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Translator CV (text version)
Amy Williams
Denver, CO 80232
(555) 555-5555
example@example.com
Summary Statement
Dedicated English-Mandarin Chinese translator with 10 years of experience working in professional and scientific communities. Exceptionally accurate translation skills, including simultaneous translation between all parties during teleconferences and in-person meetings. Diverse translation work including proprietary scientific materials and large-scale executive organization documents.
Core Qualifications
- Foreign language software
- Terminology consistency
- MS Office, Ace Translator and HTML
- Cultural expertise
- Document review and proofreading
- Face-to-face translation
- Organization
- Attention to detail
Education
June 2016
University of Colorado At Boulder Boulder, CO
Master of Arts Asian Languages & Civilizations
June 2012
University of Colorado At Boulder Boulder, CO
Bachelor of Arts Chinese
Mandarin
Work Experience
January 2016 – Current
Cesco Linguistic Services – Denver, CO
Senior Translator
- Translate an average of 30 written and verbal communications per week between English and Mandarin Chinese.
- Serve as an on-call translator for teleconferences as required.
- Mentor intern translators, including teaching internal 12 professional development courses per month and reviewing final project materials.
- Train 10 new hires on company-specific translation standards, including proper handling of proprietary material.
- Provide review and verification of translation work as required, including materials created by third-party translation services.
January 2014 – January 2016
UCHealth – Aurora, CO
Translator
- Translated communications between Mandarin-speaking and English-speaking parties as required.
- Traveled five times with company executives on foreign trips to serve as a translator and executive assistant.
- Completed backlog of written translations and entered information into a digital database.
- Authored informational booklet of common phrases and cultural mannerisms to help colleagues during international communications, improving productivity by 25%.
- Reviewed final works to spot and correct errors in punctuation, grammar and translation, reducing 95% of errors in communication.
January 2012 – January 2014
International Rescue Committee – Denver, CO
Translation Intern
- Participated in an intensive professional training program translating written and verbal communications for a team of 30.
- Completed final project translating proprietary scientific study materials, including procedures, observations, methodologies and results.
- Stayed current on new expressions and cultural changes impacting language translation.
- Briefed translated materials to foreign counterparts via video conference.
Conference Attendance
- American Translation Association Annual Conference – (2022)
- Setting and Raising Your Rates as a Freelancer – (2022)
- Conference Interpreting in Mandarin – (2022)
Honors and Awards
- ATA Mentoring Award – (2021)
- Received Outstanding Employee recognition, Cesco Linguistic Services – (2018)
Professional Affiliations and Memberships
- Association of Professional Chines Interpreters & Translators – (2022)
- American Translator Association (ATA) – (2021)
- American Foundation for Translation and Interpretation (AFTI) – (2019)
- International Association for Translation and Intercultural Studies – (2017)
Certifications and Licenses
- Certified Translation Professional (CTP) – (2021)
- Certified Health Care Interpreter (CHI) – (2018)
- American Translators Association Certification (ATA) – (2017)
Profession Relevant Skills
- Extremely precise and dedicated.
- Fluent in Mandarin Chinese, including colloquialisms, business vocabulary and scientific terminology.
- Comfortable with both verbal and written communication, including preparing and giving presentations.
- Consistently relied upon for verification and correction of translated materials.
- Experience teaching other translators through one-on-one mentoring and professional development courses.
- Passionate about facilitating productive cross-cultural relationships and have created extensive informational material and coursework to help colleagues understand and develop cultural sensitivity.
Languages
- English
Native or Bilingual - Chinese (Mandarin)
Native or Bilingual
Hobbies and Interests
Voracious reader and participant in two book clubs. Hosts monthly seminars on conversational Mandarin at the local library. Enjoys cooking and playing the piano. Serves on the city cultural awareness committee and helps plan annual celebrations and events.
5 essentials of a translator CV
Contact details
This section will have all the information needed to contact you for an interview. The standard goes: full name, city state and zip code, followed by phone number and email address. Finally, add a professional website, LinkedIn profile or any other professional networking profile.
Personal statement
Also called a professional summary, the personal statement is your introduction to the recruiter or manager. In no more than five sentences, present your strongest skills, your best professional accomplishment, and your years of experience. Use the job description as a guide on what’s the best information to include.
Skills
The translator skills in a CV tell a recruiter what you know and how you will work. Use bullet points to add a balanced list of hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills are all about the job, like CAT skills and grammar knowledge. Soft skills refer to your work habits and how you work with others, like relationship building and cultural competency.
If you have no experience, include transferable skills from other employment opportunities, particularly skills that show your leadership and management skills.
Work history
In reverse-chronological order, include your career employment. Add the name of your workplace, locations and dates of employment. Under each job, include three measurable achievements to showcase your strengths: the number of projects you’ve worked on, the amount of time spent on a translation and so on.
If you have no experience for the position, include other relevant work experience that showcases your knowledge.
