in the translation field, a translator
CV is usually synonymous with a translator resume.
Step 2: Choose the Right Format for
Your Translator Resume
There are 3 types
of resume formats you can utilize for all kinds
of translator resume (including a freelance translator resume!): chronological, functional, and hybrid/combination. Which one is the best? The answer depends! Some formats might work better for you depending on
your experience, background, and the skills you possess. So before committing to a format, you might want to carefully evaluate
your translator background, job context, and abilities.
Step 3: Look Up Translator Resume Templates Samples Online
There are a plethora
of excellent translator resume templates and translator resume samples online which can be
of help when crafting
your pr
ofessional translator resume. The difficult part would be to sift through this sea
of online
references and pick out the good ones. Even so, these
references might contain mistakes that you do not want to include in
your translator
CV. Thus, it’s important to not simply copy and paste the contents and format
of these
references. Instead, tailor it to the job for maximum effectiveness.
Step 4: Tailor
Your Translator Resume for the Position
Not
your first translation gig? Great! You already have
your entry-level translator resume as a solid starting point! Still, you should always tailor
your translator resume for the position; this also goes for a translator
CV with no experience. Tailor
your resume by including keywords found in the job ad or only include relevant details and experiences (a recruiter can only spend so much time looking through
your resume).
Step 5: Craft a Translator Cover Letter
You should always craft a translator cover letter, no matter the type
of your translator resume, may it be a freelance translator resume or a fresh graduate translator
CV. A translator cover letter allows you to explain the information within
your translator
CV. The cover letter should introduce you, elaborate on the context
of your achievements and qualifications, and explain
your motivation and passion for the job.
Step 6: Pro
ofreadAs a translator, pro
ofreading is a part
of your job. You do not want
your translator
CV to be ridden with careless grammatical errors or misspellings! You can do so
yourself or you can utilize the help
of a second pair
of eyes or a spellchecker to ensure that
your translator resume is error-free!
What to put on a translator resume?
The translator resume templates and translator resume samples you find online can serve as a guide when crafting
your own but you don’t have to necessarily follow their entire format. Even so, below are the information that you should always include in
your translator resume.1. Resume Pr
ofile (Personal Information)✅ Always include:
Full namePr
ofessional titleE-mail addressPhone numberAddress (city, state, and/or country)
❌ And exclude:
Current salaryYou’ll only do
yourself a disservice by bringing out a number too early into
your hiring process. This may lessen
your bargaining power when negotiating
your salary.Social Security number/National Insurance numberYou don’t need to provide
your Social Security number or
your National Insurance number before you get hired.Sexual orientation, race, marital status, photograph, date
of birth, nationality, gender, and religion.
2. Translator Resume HeadlineA good newspaper headline’s purpose is to quickly attract attention to a news story while conveying the significance behind the said story. An excellent translator resume headline should also serve the same purpose for
yourself; a recruiter reading
your translator resume should be able to immediately know about who you are:
your strengths, achievements, and relevant experiences.
Your resume headline should be short and concise (one-line) and placed on top
of your translator
CV.
Translator resume headline examples:
Passionate and Multilingual Translator With More Than 7 Years
of Experience in French-English TranslationDetail-Oriented Legal Translator Specializing in Translating Legal Documents into German, Mandarin, Japanese, and English
3. Translator Resume SummaryAfter
your translator resume headline grabbed the recruiter’s attention, you should elaborate more about
your resume headline and
yourself in
your translator resume summary. Ideally, a pr
ofessional summary in a translator resume summary would be around 2-3 sentences long, with the main focus on
your translator background, abilities, qualifications, and relevant experience.
Translator resume summary example:
Highly experienced and multilingual translator with a background in translating drug data sheets and medical bulletins in Japanese, Mandarin, Korean, and English. Successfully translated over 400 projects.
4. Translator Resume Objective
Your career objective as a translator should be conveyed in
your translator resume objective. A properly constructed translator resume objective should give recruiters an idea
of who you are as a candidate. A standalone resume objective is not necessary, you can combine it in
your resume summary too.
Translator resume objective example:
Passionate and highly skilled translator with more than 5 years in Hungarian-English and Romanian-English translations. Experienced in translating legal documents for purposes
of applying for citizenship in the United States
of America. Looking to further improve my translation skills as a translator in the Embassy
of Romania.
5. Skills for
Your Translator ResumeA common misconception some translators may have is that recruiters will only focus on their language skills. Although
your language skills (hard skills) are extremely crucial, you should also list
your s
oft skills if you want to elevate
your translator
CV from a good one to an exceptional one.
Example skills for a translator resume:✒️Hard SkillsCopywritingEnglish (Native Pr
oficiency)French (Native Pr
oficiency, CEFR C2)
✒️S
oft SkillsCultural AwarenessTime ManagementProject Management
6. Translator Work Experience
Your previous translation work experience, to prospective employers and clients, can serve as a testament to
your skills as a translator. In
your work experience
section, you should include basic details
of your past job (job titles,
your previous employers, employment periods, brief responsibilities) and the achievements you have attained.Translator resume work experience example:
Spanish-English Translator | ABC PublishingMay 2012 - Present
Translated over 100 books from Spanish to English and vice versa, including 20 New York Times Best Seller books.Trained a team
of 5 other junior translators.
