Interpreter Resume Examples
An interpreter listens to verbal communication and translates it into one or more languages in real-time. More and more organizations seek interpreters to help gain a broader consumer reach across the globe. Professional, scientific and technical service industries employ the highest number of interpreters. Whether you are looking to break into the field or are an experienced interpreter, our resume example will show you all the elements of a compelling resume.
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What is an Interpreter?
An interpreter listens to, interprets and translates verbal communication and serves as a facilitator in situations where a language barrier exists. The job involves processing and translating spoken or sign language without tampering with the tone, context, and information. The regular duties require an interpreter to have an in-depth cultural understanding, reference of dictionary and encyclopedia, and strong interpersonal skills for liaison between multiple parties. Insurance, healthcare, education, health care, legal industries, public sector, and government organizations usually hire interpreters. The highest paying industry is the Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation).
What Makes This a Great
Interpreter Resume Example?
Study our interpreter resume examples to understand how to demonstrate your skills and experience to catch the recruiter’s attention. Here are a few advantages of our resume examples:
- Professional resume content: Our interpreter resume example features job-relevant keywords like “document translation” and “proofreading skills” that recruiters look for in top candidates. Our certified resume writers created this resume example to show you how to articulate your most relevant skills and experience succinctly. Study our interpreter resume example to learn how to write your own. Or, for more help, use our Resume Builder which offers pre-written content suggestions for every section of your resume.
- The right resume format: Choose a resume format that’s right for your level of experience in order to best highlight your skills and work experience. Our interpreter resume example, above, uses a combination resume format that gives equal importance to a mid-career professional’s skills and work experience. If you are an entry-level applicant or a professional with extensive experience in the field, you should consider a functional or chronological resume format, respectively.
- Appropriate resume template: Being an interpreter is a highly professional role and your resume template should reflect that. The design of the example is straightforward with a muted color choice, which gives it a modern look that will work for a variety of employers. For more colorful designs, peruse our builder’s selection of resume templates.
3 Interpreter Professional Summary Examples
Your professional summary is the first section of your resume a recruiter will read so it must clearly signal that you have the skills and experience required for the role. Study our interpreter resume example to learn how to write a compelling summary of your own, or use these additional examples for inspiration:
- A multitasker and passionate professional with more than 10 years of experience as an interpreter in the education field. Advanced ability to interpret English to French. Strong interpersonal skills. Conceptualized and supervised the creation of bilingual virtual learning modules for 10 high schools.
- An IACI-certified interpreter with over four years of experience in legal firms and public bodies. Proven track record of using advanced proficiency in French and in-depth knowledge of legal terminology for offering interpretation services for litigation and other legal procedures. Won “Interpreter of the Year Award” on two occasions.
- A highly motivated medical interpreter with over a year of experience. Proficient in Spanish and Mandarin and has excellent knowledge of medical terminology. Experience in eliminating the language barrier between healthcare professionals and over 2,000 patients.
3 Interpreter Work Experience Examples
To make your resume stand out to a recruiter, it’s critical to quantify your work achievements with numbers and percentages to show the impact your work has had. Study our interpreter resume example to learn how to include not only your past work responsibilities but data and metrics that show off your achievements.
Here are three additional examples to consider for your interpreter resume:
- Trained two multilingual interpreters with proficiency in Spanish and German.
- Mediated and translated discussions between clients for over 100 seminars and conferences.
- Offered interpretation services as a tour guide for Spanish and German language-speaking tourists for four years.
Top Skills for Your Interpreter Resume
Many large companies use applicant tracking software (ATS) to identify job seekers that have applicable skills and experience. To get your resume into the hands of a recruiter, it must contain the right mix of hard and soft skills.
Our interpreter example uses the hard and soft skills hiring managers look for in top candidates. Use them as a resource to write a solid skills section on your resume. Here are additional skills to consider for your resume:
Hard Skills
- Fluent in Spanish and French
- Exceptional listening skills
- In-depth cultural understanding
- Excellent vocabulary
Soft Skills
- Emotional intelligence
- Strong interpersonal skills
- Emotionally resilient
- Conflict resolution skills
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Interpreter FAQs
- What are the educational qualifications required for an interpreter?
- How to write an entry-level resume?
- What is the ideal length for a resume?
What are the educational qualifications required for an interpreter?
To begin a career as an interpreter, you would require a bachelor’s degree and proficiency in two or more languages. A degree in a foreign language will add weight to your resume. You can also acquire an associate degree or a certification in interpreter services from the American Translators Association. You can always upgrade your skills through workshops and relevant courses offered by the National Association for Interpretation.
How to write an entry-level resume?
If you apply for an entry-level interpreter job, add transferable skills and associated experience of interpreting and communicating a foreign language. For example, you volunteered as a tour guide for non-English speaking tourists, or during your internship at a health care center, you took the initiative to communicate medical information from doctors to non-English-speaking patients. This relevant work experience will show that you have the right transferable skills to be a viable candidate for an entry-level job. You can use a functional resume format for the same.
What is the ideal length for a resume?
A resume’s ideal length is a single page with concise information for recruiters to quickly scan and shortlist the candidate for an interview. However, for applicants with more than a decade of experience, a two-page resume is acceptable.
