Interpreter Resume Sample & Guide with Skills
Secure your dream interpreter role in 2022 with this resume example guide, including all the sections you need to add to create the perfect resume.
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What to Highlight in an Interpreter Resume
Interpreters are crucial to so many industries, from international diplomacy to education. TO show that you’re ready to fill such an important role, you’ll need to highlight the right things in your resume to impress the hiring manager or recruiter.
Here are some things you should highlight in your resume:
- The language you speak
- The type of interpretation services you provide
- Industry such as medical interpretation in healthcare or education
- Core competencies
Structure of an Interpreter Resume
The structure of your interpreter resume will depend on the type of resume format you choose. Here’s a guide to the three kinds of resumes you can choose:
- Chronological: Chronological resumes focus on employment history.
- Functional: Functional resumes focus on skills.
- Combination: Combination resumes showcase both skills and experience.
Header
Once you have chosen your resume format, you should include a resume header. Your resume header contains all of your contact information, helping the hiring manager contact you with application updates. In this section, you should include:
- Full name
- Email address
- Phone number
- Location
If you have lots of experience as an interpreter, then you can also provide a link to a professional networking site. This is a good opportunity to provide the hiring manager with more information about your career and the types of clients or industries you worked with.
Resume summary
A resume summary is your opportunity to introduce yourself to the hiring manager. This two to three-sentence section summarizes your overall resume. This section is designed to hook the hiring manager or recruiter.
To do this, you can include striking information such as specialist skills or qualifications. You can also include your total years of experience in this section.
If you don’t have any experience in an interpreter position, then you can use a resume objective. A resume objective is similar in length but instead explains your career goals. You can explain how this role aligns with your career targets and why you’re the ideal candidate.
Skills
If you choose a functional resume format, then your skills section is essential. Regardless of the type of resume you choose, you should ensure you include the right skills.
This section should contain a mixture of both hard and soft skills. Hard skills are role-specific, whereas soft skills are transferable across multiple industries.
If you can’t think of the right interpreter skills that align with your job application, then consider using some of these bullet points:
- Interpersonal skills
- Cultural differences and understanding
- Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
- Social media
- Diverse language services
- French
- Spanish
- Portuguese
- English
- Written and verbal communication skills
- Arabic
- Translation services
- Proofreading
Work history
Depending on the role and the type of resume you choose, the work experience section might be the most important part. You should try to only include experience where you’ve translated or interpreted foreign languages to avoid information redundancies.
If you’ve previously had interpreter jobs, then you should list your experience in reverse chronological order, starting from the most recent example. You should also include brief bullet points that summarize your primary responsibilities while working.
If you have many years of relevant experience as a professional interpreter, then try and keep to the most recent five years of experience to avoid your resume becoming too long.
Education
To become an interpreter, you’ll need to prove you’re bilingual and fluent in your target language. You can also study for a bachelor’s degree in the same language and build up your experience as a freelance translator.
In this section, you should include the following information:
- The title of your qualification or degree
- University or training facility name
- Year you graduated
- Special achievements such as making Dean’s list or graduating with honors
Trusted by professionals
Do’s and Don’ts for an Interpreter Resume
- Use a resume template and resume builder to provide structure to your resume.
- Use the job description for keywords to navigate applicant tracking systems.
- Proofread your resume before you submit it.
- Mention your high school diploma. This is an example of irrelevant information
- Forget to use an interpreter resume sample to inspire your resume.
- Make your resume sections too long as this may bore the hiring manager.
FAQ: Interpreter Resumes
Have questions? We’re here to help.
Do I need to include a cover letter for an interpreter application?
Yes! A cover letter is a great way to provide the hiring manager with more information about your skills and experience. In a cover letter, you can go into more depth about specific anecdotes and explain why you’re the ideal candidate for a professional interpreter role.
What are the best resume writing tips?
Here are the best writing tips for a professional resume:
- Use short sentences to summarize your skills and experience.
- Use the job description to include the same qualities as the employer’s ideal candidate.
- Use accessible language to avoid confusing the hiring manager.
How do I change my resume to apply to different jobs?
You should customize your resume for each application. This provides specific information and language skills for the exact role. You can customize your resume summary, skills section and experience section to align with the role.
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