7. EducationTranslating is a very specialized job that requires plenty
of training and a high degree
of precision and accuracy. For this reason, education is one
of the most highly valued
sections
of your translator resume. Here, you should include
your education institution, degree, major, coursework, year
of graduation, honors and awards, GPA, and relevant extracurricular activities.
8. Additional Information: CertificationsTranslators do not always require certifications to prove their fluency in the language. However, certification is a form
of quality assurance in the translation and occasionally, in the localization
of documents. You may consider seeking certification if you want to assure recruiters and clients that the reliability and accuracy
of your translation are
of the utmost degree.
💡 Where to get certifications:
American Translators AssociationThe National Board
of Certification for Medical InterpretersNational Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters
Tips for writing the best translator
CV
#Tip 1: Customize the Resume for Translator PositionsAs mentioned prior, no matter the type
of translator resume you are crafting, they should always be customized and tailored to the job ad. As similar as most translation jobs could be, you are bound to spot a few differences if you look through the job ad carefully. By customizing
your translator
CV, you increase
your chances
of standing out from other applicants who might use a standardized translator
CV.
#Tip 2: Quantify Results in
Your Translator ResumeQualitative descriptions
of your results can limit you from showing the full extent
of your qualifications. To combat this, you can quantify results in
your translator resume. Doing so can help
your achievements look more outstanding and convincing than words.
#Tip 3: Choose an ATS-friendly Resume LayoutCompanies may utilize the help
of an applicant tracking s
oftware (ATS) to filter out the massive amount
of resumes they receive. To ensure that you pass through the filter, you may want to use resume templates and layouts that don’t contain too many visuals. Incorporating keywords found in the job ad can also increase
your chances to be filtered in by the ATS, so remember to always tailor and customize
your translator resume!#Tip 4: Adopt Resume Action VerbsAction verbs are the way to go to provide information about you in an employer's mind. Proper use
of powerful action verbs can propel
your resume above other candidates’.#Tip 5: Include
Your International ExperiencesIf you have any international experiences that required you to frequently utilize
your language skills, such as living abroad, going on an exchange program, etc., include these in
your translator
CV, especially if they invlove languages you specialize in. Including these international experiences can help enhance
your skills
section.How to write a translator cover letter?
How would you show
your pr
ofessionalism as a translator other than ensuring that
your translator
CV is top-notch? You do so by crafting an excellent cover letter. As the first document that reaches the recruiter (even before
your resume), you would want to ensure that you leave a good and lasting impression.
All types
of translator cover letter, may it be a freelance translator cover letter or a translator cover letter with no experience, should contain:
Basic personal information to identify
yourself and
your contact details.You may want to check out the hiring company’s website, LinkedIn, or other relevant websites to find out more about the hiring manager and the company itself. Greeting the recruiter with the right name can make you stand out from other applicants. State who you are and the position you're applying for.Elaborate on
your reason for applying for the job and what you can bring to the company.Convince them why you're perfect for the role by emphasizing 2 to 3
of your relevant skills and experiences.End the cover letter in a polite tone, thanking them for their time.
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Translator resume sample
Anthony TuringMultilingual and Pr
ofessional Translator With More Than 7 Years Experience in Translating Books and Novels
+1- 245-534-8179
[email protected]linkedin.com/in/anthonyturing
Summary
Multilingual, pr
ofessional, and passionate translator with over 7 years
of experience in translating English, Spanish, and German books. Completed over 400 projects, including 55 New York Times Bestseller and 7 Pulitzer Prize books. Seeking to leverage and improve my translation and communication skills for the Spanish-English translator position in Balboa Books Publishing.
Work Experience
German-English Translator| Freelance Mar 2019 – Present
Translated (German to English and vice versa) over 200 projects, including legal documents, books, website content, news articles, and drug datasheets.Maintained strict confidentiality policies concerning clients and materials translated.Commended by past clients for translation efficiency and accuracy.
Spanish-English Translator | Atlantic Press
Jan 2014 – Feb 2017
Trained a team
of 5 junior translators.Translated over 200 books and novels from English to Spanish and vice versa, including 7 Pulitzer Prize books.Ensured other translators’ final works adhered to proper Spanish and English grammatical rules and are error-free.
Languages
English (Native Pr
oficiency, CEFR C2, ILR 5)German (Native Pr
oficiency, CEFR C2, ILR 5)Spanish (Native Pr
oficiency, CEFR C2, ILR 5)
SkillsCopywriting Copyediting Research AnalysisCultural AwarenessCultural IntelligenceCommunicationMultitaskingTime Management
Education
M.A. in Translation with Concentration in GermanKent State UniversityGPA: 3.83/4.02017 – 2019B.A. in SpanishThe University
of ArizonaTranslation and Interpretation EmphasisGPA: 3.86/4.02010 – 2014
--- Originally written by Patricia Rosita ---