Translator Resume Examples and Templates for 2023

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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, translators, also known as interpreters, have a median income of $52,330 per year. Studies indicate that positions within this field will grow by 24% over the next decade, which is much higher than the average growth rate for other occupations. Despite the positive outlook for translator roles, you’ll still need to build a solid resume to capitalize on these opportunities. To do this, you should create a document that heavily showcases your accomplishments rather than focusing on job responsibilities. Below, you’ll find some resume examples for entry-level translators and those with years of professional experience.

Downloadable Resume Examples

Example #1 Entry-level

Example #2 Mid-career

Example #3 Senior-level

Translator Resume Examples

Years of Experience
  • Entry-level Entry-level
  • Mid-career Mid-career
  • Senior-level Senior-level

Juan Rivera
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
123 Your Street, San Diego, CA 12345

Profile

A certified Translator with three years of experience, specializing in linguistics, translation, language services, and client relations. A strong background in providing Spanish language translations for non-profit organizations. Adept at navigating cultural nuances and language barriers to support clients in communicating with medical professionals.

Professional Experience

Translator & Interpreter, San Diego Community Hospital, San Diego, CA
May 2019 – Present

  • Serve as an interpreter for physicians and patients with limited English language skills, which includes translating medical diagnosis, terminology, and treatment plans into Spanish and resolving intercultural communication issues
  • Coordinate with the medical team to create pamphlets and medical education materials for Spanish speaking patients
  • Translated updates from the physician on patient condition following surgical procedures during discussions with family members and guardians

Translator, Better Health Medical Clinic, San Diego, CA
July 2018 – May 2019

  • Provided Spanish translation services to medical staff, volunteers, and patients for a community clinic delivering treatment services to vulnerable populations
  • Coordinated with non-profit staff to secure community resources and communicate instructions, medical diagnosis, and medication prescriptions

Education

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Linguistics
University of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA September 2014 – May 2018

Key Skills

  • Spanish (Fluent)
  • Medical Terminology
  • Translation
  • Language Services
  • Language Interpretation
  • Intercultural Communication

Certifications

  • ATA Certified Translator, English into Spanish, 2019

Xialing Chen
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
123 Your Street, San Francisco, CA 12345

Profile

An ATA-Certified Translator with seven years of experience, specializing in linguistics, translation, localization, and Mandarin. A proven history of collaborating with diverse teams to execute localization projects for mobile gaming products. Adept at refining and adapting content into Mandarin for target audiences.

Professional Experience

Translator, Starlight Mobile Games., San Francisco, CA
May 2016 – Present

  • Collaborate with the localization and development teams to translate menus, dialogue, in-game text, and product marketing materials from English to support the launch of a $5M mobile strategy game within the Chinese market
  • Leverage knowledge of linguistics, English, and Mandarin to proofread copy and provide recommendations to refine the quality of translation for Chinese audiences
  • Ensure alignment of translation with original authorial intent and resolve discrepancies and translation errors throughout the localization process

Translator, West Coast Gaming, San Francisco, CA
July 2014 – May 2016

  • Translated text, dialogue, content, and in-game assets for the release of a mobile farming simulator in China, which generated over 500K downloads with three months of launch
  • Collaborated with a team of translators to execute localization projects for product release, which included editing translations to improve readability and content quality
  • Interfaced with stakeholders and project teams to ensure quality control

Education

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Linguistics
University of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA September 2010 – May 2014

Key Skills

  • Mandarin (Native)
  • Localization
  • Translation Services
  • Editing
  • Linguistics

Certifications

  • ATA Certified Translator, English into Mandarin, 2020

Sayid Aziz
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
123 Your Street, New York, NY 12345

Profile

An international Translator with 10+ years of experience, specializing in linguistics, Arabic, diplomatic relations, and intercultural communication. A proven track record of providing language services as an interpreter for U.S. embassies and foreign diplomats. Adept at driving understanding across languages to bridge cultural divides.

Professional Experience

Translator & Interpreter, United Nations, New York, NY
October 2014 – Present

  • Serve as an interpreter for U.S. diplomats and ambassadors from various countries in the Middle East, including Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt
  • Attend diplomatic meetings with UN teams and foreign representatives to translate English into Arabic for foreign representatives
  • Ensure accurate translation of English based on regional dialects and language nuances
  • Translated, proofread, and edited memos and documentation in Arabic for foreign ambassadors, including proposals to foster international relations

Translator & Interpreter, U.S. Embassy, Beirut, Lebanon
June 2011 – October 2014

  • Delivered language translation services to diplomats in a high-volume embassy, which included providing support to ambassadors during meetings with local community members to build new international relationships
  • Translated reports, proposals, and documents from the Lebanese government into English for U.S. diplomats and provided insights on interpretation

Education

Master of Arts (M.A.) Arabic
University Of Columbia, New York, NY September 2009 – May 2011

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Arabic
University Of Columbia, New York, NY May 2005 – September 2009

Key Skills

  • Arabic (Native)
  • Language Translation Services
  • Interpretation
  • Linguistics
  • Intercultural Communication
  • Diplomatic Relations

Certifications

  • ATA Certified Translator, English into Arabic, 2011
  • ATA Certified Translator, Arabic into English, 2011

Common Key Skills and Action Verbs for Translator Resumes

In today’s job market companies rely on Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) to scan resumes for appropriate keywords during the initial application process. To ensure your document aligns with these requirements, you should implement key skills, terms, and action verbs from the job posting into your bullet points and professional summary. Highlighting relevant qualifications for the position you’re applying for offers you the best chance to make a positive impression on the hiring manager. Below, you’ll find a list of potential keywords and action verbs you may encounter while pursuing translator job roles.

