You bridge language barriers fast. You’re quick, accurate, and clear. Now you just need to convince the hiring team of that. Do it with this unambiguous sample interpreter resume.
Efficient and accurate medical interpreter with 2+ years of experience. Skilled in Spanish, Mandarin, Farsi, and medical terminology. Seeking to improve communication and care at Clinica San Juan. At BronxCare Hospital, served 7,000+ patients in Spanish, Farsi, and Mandarin in two years with zero language barrier issues. Commended by hospital administrator for professionalism and efficiency.
Work Experience
Interpreter
BronxCare Hospital
Feb 2017–May 2019
Served as medical interpreter to 7,000+ patients in busy emergency room.
Interpreted for patients in Spanish, Farsi, and Mandarin.
Maintained zero language-barrier rate, thanks to native-speaker-level grasp of all three languages and deep cultural competency.
Commended by hospital administrator for efficiency and professionalism.
Freelance Interpreter
Jan 2016–Feb 2017
Worked as freelance interpreter for 30+ clients in Mandarin, Farsi, and Spanish.
Grew client list from 3 to over 30 through robust word-of-mouth.
Education
2008–2012 Clarkson University
BA in Liberal Arts
Pursued a passion for Spanish and Farsi.
Vice President, Student International Club.
Certification
CMI Certified in Spanish and Mandarin—NBCMI
Skills
Technical Skills: Spanish, Mandarin, Farsi, medical terminology, cultural competency
Soft Skills: Interpersonal skills, active listening, communication, accuracy, memory
Activities
Volunteer interpreter 1x per week, Coalition for the Homeless
Participate in weekly sea kayaking group as self-care and fitness.
Looking for more than interpreter jobs? See our other resume guides:
Want to save time and have your resume ready in 5 minutes? Try our resume builder. It’s fast and easy to use. Plus, you’ll get ready-made content to add with one click. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume here.
Here’s how to write an interpreter resume that gets jobs:
1. Start With the Best Interpreter Resume Format
Interpreters translate speech and written text from one language to another and back again. They work in hospitals, courtrooms, legal firms, businesses, and government agencies. Interpreter resumes must list languages with native-speaker skill level, then prove them with examples of their use.
Garbled resumes for interpreter jobs say almost nothing.
Add the right sections on your resume: A. header, B. summary, C. work history, D. education, E. certification, F. skills, G. added sections (more on that in a bit).
The best header for resumes puts your name in large-point font up top, then title (interpreter). Last, list all your contact details like phone or email and social media.
What are the right fonts for resume use? Recruiters like Calibri, Verdana, and Garamond.
Pro Tip: What kind of resume file should you send? MS Word can lose a lot in translation. Stick with PDF interpreter resumes unless the employer warns against them in the ad.
2. Write an Interpreter Resume Objective or Resume Summary
You already know this:
Brevity is the key to effective communication.
It’s the same with business or medical interpreter resumes.
You must convey the 30,000-foot view of your talents in an eyeblink.
An entry-level interpreter should write a career objective in a resume. That’s also an elevator speech, but it goes heavy on goals, skills, and accomplishments from other jobs.
For instance, you worked as a fast food cook and interpreted frequently for patrons and waitstaff.
Pro Tip: How long should a resume be for interpreter positions? A single sheet is perfect. If you’ve been at it eight years or more, you can stretch the point.
3. Translate Your Resume to the Interpreter Job Description
“Let’s definitely interview her.”
Your goal is to get the hiring team to say those words.
Pick the right job title for your work history. If they’re looking for a “Medical Interpreter” and you were a “Hospital Interpreter,” it’s okay to reword it.
Choose some achievements for your resume that show your skills. Example: they need Mandarin and you write, “interpreted for 2,000+ patients in Mandarin.”
Pro Tip: Words are you canvas, so don’t skimp. Write with resume verbs that prove your mettle, like served, interpreted, maintained, commended, worked, grew.
4. Fine-Tune Your Interpreter Resume Education Section
Put some interpreter skills proof in your education, too.
Example: They need someone with cultural competence in Cantonese and you spent a semester in Hong Kong.
Pro Tip: You don’t need GPA in a medical interpreter resume. If it’s high, it helps to show it. If it’s recent, you sort of have to show it. If not, cut it free.
Pro Tip: What are soft vs hard skills in a resume for interpreter jobs? Soft skills are part of who you are. Hard skills are technical abilities you’ve learned that help you do the job.
When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building your resume here.
Make your cover letter opening lines pop. Put something in them that will impress recruiters. Example: “I’ve wanted to work at BronxCare since I was nine...”
In your cover letter’s 2nd paragraph, show some ways you match the role.
How to finish a cover letter: request an interview, and show they’ll get something out of it. Example: “I’d be glad to discuss how I maintained a zero-misunderstanding rate.”
That’s how to write an interpreter resume for court, medical and many other interpreting jobs.
What’s the most eye-catching thing about your resume for interpreter jobs? What do you love most about interpreter work? Give us a shout in the comments. We’d love to talk!
Tom Gerencer, a Certified Professional Résumé Writer (CPRW), is a career expert who has published over 200 in-depth articles on Zety. Since 2016, he has been sharing advice on all things recruitment from writing winning resumes and cover letters to getting a promotion.
Applying for a job via email? You need a perfect email cover letter (No, copy-pasting your regular cover letter will NOT do.) Check out this guide to see an email cover letter sample that gets jobs. Plus, you’ll get an email cover letter template you can adjust and use, tons of expert advice, and actionable cover letter tips.
In this guide you’ll learn *when* and *how* to use a general, universal resume. Plus, you’ll see an easy-to-use template you can copy and tweak in no time.