One specific CV challenge you might face as a translator is ensuring your unique language skills and cultural competencies stand out to potential employers. Our guide provides tailored strategies to highlight these abilities effectively, ensuring your CV not only showcases your expertise but also captures the attention of those looking for your specialised translation services.
In this Enhancv translator CV guide, you'll find out more about how to:
- Answer job requirements with your translator CV and experience;
- Curate your academic background and certificates, following industry-leading CV examples;
- Select from +10 niche skills to match the ideal candidate profile
- Write a more succinct experience section that consists of all the right details.
Do you need more specific insights into writing your translator CV? Our guides focus on unique insights for each individual role:
Resume examples for translator
Explore additional translator cv samples and guides and see what works for your level of experience or role.
By Experience
Senior Translator
- Structured and Concise Presentation - The CV is meticulously organized, maintaining clarity throughout each section. Its concise format allows easy navigation, ensuring that key details about roles, responsibilities, and achievements are accessible and easy to digest for quick reference.
- Progressive Career Growth - Charlotte Powell's career trajectory illustrates a progressive growth pattern, moving from a Certified Translator to a Senior Translator and then to a Senior Language Specialist. Her advancements reflect an escalation in responsibilities, leadership roles, and expertise within the industry.
- Mastery of Industry-Specific Tools and Techniques - The CV highlights Powell's expertise with advanced Computer Assisted Translation (CAT) tools and adaptive machine translation methodologies, indicating her technical proficiency and commitment to remaining at the forefront of translation technology.
Junior Translator
- Clarity and Structure - The CV is characterized by its logical organization and clear structure. Each section is distinctly outlined, ensuring that the reader can easily identify and absorb information without confusion or redundancy. The concise bullet points provide clear insights into Matilda’s responsibilities and achievements, making the complex nature of her work accessible and understandable.
- Career Progression - Matilda’s career trajectory demonstrates impressive growth, transitioning from a Translation Intern to a Multilingual Translator at SDL plc. This progression highlights her ability to take on increased responsibilities and deliver impactful results in professional settings, exhibiting her commitment and upward mobility in the translation field.
- Technical Proficiency and Methodologies - The CV showcases Matilda’s proficiency with translation tools and methodologies, enhancing her capacity to deliver consistent and error-free translations. The integration of translation software, glossary development, and feedback systems demonstrates her ability to innovate and streamline processes, ensuring accuracy and efficiency in multilingual communication.
Lead Translator
- Clear and Structured Presentation - Charlie Thomas's CV is presented with clarity and a logical structure, making it easy to navigate. Each section is well-labeled, providing a concise and organized view of their professional history and qualifications. This presentation style aids potential employers in quickly assessing the candidate's suitability for roles in language interpretation and patient care.
- Strong Career Growth and Industry Experience - The CV reflects a solid trajectory of professional growth, transitioning from a Healthcare Interpreter to a Language Services Coordinator, and currently holding a position as a Medical Interpreter. This progression not only shows an increase in responsibility and scope but also highlights a deepening expertise in the medical interpretation and cultural mediation fields.
- Effective Communication and Cultural Mediation - The CV highlights Charlie's proficiency in both English and Spanish, an asset in medical settings where clear communication is crucial. Their experience in creating training modules and conducting cultural mediation showcases an ability to bridge communication gaps and enhance intercultural interactions, making them invaluable in a multicultural healthcare environment.
Entry-Level Translator
- Structured Presentation of Skills and Experience - The CV is presented in a clear and concise manner, neatly segmenting each aspect of Freya Richardson’s experience, education, and skills. The use of specific bullet points under job roles makes it easy to identify key achievements and responsibilities quickly, ensuring the information is digestible and accessible for recruiters.
- Progressive Career Growth - Freya’s career trajectory is well-outlined with clear indications of growth from a Junior Translator to a Senior Translator. This progression demonstrates her increasing responsibility and expertise within the industry, alongside her ability to adapt and thrive in more senior roles, highlighting strong potential for further leadership opportunities.
- Integration of Advanced Translation Technologies - The CV emphasizes Freya’s expertise in implementing technologies like adaptive machine translation tools and CAT tools, showcasing her ability to enhance translation efficiency. Her completion of a course focused on mastering CAT tools further emphasizes her commitment to staying at the forefront of industry-specific technology advancements.