Education
Using bullet points, include the educational institution’s name, the degree conferred and graduation year. You can omit the graduation date if it has been over 10 years. If you did not attend college, list your high school and any other post-high school course you’ve completed.
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Action words for a stand-out translator CV
Action words bring confidence, expertise and assertiveness to your career and accomplishments. Using them will help you stand out from the other applicants and add power to your work history.
Here’s a short list of action words for a translator CV:
- Investigated
- Researched
- Established
- Revised
- Conceptualized
- Coordinated
- Improved
- Organized
- Inspected
Use these words to create an effective CV for a translator. Simplify the process by using our CV maker to build a great translator CV. We’ll provide expert suggestions and step-by-step guidance. Plus, you’ll be able to download it in multiple formats. We have more than 350+ CV examples to help you create the perfect translator CV.
Top skills for a translator CV
Your expertise resides in your skills. When creating your CV, include a mix of soft and hard skills, which can act as translator CV keywords for recruiters. Remember to always tailor it to match the skills in the job description closely. Also, include skills that could benefit the company that are not necessarily mentioned in the job ad.
This list has a few of the top skills for a translator CV:
- Excellent communication skills
- Copyediting
- Grammar expertise
- Writing skills
- Flexibility
- Time management
- Creativity
- Language proficiency
- Diversity and culturally competent
- Integrity
- Confidentiality
- Research
- CAT tool skills
Certifications for a translator
Certifications can add value to your translator CV. It helps showcase your expertise and commitment to the profession. In some cases, only certified translators will be allowed to apply. Be sure to include all your certifications in the CV.
A few examples of certification to add are:
- Certified Translator by the American Translators Association (ATA)
- Certified Interpreter
- Certified Medical Interpreter
Pair your CV with a matching cover letter
Translator CV FAQ
How does a translator CV look?
Your CV should look clean and organized while showing your personal style. Check our CV templates collection to find one that speaks to you. Don’t forget about the ATS test and find an ATS-friendly template to pass the applicant tracking software test. Work smarter by using our expert-guided CV Builder to create a new CV or update your current one.
How to write a CV for a translator?
A translator CV must include the five primary sections, with accurate and truthful information.
- Contact information
- Professional summary
- Skills
- Job history
- Education
Add more information in optional sections. For example:
- Professional memberships or associations
- Certifications and licenses
- Volunteer experience
Not sure what information to include? Use the job description as a guide to find your translator CV keywords in skills and requirements. If you need to add more, don’t hesitate to include a cover letter with your CV and application.
How to make a good translator CV with no experience?
When creating a CV without experience, you need to reinforce your skills section. Add your transferable skills from unrelated employment and skills from your education. Also, remember that other experiences still count. For example, you can include an internship program, volunteer work, and play up your education.
Do’s and don’ts for building a translator CV
- Use measurable achievements to describe your translator skills and experience.
- Use action words to make an impact on your translator CV.
- Tailor your CV to your target translator job.
- Use keywords from the job description throughout your translator CV.
- Format your translator CV so that it is easy to read by ATS software and human eyes.
- Lie about your translator experience and skills.
- Boast about your “incomparable” translation abilities.
- Include irrelevant personal information such as your ethnicity and age.
- Add skills and experience not pertaining to being a translator.
- Forget to proofread. A translator CV with errors is unprofessional.
Top 4 tips for acing a translator interview
Research the company or institution before your interview.
Before the interview, find time to learn about the company, its mission, values and goals. This will help you prepare for the interview, learn about the company culture and will help you write questions for the end of the interview. Plus, it will show your commitment and make you a desirable candidate to the hiring manager.
Practice at home.
It is almost guaranteed you will hear at least one of the most common interview questions, so be prepared for the expected. Take a look at some of these questions. For example:
- What do you see yourself doing in 10 years?
- What attracted you to this company?
- What is the biggest mistake you’ve made?
Take it a step further and practice a mock interview. Ask a friend to ask you the questions, and then provide feedback on your answers, tone, and body language.
Write down your best answers and continue to practice in front of a mirror on the days leading to your interview. This practice will help build your confidence for this and other interviews.
Prepare questions for your interview.
You’re also getting to know the employer. Use the end of the interview questions to get to know them better. Prepare between three to five questions.
These are a few examples to get you started
- Is this a new position?
- How long have you had this position?
- What are the day-to-day responsibilities?
- What’s the company culture like?
- What tools do you provide the translator for a smooth service?
Gather your references.
Get your references ready. Talk to your previous managers and colleagues to ask them to become your reference. Remember, they should be able to vouch for your skills and employment. Let them know where you are in the process and when they can expect a phone call or email. Ask ahead if they could also write a letter of recommendation.
If this is your first job, request references from professors, classmates, volunteer coordinators, or someone that could corroborate your skills.
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Translator CV Example
Nilda Melissa is a Certified Professional Resume Writer who has written for The Washington Post and Latina Style Magazine. She has a master's in Journalism from Columbia University and is a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
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