Interpreter Resume: Free Template, Examples & Essential Tips

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As an Interpreter, you’re expected to juggle a lot of skills including fluency in another language, spontaneous translation, and a deep knowledge and understanding of other cultures. So it’s understandable if your resume writing skills aren’t up to scratch. Luckily, our profession’s resume templates and expert advice can help!

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The role of the interpreter becomes essential in today’s world of communication. Demand for interpreters together with translators is constantly growing with an estimation of nearly 24% growth by 2030.

Being an interpreter is not the same as being a translator. While a translator should have proficient knowledge of both languages in a written format, an interpreter is focused on speaking from one language to another, whether simultaneously or consecutively.

Applying for a job as an interpreter requires the ability to speak clearly, accurately, timely, and have sufficient knowledge of the topic at hand. It also requires a properly constructed resume to show to any prospective employers.

If you’re wondering where to start and how to write a resume for an interpreting position, we have you covered.

Read our guide to find an interpreter resume sample and all useful tips for composing it.

Your resume is, in a way, your professional ID card to serve a great purpose for a new employer. Is the first step to introducing yourself, your capabilities, motivation, experience, and skills.

If the employer finds it attractive, an interview will follow up – but it is your job to orchestrate your resume in such a way that attracts the interest of the employer in the first place.

If you don’t want to waste your time building an interpreter resume sample from scratch, you can trust reputable resume templates online and focus on presenting yourself in a professional fashion that meets the employer’s recruitment needs.

Resume Example

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[Elisabeth Smith]

[Interpreter]

[89 Ave 8th, New York, NY | 696-594-4688 | e.smith@gmail.com]

Summary

A proven expert in German with over 15 years of interpreter experience in various fields. Specialized in medical communication and successfully accomplished translation at seven international conferences.

Experience

Medical Interpreter
New York Presbyterian Hospital | New York, NY
2018 – Present
* Interpretation at 1 plenary session, 1 symposium and 2 education sessions at American Society of Clinical Oncology held in June 2021

• On-demand interpreter for meetings with visiting professor Bovue from France at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• Facilitate communication between 300+ onco patients in English and Prof. Bovue
• Provide interpretation on a regular basis at medical conferences and congresses as a nominated interpreter by Association as a result of outstanding and accurate communication

Interpreter / Translator
United Nations | New York, NY
2016 – 2018

• Accurate translation of medical documentation of patients in French
• Supported over 700 foreign patients to get access to medical care and services
• Provide consecutive translation and services from English to French for civil services
• Freelance interpreter for micro-sized companies

Education

University of Pennsylvania
Bachelor’s Degree English
2013 – 2016

Skills

• French and Spanish Language
• Medical terminology
• Cultural knowledge
• Interpersonal Skills
• Active listening
• Verbal communication
• Collaboration
• Computer skills

Certificates

• CMI certified in Spanish

>> Hobbies and Interests <<

• Gardening
• Biking
• Active participant in Parents’ council
• French history passionate explorer

The above resume for interpreter represents the best format out of numerous interpreter resume examples available on the internet. It contains all important segments and is structured for easy reading and to be eye-catchy.

In case you apply to be an interpreter in English to an employer who is not an English-speaking workplace, you probably have to prepare a resume in a different language or a bilingual interpreter resume.

As an interpreter, you play a crucial role in enabling a clear understanding of both sides who don’t understand the other language, without miscommunication risk.

When translating verbally and in real-time, you have to proficiently know both languages at hand. Depending on the field of communication, you should also be familiar with specific vocabularies you will interpret, like business, medicine, politics, etc. Also, interpretation requires excellent active listening, the capability to concentrate for a long period and to draw out the context of what’s being said.

A resume for interpreters should be structured in a way that sublimates your experiences and skills in an easy-to-read and understand format. Not every template that you find on the internet will be suitable for you, and therefore, not every resume format will fit your experience or skills.

The three most exploited formats are:

• Reverse-chronological – in this format, all previous professional history is listed in a reversed chronological order, starting with the most recent engagement and moving backward. This is the ideal format for experienced applicants.
• Functional – this format puts skills first before the experience. It is appropriate for interpreters without professional experience but with suitable skills in the field. This format helps you highlight your communication, technical, active listening skills, etc.
• Combination – a hybrid form of the previous two is ideal for interpreters who have the best of both worlds. The format shines an equal light on your work history, achievements, and skills.

From this interpreter resume sample in reverse chronological format, you can notice that all important information is on the front page. It helps the recruiter in only a few minutes to get familiar with the candidate, professional summary, skills, and experience (latest the first), and get contact details immediately.

The recruiter will begin reading your resume from resume summary or resume objective, so this is your elevation pitch. Although there is no sharp distinction between summary and objective, still there are differences in content and writing approach that make each more appropriate in different situations.

A resume summary is a short paragraph at the beginning of the resume and is your first introduction to the recruiting team. In a summary, the candidate includes the key details of their professional career and achievements, as well as a brief description of their experience and skills.

A resume objective is also positioned on the top of the resume. In 1 to 2 sentences, the candidate presents their professional goals and aspirations and indicates how these match with the job they applied for.

If you are an experienced interpreter and achieved remarkable results in your career, a resume summary is a better choice for your pitch. Resume objectives are more appropriate for inexperienced candidates, where you can still address your skills, potential, and ambition.