Executive Translator
- Strategically showcases career growth and expertise - The CV effectively charts Sophia's career progression from a Language Specialist to a Senior Translator at Nikkei Inc. Each role highlights a logical step forward in responsibilities and scope, demonstrating her continuous professional development and increasing influence within her industry.
- Displays profound business impact through achievements - Sophia's contributions are articulated with clarity, emphasizing not just numerical accomplishments but their strategic business relevance. Examples include a 30% increase in translation efficiency, and facilitating a project that generated £2 million in revenue, showcasing her role as a pivotal contributor to organizational success.
- Integrates diverse skill sets and leadership acumen - Beyond her linguistic prowess, the CV showcases Sophia's adeptness in leadership and business communication, underscored by her organization of multilingual corporate strategies and implementation of cross-cultural business exchanges. This highlights her ability to blend technical skill with managerial and strategic leadership effectively.
Associate Translator
- Strategic Career Growth - Amelia’s career trajectory showcases strategic growth within the education sector, moving from a Translation Coordinator to a Senior Translator and Administrator with notable industry leaders like the British Council. This upward trajectory highlights her capability to not only adapt but also excel in increasingly complex roles, demonstrating continuous professional development.
- Industry-Specific Expertise - The CV highlights a unique combination of translation fluency and administrative prowess. Amelia's expertise with Google Drive and Microsoft Office, paired with her bilingual translation skills, has led to substantial increases in efficiency within her roles, demonstrating a deep understanding of tools essential for productivity in higher education environments.
- Impactful Achievements - The CV details substantial achievements, such as leading a 20% improvement in processing efficiency and improving student satisfaction scores by 25%. These accomplishments provide not only quantitative metrics but also articulate the broader impact on organizational operations and client trust, emphasizing her contributions to enhancing business processes and stakeholder relationships.
Principal Translator
- Structured Career Progression - Leo Brown's CV highlights a clear career trajectory, showcasing a steady progression from a Legal Document Translator to a Senior Translator at a renowned company. This development underscores his commitment and growth within the translation industry, moving from specific legal translation roles to broader responsibilities encompassing technical, medical, and business translations.
- Embraces Technological Advancements - The CV emphasizes Leo’s involvement with innovative translation tools and desktop publishing software, which plays a crucial role in enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of translation projects. His proactive approach to integrating new technologies demonstrates a commitment to staying at the cutting edge of translation methodology, ensuring high-quality outputs.
- Significant Impact Through Process Improvements - Leo’s achievements are presented with a focus on their direct business relevance, such as improving client satisfaction and operational efficiency. His initiative to optimize verification processes and integrate new software has delivered measurable performance improvements, indicating his valuable contribution to the companies he has worked for.
By Role
Medical Translator
- Clear and Structured Presentation - The CV is exceptionally well-organized, with distinct sections highlighting career progression, education, skills, and achievements. This allows for straightforward navigation and immediate identification of the candidate's qualifications and experiences, crucial for busy hiring managers.
- Progressive Career Trajectory - Edward's career shows a clear upward trajectory from a Translator at GlobalLingua to a Senior Translator at LangCorp, indicating a continuous growth in responsibilities and expertise. Each role showcases an enhancement in skills, particularly in translation accuracy and team leadership, illustrating a deepening specialization in the clinical translation field.
- Industry-Specific Expertise in Tools and Methodologies - Edward utilizes advanced translation tools and management systems, such as CAT tools and memoQ, to boost efficiency and precision. This technical depth demonstrates his commitment to leveraging technology for enhancing the quality and efficiency of complex clinical translations, setting him apart in the industry.
Legal Translator
- Clear and Structured Presentation - The CV is well-organized, starting with a comprehensive summary that quickly conveys Charlotte’s specialization in legal translation. The detailed breakdown of experience, education, certifications, skills, and achievements provides a complete view of her qualifications without overwhelming the reader, ensuring conciseness and clarity.
- Career Growth and Focus - Charlotte’s career trajectory shows steady growth in the field of translation, evolving from a Translator and Transcriber role at SDL Plc to a Senior Legal Translator at TransPerfect. This progression highlights her increasing responsibilities and steady commitment to refining her skills in legal document translation over the years.