Key Skills and Proficiencies
Arabic Client Relations
Cultural Awareness Editing
English English as a Second Language (ESL)
French German
Intercultural Communication Interpreter
Japanese Korean
Language Services Linguistics
Localization Mandarin
memoQ Portuguese
Proofreading Relationship Building
SDL Trados Studio Spanish
Subtitling Teaching
Technical Writing Translation
Action Verbs
Analyzed Conducted
Coordinated Collaborated
Created Developed
Drove Edited
Enhanced Executed
Identified Implemented
Improved Interpreted
Led Managed
Oversaw Partnered
Performed Resolved
Spearheaded Supported
Translated Wrote

Tips for Writing a Better Translator Resume

Feature your leadership experience

As a translator, you’ll often find yourself collaborating with diverse sets of teams and clientele to provide translation services. Showcasing your ability to thrive in team-based environments with diverse cultural backgrounds is important to demonstrate who you are as a leader. You should also include examples of how you employed cultural awareness in professional settings and facilitated intercultural communication. Below, you’ll find some examples of how to highlight your leadership qualifications within your professional experience.

Example #1

Good


  • Collaborated with a diverse team of 20+ translators to execute a sizable localization project for product marketing campaigns across seven countries, which included interfacing with internal project stakeholders to ensure the integrity of translations

Bad


  • Worked with a team to perform translations, maintained satisfactory working relationships with coworkers, and ensured all work was completed on-time

Example #2

Good


  • Provided Spanish language translation services to senior leadership and client stakeholders to facilitate the opening of a new multi-million-dollar manufacturing site in Mexico, which included providing translation support during high-level meetings to review project proposals

Bad


  • Translated Spanish into English for executives accurately and kept customer stakeholders happy during meetings

Create an eye-catching professional profile

Building a compelling summary at the top of your document is an effective way to maximize the visibility of your most relevant qualifications. Hiring managers often have limited time to spend reviewing resumes, so it’s important to integrate key qualifications into your opening sentence that align with the job posting. Below, you’ll find some examples of crafting a strong professional profile.

Example #1

Good


A certified Translator with 10+ years of experience, specializing in linguistics, technical writing, German, French, and localization. A proven track record of building and leading diverse teams to execute large-scale translation projects for multi-million-dollar software products.

Bad


Translator with vast experience in the industry who excels in editing and interpreting language. Ability to work well with team members and ensure accurate interpretations.

Example #2

Good


A results-driven Translator with eight years of experience, specializing in Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, and translation services. A proven track record of managing the localization of academic texts for higher education. Adept at collaborating with translators and literary theorists to align with authorial intent.

Bad


A Translator and Interpreter with knowledge of multiple languages and cultures. Excels in localizing different kinds of academic texts.

How to Align Your Resume With the Job Description

As you build out your resume, you should continually cross-reference the document you’re creating with the job postings you intend to apply for. Tailoring your resume to individual job descriptions is essential for differentiating yourself from other applicants. Including keywords directly from the posting will also ensure that your document meets all the criteria that the Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) is looking for.

You should prioritize what skills, action verbs, and keywords to include in your document based on how the information is presented on the page. If you notice a term is mentioned in the opening paragraph, it’s likely a qualification that the company covets. If you see that a term is repeated throughout the job description, make a point to include that keyword directly into your professional profile. Below, you’ll find an example of how to tailor your resume to the job description.

Translator Job Description Example


XYZ, Inc. is a leading media and entertainment company named one of the best places to work in San Francisco. We’re looking for a certified translator who thrives in diverse team-based environments to join our organization. This position will require you to lead a sizable localization project to bring Korean dramas to American audiences on our streaming service. We need a linguistic specialist who excels in subtitling and Korean translation.

Responsibilities:

  • Partner with the localization team to create subtitles for the release of new Korean television and films on a premiere video streaming platform
  • Utilize knowledge of language translation and language interpretation to ensure accurate translation of subtitles
  • Proofread, edit, and refine subtitles and perform quality control checks prior to release

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s in linguistics preferred
  • ATA Certification, Korean into English required
  • Five years of language translation and subtitling experience preferred
  • Proficient in SDL Trados Studio
  • Strong team leadership and project management skills

According to the job description, the ideal job applicant should have the following qualities and/or experience:

  • Translator
  • Localization
  • Linguistics
  • Korean
  • Language Translation
  • Language Interpretation
  • SDL Trados Studio
  • Subtitling
  • Team Leadership
  • Project Management
  • ATA Certification
  • Quality Control

Next, take what you highlighted from the job description and include your experience and skills that match. Below is an example of how to incorporate them in your resume to your advantage:

Translator Work Experience Example


Profile

 

An ATA-Certified Translator with six years of experience, specializing in Korean, localization, linguistics, and subtitling. A strong history of providing translation services for projects to localize media and entertainment segments from Korea for U.S. audiences.

Translator & Localization Specialist

Premiere Entertainment Streaming, San Francisco, CA November 2016 – Present

  • Manage all aspects of proofreading, editing, and translation for subtitling activities to deliver an authentic viewing experience of Korean media for western audiences
  • Collaborate with the localization team to ensure quality control for subtitles and refine the quality of English translations

 

Key Skills

  • Korean (Fluent)
  • Linguistics
  • Translation
  • SDL Trados Studio
  • Team Leadership
  • Language Interpretation

 

Certifications

  • ATA-Certified Translator, Korean into English, 2015
Frank headshot

Frank Hackett

Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW)

Frank Hackett is a professional resume writer and career consultant with over eight years of experience. As the lead editor at a boutique career consulting firm, Frank developed an innovative approach to resume writing that empowers job seekers to tell their professional stories. His approach involves creating accomplishment-driven documents that balance keyword optimization with personal branding. Frank is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) with the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches (PAWRCC).