Whether you opt for a resume summary or objective, keep it at 2 to 3 sentences and be concise with the information you offer. Use strong action verbs and relevant adjectives to make a strong impression on the employer.

Interpreter Resume Summary Example

Here is a positive example of a resume summary. You’ll notice how the applicant pays attention to putting numbers to their experience and ensures they list all key assets the job requires.

And here is a wrong example of a summary section, where the information is bland, basic, and bears no professional heaviness.

How to Write an Entry-Level Interpreter Resume Objective

In absence of professional experience, write a resume objective summarizing your education and career goals. Keep it short and be specific in your goals and skills that are relevant. Put interesting information starting from the first sentence and grab the attention of the reader.

Entry-Level Interpreter Resume Objectives

When addressing your education, the right way is to highlight the level of proficiency, not only stating that you have a diploma. Also, try to explain what your contribution will be if they choose you, rather than addressing that you fulfill the requirements for the job.

A quality example of how to showcase this is:

A not-so-favorable example of an entry-level objective section is:

The experience section is a very important segment of your resume where you present your previous experience to the hiring manager in reverse chronological order. This means that you should begin with the latest professional engagement and move back.

Present each working engagement in a separate bullet, starting with the job title, name of the company/employer, the period for engagement, and name of the town.

List your responsibilities in bullet points but in a way that shows the results you have achieved. Results are not always the ultimate goal, however, they reflect your skills, gained specific experience, and capability.

While including the experience, think about how this experience is relevant to the job that you apply for. Choose wisely, especially if you have a long working history, and focus on appropriate ones that will support you in this recruiting process.

If you have over 15 years of professional experience, you have a huge experience to present which will extend your interpreter resume in a few pages. Try to keep it on two pages, list the recent job positions, and be detailed in relevant ones.

Interpreter Resume Examples: Experience

Here is an example of a medical interpreter. The job requirement is a Medical interpreter in French at the International Oncology congress.

Here, we can notice that the applicant took time to turn their achievements into factual figures, and has clearly listed and elaborated on their key tasks and achievements in previous posts.

Unfortunately, this example is quite basic, offers information without supporting it with suitable data and numbers, and almost sounds robotic with the listing.

Entry-Level Interpreter Resume: Experience Section

Being inexperienced is not a downfall – every professional went through such a career phase and applied for the first time. Some hiring managers might seek experienced candidates but others will prefer someone who has excellent team spirit, a hard working mindset, and the will to improve – experience or not.

If you lack professional experience, you can instead add any volunteer activities or life experiences that will reflect your skills and personality. Name freelance jobs you’ve done, internships, your role and achievement in a project, or any temporary work.

Tailor your interpreter resume to the job position by using keywords featured in the job description.

Having a Bachelor’s degree is usually an entry criterion for most interpreter jobs. What is also expected from the candidate – bachelor’s program aside – is that they fluently speak at least two languages.

Your formal education, other informal classes you attended, or any relevant training you did should all be part of this section. Don’t underestimate any designated courses you took in high school, like communication training – these can further make you more competent for the role.

Interpreter Resume Education Section

List your educational background in reverse chronological order, so the latest accomplishment is at the top of the list.

This section of your interpreter resume includes:

• The name of your degree;
• The name of the school/university;
• The year you graduated (is not wrong if you also put a month).

If you have a Bachelor’s degree already, don’t include your high school education in your resume. Those who want to apply but haven’t graduated yet can include their high school education, alongside the university where they currently study and the estimation of when they expect to graduate.

To boost your resume further, you can include relevant academic awards, certifications, acknowledgments, or projects you are enrolled in.

Having the highest grade in a foreign language is not sufficient enough for this profession.
You should have superior grammar knowledge but also the capability to know and interpret various lingual structures.

To be successful in this role, aside from active listening and communication skills, you should also understand the culture of the language, be collaborative and possess interpersonal skills.

While soft skills are important but difficult to prove in a resume, hard skills are also required and are directly related to the job. To be the best interpreter, you should possess soft and hard skills that will make you outstanding in the crowded market.

Here are the most relevant and required skills for an interpreter skills resume.

Check carefully what skills are required for the job you apply for. If you have those, make sure they are included in your resume and list them at the top.

Your private and social life makes you a complete person, not just a professional – and recruiters want to know you entirely before they hire you.

This is the section where you can present the part of yourself aside from the professional one.

In the Others interpreter resume section you can list:

• Publications (provide a link to articles)
• Membership in an association;
• Interests;
• Hobbies
• Sports activities, etc.

Interpreter Resume Sample “Other” Sections

Other

• Gardening – volunteer in kindergarten
• Adrenalin dependent biking
• Active participant in Parents’ council
• Passionate explorer of French history

Now when you know all important elements, you are ready to make your first top-notch resume. To keep you on track, here is a neat checklist of all things you should keep an eye on:

• Use reverse-chronology resume format;
• Write in a professional font;
• Use keywords from the application to create an interpreter job description resume;
• Present your previous working experience by highlighting accomplishments while working on the specific position;
• Present first the skills that are required and you posses those;
• Complete the whole personality picture by addressing your interests and hobbies in the other section.

Before you send it, read it all over and check if the sentences are short and meaningful. Also, proofreading is a must. Read it loudly or give it to a friend to look for any formatting, grammar, and spelling mistakes.

Remember, a professional resume can open the door to a new professional opportunity – it is up to you to be diligent and transparent with how you execute it.