- Mastery of Industry-Specific Tools and Methods - The CV distinguishes itself by emphasizing Charlotte’s proficiency in critical translation tools like SDL Trados, which she used to achieve significant improvements in translation efficiency and accuracy. Her involvement in developing legal glossaries and utilizing CAT tools showcases deep technical capability specific to her industry.
Technical Translator
- Effective Content Presentation - The CV excels in its clear and structured presentation, with each section distinct and easy to navigate. The use of bullet points under each job experience offers concise information about duties and achievements, making it simple for recruiters to quickly assess the candidate's qualifications and skills.
- Proven Career Advancement - Isabelle Reed's career trajectory shows a clear progression from an entry-level Translation Specialist at Hitachi to a Senior Japanese-English Translator at IBM. Each role builds on her previous experiences, indicating a continuous enhancement of skills and responsibilities, particularly in the domain of marketing and IT translation.
- Cross-Functional Experience - The CV highlights Isabelle's ability to work across various departments and international teams, demonstrating her adaptability and collaboration skills. Her experience in localizing software for different markets and improving marketing strategies by coordinating cross-functional meetings showcases her flexibility and strategic thinking in diverse environments.
Literary Translator
- Impressive Career Progression - Isabella Watson's career trajectory demonstrates remarkable growth from Translator and Proofreader to Senior Translator at TransPerfect. This advancement reflects her increasing responsibility and expertise within the translation industry, showcasing her ability to lead projects and manage teams effectively.
- Technological Savvy and Methodological Proficiency - The CV highlights Isabella's adeptness with translation software tools, emphasizing her capability to implement advanced technologies that improve translation accuracy and speed. This technical depth is vital in today's fast-paced translation industry, showcasing her commitment to optimizing performance through technology.
- Quantifiable Achievements with Meaningful Business Impact - Isabella's contributions are consistently illustrated with quantifiable outcomes, such as a 30% increase in client satisfaction and a 25% improvement in project delivery times. These achievements underscore not only her effectiveness as a translator and team leader but also the positive impact of her work on key business metrics, ensuring relevance and success for her employers.
Website Translator
- Impressive Career Progression - Elsie Murray's CV effectively demonstrates a clear trajectory of career growth, moving from an assistant position to a liaison role. This upward path showcases a continuous enhancement in responsibilities and skills, reflecting the candidate's determination and capability to excel in the field of interpretation and translation.
- Integration of Modern Technologies - The CV uniquely highlights Elsie's ability to incorporate industry-specific tools and methodologies, such as automation in document translation and software integration for faster service delivery. This not only indicates technical proficiency but also a strong inclination towards using technology to drive efficiency and improve operational workflows.
- Achievements with Significant Impact - Elsie's accomplishments are presented with a strong focus on their relevance to business outcomes. By reducing document turnaround time by 30% and facilitating compliance improvements, the CV illustrates both service enhancements and cost-saving benefits, emphasizing the candidate's ability to deliver value beyond just linguistic proficiency.
Financial Translator
- Structured clarity in presentation - The CV is organized with concise sections, making it easy to navigate through credentials, experience, and achievements. Each role under the experience section is followed by specific accomplishments that convey a strong grasp of responsibilities and outcomes.
- Career growth within prestigious companies - The career trajectory highlights a clear progression from an Assistant Financial Accountant at Lloyds to a Senior Financial Accountant at HSBC. This path reflects significant advancement in responsibility, suggesting strong performance and adaptability in leading banking institutions.
- Impact-driven achievements - Charlotte's CV showcases achievements such as increasing month-end reporting efficiency by 15% and enhancing audit efficiency by 25%. These accomplishments underscore her ability to not only enhance processes but also generate substantial business impacts, demonstrating her value in previous roles.
Scientific Translator
- Structured and Comprehensive Presentation - The CV is well-organized with sections clearly demarcating the candidate’s skills, experience, education, and achievements, ensuring easy navigation. Concise bullet points within each job position succinctly describe responsibilities and accomplishments, allowing the reader to quickly grasp the scope of the candidate's impact.
- Consistent Career Advancement in AI - Isabella Watson demonstrates a clear trajectory of growth, progressing from a Machine Learning Engineer to a Principal Data Scientist. This progression showcases advancement through increasingly responsible roles and highlights her ability to thrive and excel in the dynamically evolving AI and machine learning field.
- Integration of Advanced Technical Skills - The CV showcases a robust set of cutting-edge technical skills relevant to AI and machine learning, including knowledge graphs, graph neural networks, and tools like Pytorch and TensorFlow/Keras. This depth of expertise in niche, industry-specific methodologies reflects a strong technical foundation.
Marketing Translator
- Emphasizes Result-Driven Campaigns - Amelia Murphy's CV highlights her knack for driving measurable outcomes. It details her success in increasing lead generation by 30% and boosting organic traffic by 40%, demonstrating her effectiveness in delivering tangible business results.
- Strong Narrative of Career Advancement - The CV illustrates a clear career trajectory from a Marketing Coordinator to a Marketing Specialist. This progression reflects a deepening expertise and increased responsibility, signifying her credibility and dedication to the field of marketing.
- Cross-Functional and Adaptive Experience - Her experience includes managing cross-functional teams and engaging in varied roles across projects, from webinars to social media strategies. This adaptability showcases her ability to thrive in diverse settings and collaborate effectively, crucial attributes for a Marketing Specialist role.
Video Game Translator
- Strategic Career Growth - The CV outlines a clear and strategic career trajectory in the gaming industry, progressing from a Videogame Writer at Square Enix to a Lead Videogame Writer at Ubisoft. This trajectory demonstrates Sophia’s increasing level of responsibility and leadership in narrative development, indicating a proven track record of success and growth within major gaming companies.
- Industry-Specific Expertise - Sophia’s expertise in historical research and her unique focus on 1930s settings offer distinctive value within the RPG storytelling niche. This specialization is beautifully complemented by her proficiency in narrative design, contributing to her ability to create engaging and authentic game worlds that resonate with players.
- Robust Technical and Collaborative Skills - The CV highlights Sophia’s use of industry-specific tools like Microsoft Word, Excel, and Visio, alongside advanced methodologies like narrative design workshops. It also emphasizes her collaborative writing abilities, shown by her work with interdisciplinary teams of designers, artists, and engineers to create cohesive and compelling narratives.
Film and Television Translator
- Structured Career Progression - Sienna West's CV effectively outlines a clear career trajectory within the Motion Pictures and Television industry. She has transitioned smoothly through increasingly responsible roles, starting as a Project Coordinator and advancing to Assistant to Agent at United Agents LLP. This progression signifies her dedication and capability to handle greater responsibilities within her field.
- Industry-Specific Skills and Tools - The CV showcases Sienna's proficiency in essential industry tools and methodologies, such as script coverage and project management, crucial for her roles in television and film. Her advanced course in Script Analysis from FutureLearn highlights a dedication to honing her specialization, which provides her with the tools necessary to excel in script dissection and reporting.
- Impactful Achievements with Business Relevance - Sienna West’s achievements section highlights her ability to drive significant business outcomes, such as contributing to a 30% revenue boost through strategic distribution deals and enhancing departmental efficiency by 15%. These accomplishments not only demonstrate her effectiveness but also underline her contributions to the organizations’ bottom lines and operational improvement.
Patent Translator
- Stellar structure and conciseness - Arthur Davies' CV is structured with clear, well-defined sections that allow for quick navigation and easy comprehension of his qualifications. Each section is presented concisely, providing key information without overwhelming details, which highlights his organizational prowess, a vital trait for a paralegal.
- Impressive career trajectory towards expertise in IP - The CV outlines a clear progression from an Intellectual Property Paralegal to a Senior Patent Paralegal, showing steady growth in roles and responsibilities. This upward movement is coupled with increasing industry impact, illustrating Arthur's commitment to specializing and excelling within the intellectual property domain.
- Strategic achievements with high business relevance - Arthur’s accomplishments, such as optimizing patent filing processes and enhancing data accuracy, are not simply anecdotal; they are backed by specific metrics like a 25% increase in case win rates and £30,000 annual cost savings. These achievements demonstrate his strategic impact on business operations and client satisfaction, crucial for firms in the competitive field of law.
Freelance Translator
- Concise and Structured Content Presentation - The CV is well-organized, making it easy to follow the candidate's career journey and areas of expertise. Key information such as roles, achievements, and skill sets are clearly delineated, ensuring that each detail contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the individual's professional capabilities without unnecessary verbosity.
- Strong Career Trajectory and Industry Expertise - Ivy Ward’s career progression from Translation Coordinator to Freelance Translator showcases a strong trajectory of growth and technical mastery in translating engineering and legal texts. Her experience across companies like Lionbridge and SDL encapsulates her transition from managing projects to executing them, reflecting deepening expertise and increasing responsibility in her field.
- Achievements with Tangible Business Impact - The candidate's accomplishments are not just presented as numbers but are contextualized in terms of business impact—such as a 30% decrease in lead times and a 10% boost in international sales through improved translation practices. These achievements underscore her ability to contribute significantly to operational efficiency and client satisfaction.
In-house Translator
- Structured Content Presentation - The CV is well-organized with sections that flow logically, beginning with a concise summary followed by detailed but crisp descriptions of achievements, experiences, and skills. This clarity allows the reader to quickly absorb crucial information without being overwhelmed.
- Progressive Career Trajectory - Isaac Scott has demonstrated significant career growth, advancing from a Translation Project Coordinator to a Chinese-English Translation Specialist. This upward movement illustrates a consistent acquisition of skills and increased leadership roles, reflecting an evolution in responsibilities and expertise within the localization industry.
- Industry-Specific Technical Proficiency - The CV showcases an impressive grasp of advanced tools like CAT (Computer-Assisted Translation) tools, AI translation methods, and translation memory systems. More than just listing tools, Isaac articulates how these are actively leveraged to improve efficiency and accuracy, highlighting technical depth valuable for the role.
How complex should the format of your translator CV be?
Perhaps, you decided to use a fancy font and plenty of colours to ensure your translator CV stands out amongst the pile of other candidate profiles. Alas - this may confuse recruiters. By keeping your format simple and organising your information coherently, you'll ultimately make a better impression. What matters most is your experience, while your CV format should act as complementary thing by:
- Presenting the information in a reverse chronological order with the most recent of your jobs first. This is done so that your career history stays organised and is aligned to the role;
- Making it easy for recruiters to get in touch with you by including your contact details in the CV header. Regarding the design of your CV header, include plenty of white space and icons to draw attention to your information. If you're applying for roles in the UK, don't include a photo, as this is considered a bad practice;
- Organising your most important CV sections with consistent colours, plenty of white space, and appropriate margins (2.54 cm). Remember that your CV design should always aim at legibility and to spotlight your key information;
- Writing no more than two pages of your relevant experience. For candidates who are just starting out in the field, we recommend to have an one-page CV.
One more thing about your CV format - you may be worried if your double column CV is Applicant Tracker System (ATS) complaint. In our recent study, we discovered that both single and double-column CVs are ATS-friendly . Most ATSes out there can also read all serif and sans serif fonts. We suggest you go with modern, yet simple, fonts (e.g. Rubik, Lato, Raleway) instead of the classic Times New Roman. You'll want your application to stand out, and many candidates still go for the classics. Finally, you'll have to export your CV. If you're wondering if you should select Doc or PDF, we always advise going with PDF. Your CV in PDF will stay intact and opens easily on every OS, including Mac OS.
PRO TIP
Use bold or italics sparingly to draw attention to key points, such as job titles, company names, or significant achievements. Overusing these formatting options can dilute their impact.
The top sections on a translator CV
- Language Proficiency because accurate translations depend on linguistic expertise.
- Translation Specialisations showing areas of expertise ensures a good fit for specific projects.
- Translation Work Experience to demonstrate practical application of translation skills.
- Education and Training in Translation to highlight formal qualifications and specialised knowledge.
- CAT Tools Proficiency as familiarity with computer-aided translation tools is often essential.
What recruiters value on your CV:
- Highlight your language proficiency by detailing your fluency levels in all languages you can translate, including certifications or language assessment scores that can corroborate your expertise.
- Emphasise your specialist subject areas, whether that be medical, legal, technical, or literary translation, to showcase your niche strengths and previous experience.
- Include your experience with translation tools and software, such as CAT (Computer-Assisted Translation) tools, to demonstrate your efficiency and familiarity with current industry standards.
- Provide specifics about the volumes of work you are capable of handling, such as word counts per day or turnaround times, to give potential employers an idea of your productivity levels.
- Mention any notable projects or clients you’ve worked with, as this can highlight your reliability and the quality of your work in real-world translation scenarios.
Recommended reads:
Our checklist for the must-have information in your translator CV header
Right at the very top of your translator CV is where you'd find the header section or the space for your contact details, headline, and professional photo. Wondering how to present your the name of the city you live in and the country abbreviation as your address;
- are tailored to the role you're applying for by integrating key job skills and requirements;
- showcase what your unique value is, most often in the form of your most noteworthy accomplishment;
- select your relevant qualifications, skills, or current role to pass the Applicant Tracker System (ATS) assessment. Still not sure how to write your CV headline? Our examples below showcase best practices on creating effective headlines:
Examples of good CV headlines for translator:
- Senior Translator and Linguistic Consultant | MA Translation Studies | Legal and Financial Specialism | 10+ Years Experience
- Expert Technical Translator | BSc Engineering | Patents, User Manuals | Chartered Linguist | 8 Years in Field
- Multilingual Communication Specialist | Certified in Localization | Marketing and Media Content | 5 Years Professional Practice
- Professional Literary Translator | PhD Comparative Literature | Fiction, Poetry | ATA Certified | 12 Years Expertise
- Medical and Pharmaceutical Translator | MSc Biomedical Science | Clinical Trials, Regulatory Documents | 7 Years Experience
- Junior Conference Interpreter | BA Languages & Interpreting | Simultaneous and Consecutive | EU Accredited | 3 Years Active
Opting between a translator CV summary or objective
Within the top one third of your translator CV, you have the opportunity to briefly summarise your best achievements or present your professional goals and dreams. Those two functions are met by either the CV summary or the objective.
- The summary is three-to-five sentences long and should narrate your best successes, while answering key requirements for the role. Select up to three skills which you can feature in your summary. Always aim to present what the actual outcomes were of using your particular skill set. The summary is an excellent choice for more experienced professionals.
- The objective is more focused on showcasing your unique value as a candidate and defining your dreams and ambitions. Think about highlighting how this current opportunity would answer your career vision. Also, about how you could help your potential employers grow. The objective matches the needs of less experienced candidates, who need to prove their skill set and, in particular, their soft skills.
Still not sure about how to write your CV opening statement? Use some best industry examples as inspiration:
CV summaries for a translator job:
- With over 7 years of dedicated experience in translation and localisation services, fluent in 4 languages including Japanese and Spanish, I have successfully translated over 5000 pages of technical documentation, propelling productivity for global tech companies and receiving the 'Outstanding Translator' award in 2021.
- Distinguished bilingual professional with a decade-long career in diplomatic services, now aiming to leverage expertise in English and French translation. Renowned for brokering international agreements through precise linguistic skills, my career highlight includes interpreting at the United Nations Climate Summit.
- Adept software developer with a passion for linguistics, I bring 5 years of coding experience with a focus on automation tools. Keen to apply my technical skills to the translation industry, I am well-versed in both Python and Russian language, eager to contribute to high-stakes translation projects.
- Former journalist with a flair for storytelling, shifting into translation after 6 years of crafting compelling narratives in English and Arabic. My dedication to factual accuracy and cultural nuance will be instrumental in providing top-notch translation services.
- As an eager graduate with a First-Class Honours degree in Modern Languages, I am intent on forging a career where my advanced proficiency in Mandarin and German, along with an innate aptitude for linguistic nuances, can make a substantial impact on cross-cultural communication.
- Driven individual seeking to embark on a career in translation. Bringing forth a zealous dedication to learning and a recent certification in Legal Translation, I am fully prepared to deliver meticulous attention to detail and accuracy in multiple language pairs.
The best formula for your translator CV experience section
The CV experience section is the space where many candidates go wrong by merely listing their work history and duties. Don't do that. Instead, use the job description to better understand what matters most for the role and integrate these keywords across your CV. Thus, you should focus on:
- showcasing your accomplishments to hint that you're results-oriented;
- highlighting your skill set by integrating job keywords, technologies, and transferrable skills in your experience bullets;
- listing your roles in reverse chronological order, starting with the latest and most senior, to hint at how you have grown your career;
- featuring metrics, in the form of percentage, numbers, etc. to make your success more tangible.
When writing each experience bullet, start with a strong, actionable verb, then follow it up with a skill, accomplishment, or metric. Use these professional examples to perfect your CV experience section:
Best practices for your CV's work experience section
- Detail your language pairs and levels of proficiency, stating any language certifications or assessments you have passed to validate your linguistic capabilities.
- Emphasise your specialisation areas, such as legal, medical, or technical translation, illustrating your expertise with examples of projects or documents you have worked on.
- Highlight any CAT (Computer-Assisted Translation) tools you are proficient in, such as SDL Trados or MemoQ, as these are often essential for efficient translation work.
- Include experience with localisation and the ability to adapt content culturally, which is crucial for translating websites, video games, or marketing materials.
- Document your ability to maintain the style, tone, and voice of the original content, thus ensuring a high-quality translation that reads naturally.
- Showcase your attention to detail by mentioning any proofreading or editing experience, which demonstrates your commitment to delivering error-free translations.
- Provide metrics when possible, such as the number of words translated per day or the volume of projects completed, to give potential employers an idea of your capacity.
- Mention any relevant experience in subtitling, dubbing, or voice-over work if applicable, as these skills are increasingly in demand for multimedia content.
- Note any professional memberships, such as the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) or the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL), to establish your professional credibility.
Work Experience
Senior Legal Translator
Global Law Associates
04/2022-Ongoing
- Translated over 3,000 pages of legal documents with a focus on accuracy, resulting in a 99.5% client satisfaction rate for Global Law Associates.
- Initiated and managed a terminology database for legal jargon, which reduced translation inconsistencies by 40% across the firm's international offices.
- Collaborated with a team of 5 translators to create a training module for new hires on cultural nuances in legal translation, slashing onboarding time by 25%.
Work Experience
Medical Translation Project Lead
MedTranslate Co.
01/2018-12/2021
- Led a team of 10 translators in a project translating a series of medical research papers, enhancing global accessibility and contributing to 10% more citations for MedTranslate Co.
- Implemented an AI-assisted translation workflow which increased output by 35%, ensuring timely delivery of critical medical information.
- Spearheaded a cross-functional collaboration between translators and medical professionals to improve translation accuracy of technical terms at Health International.
Work Experience
Media Translator & Subtitler
Multimedia Entertainment
06/2015-11/2017
- Expertly adapted over 50 hours of video content for subtitling in foreign markets, expanding viewership for Multimedia Entertainment by 200% in non-English speaking countries.
- Pioneered an interpreter training program to support live events, which was later adopted by other departments due to its effectiveness in reducing misunderstandings.
- Collaborated with scriptwriters to maintain narrative integrity during the translation of a high-profile TV series, resulting in critical acclaim and international sales.
Work Experience
Technical Translator Specialist
Bridgetech Industries
02/2012-05/2015
- Expert translation of complex technical manuals for industrial machinery enabled Bridgetech Industries to expand sales to French and German-speaking markets by 20%.
- Served as primary liaison between engineering teams and international clients, facilitating effective communication that led to an increase in repeat business.
- Orchestrated the implementation of CAT tools which improved translation speed and consistency across all technical documentation.
Work Experience
Video Game Localization Translator
PlayMax Games
09/2009-01/2012
- Translated and localized website content for PlayMax Games, resulting in a 35% boost in traffic from Spanish-speaking markets.
- Developed glossaries for gaming terminology that standardised translations across multiple projects and thus ensured a coherent brand voice.
- Facilitated communication between developers and international marketing teams, playing a pivotal role in product launches in three new countries.
Work Experience
Finance Translator & Interpreter
International Finance Corp
09/2010-03/2014
- Accurately translated over 1,000 pages of financial documents for annual reports, enabling International Finance Corp to comply with multi-national regulatory requirements.
- Identified and resolved translation discrepancies in quarterly earnings reports, thereby preserving the company's reputation among Francophone investors.
- Translated live, high-stakes negotiations during twelve international banking summits, ensuring seamless communication and contributing to successful deal closures.
Work Experience
E-commerce Localization Manager
GlobalMart
05/2016-08/2019
- Crafted and implemented translation strategies for e-commerce platforms, which helped GlobalMart reach a 50% sales increase in non-English speaking territories.
- Led a localization project for the GlobalMart App, which led to becoming the most downloaded shopping app in three distinct language regions.
- Managed a team of freelance translators and proofreaders, ensuring alignment with brand voice and a 30% improvement in content delivery times.
Work Experience
Conference Interpreter
Tech Innovate
11/2013-04/2016
- Provided simultaneous interpreting for 200+ conferences, enhancing dialogue between English and Mandarin speakers within the Tech Innovate Conference series.
- Designed a cultural sensitivity training program for interpreters, which led to a 15% increase in positive feedback from international delegates.
- Compiled and maintained a technical glossary for the tech sector, which became the reference standard for subsequent translations within the organization.
Lacking professional expertise: how to write your CV to highlight your best talents
Don't count on your lucky stars when you're applying for a role, where you happen to have less (or almost none) professional experience. Recruiters sometimes do hire inexperienced candidates if they're able to present their unique value from the get-go. So, instead of opting for the traditional, CV experience section:
- List any applicable expertise you happen to have - no matter if it's a part-time job, internship, or volunteer work. This would hint to recruiters that your profile is relevant;
- Focus your CV on your transferrable skills or talents you've obtained thanks to your whole life and work experience. In effect, you'll be spotlighting your value as a candidate;
- Separate more space for your applicable academic background and certificates to show you have the technical know-how;
- Ensure that within your objective, you've defined why you'll like the job and how you'll be the perfect match for it. Always ensure you've tailored your CV to individual applications.
Looking for more good examples for your first job? We'll show you how other candidates, with less professional experience, have created their job-winning CVs.
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
If you have experience in diverse fields, highlight how this has broadened your perspective and skill set, making you a more versatile candidate.
Key translator CV skills: what are hard skills and soft skills
Let's kick off with the basics. You know that you have to include key job requirements or skills across your CV. For starters, take individual skills from the job description and copy-paste them into your CV, when relevant. Doing so, you'll ensure you have the correct skill spelling and also pass the Applicant Tracker System (ATS) assessment. There are two types of skills you'll need to include on your CV:
- Hard skills - technical abilities that are best defined by your certificates, education, and experience. You could also use the dedicated skills section to list between ten and twelve technologies you're apt at using that match the job requirements.
- Soft skills - your personal traits and interpersonal communication skills that are a bit harder to quantify. Use various CV sections, e.g. summary, strengths, experience, to shine a spotlight on your workspace achievements, thanks to using particular soft skills.
Remember that your job-winning CV should balance both your hard and soft skills to prove your technical background, while spotlighting your personality.
Top skills for your translator CV:
HARD SKILLS
Fluency in Source Language
Fluency in Target Language
Translation Techniques
Cultural Knowledge
Proofreading
Localisation
Terminology Research
Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) Tools
Language Pair Specialisation
Text Type Specialisation
SOFT SKILLS
Attention to Detail
Interpersonal Communication
Time Management
Adaptability
Problem Solving
Critical Thinking
Resourcefulness
Continuous Learning
Professionalism
Teamwork
PRO TIP
Focus on describing skills in the context of the outcomes they’ve helped you achieve, linking them directly to tangible results or successes in your career.
Your university degree and certificates: an integral part of your translator CV
Let's take you back to your uni days and decide what information will be relevant for your translator CV. Once more, when discussing your higher education, select only information that is pertinent to the job (e.g. degrees and projects in the same industry, etc.). Ultimately, you should:
- List only your higher education degrees, alongside start and graduation dates, and the university name;
- Include that you obtained a first degree for diplomas that are relevant to the role, and you believe will impress recruiters;
- Showcase relevant coursework, projects, or publications, if you happen to have less experience or will need to fill in gaps in your professional history.
PRO TIP
Use mini case studies or success stories in your CV to demonstrate how your skills have positively impacted previous roles or projects.
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Key takeaways
What matters most in your translator CV-writing process is for you to create a personalised application. One that matches the role and also showcases your unique qualities and talents.
- Use the format to supplement the actual content, to stand out, and to ensure your CV experience is easy to comprehend and follows a logic;
- Invest time in building a succinct CV top one third. One that includes a header (with your contact details and headline), a summary or an objective statement (select the one that best fits your experience), and - potentially - a dedicated skills section or achievements (to fit both hard skills and soft skills requirements);
- Prioritise your most relevant (and senior) experience closer to the top of your CV. Always ensure you're following the "power verb, skill, and achievement" format for your bullets;
- Integrate both your technical and communication background across different sections of your CV to meet the job requirements;
- List your relevant education and certificates to fill in gaps in your CV history and prove to recrutiers you have relevant technical know-how.
