

Being a good communicator in more than one language is an invaluable talent. Translate your skills into more job interviews by writing an impressive translator cover letter!
You’re a translator, which means you know the golden rule of all types of communication:
Context matters.
And if your context is a poorly performing ratio of applications sent to recruiters responding, this guide is for you.
See, your language skills could outmatch Chomsky’s, and you could have the ability to generate 100% context matches faster than DeepL. But—
Without an effective translator cover letter, none of that is going to, well, translate into any kind of success.
With our guide, you will learn how to write a translator cover letter step-by-step. We’ll even include an example cover letter for a translator!
Want to write your cover letter fast? Use our cover letter builder. Choose from 20+ professional cover letter templates that match your resume. See actionable examples and get expert tips along the way.
Sample Cover Letter for a Resume—See more cover letter templates and create your cover letter here.
You might be interested in some of our other guides:
David Johnson
Spanish-German-English Translator
3291 Maxwell Farm Road
Sacramento, CA 95814
530-890-6297
DavidJJohnson@outlook.com
linkedin.com/in/Davidjjohnson
5/6/2019
Lily Ryan
Head of Translation Department
Lingualytics LLC
2800 Adams Drive
Houston, TX 77006
Dear Ms Ryan,
As a proven translator, I was thrilled to see the job opportunity at Lingualytics. In the past year at TransRate, I consistently achieved a 100% accuracy rating on written translations and 100% positive customer feedback on live interpreting. I’d love to apply my language and communication skills towards Lingualytics continued success through providing precise, user-friendly translation services.
Having spent over 4 years in the translation/interpretation industry, I know exactly what you’re looking for in a prospective hire when mentioning the words “reliable” and “detail-oriented.” Fortunately, I bring that to the table and more.
When I began working at TransRate 3 years ago as a Junior Translator, I quickly realized that the key to advancing my career was constantly improving my skills. I did exactly that by attending additional courses and completing specialized training programs. Within 6 months, this resulted in a 65% reduction in errors pointed out in my translations by proofreaders. On top of that, I now sport certificates in medical, legal, and technical translations.
It would be amazing to work for a company whose values and goals are so closely aligned with my own. I have to say that I entirely agree with your approach to implementing more integration with neural machine translation and putting more focus on transcreation, rather than limiting the scope of the company to simple translating services. An open-minded, forward-thinking approach is especially in the current, ever-more globalized, industry.
I’m eager to discuss in more detail how my skills can become one of Lingualytics key assets. I’d be thrilled to show you how I can contribute to building upon Lingualytics’ already stellar reputation as a language service provider.
Best regards,
David Johnson, Translator
That translator cover letter template is 10/10, hired-on-the-spot good. Read on, and you’ll have one of those ready for your own use in no time.
And while you’re here, do yourself a favor and refresh your resume writing skills for a success-boosting one-two punch. Check out our Translator Resume Writing Guide.
Without further ado, this is how you write a cover letter for translators:
As someone who works with documents and large bodies of text on a daily basis, you know better than anyone that formatting matters.
You wouldn’t want to translate a full-page block of text that’s unintuitive and hard to read.
That’s why first, we need to talk general formatting. Here’s how to format your cover letter:
Read more:Best Professional Cover Letter Layout Examples
If you’re familiar with the standard business letter heading format, you’ll have no trouble addressing your cover letter correctly.
If you’d like a refresher, here’s a step-by-step instruction:
And if you don’t know exactly who the recruiter/head of the translation department is, try using Google, LinkedIn, or even the company’s website.
Read more: Cover Letter Heading: The Right Way to Format Your Header + Examples
Now that you know who will be the person reading your letter, you can begin writing.
If you couldn’t find the name of the person who’ll read your cover letter, stick to the safest option: use the phrase Dear Hiring Manager.
Read more: Best Ways to Start a Cover Letter: Examples and Full Guide
Now that you’ve got the reader’s attention, use the middle of your cover letter to drive the message home and secure your interview spot. How? Well—
Pro tip: Sometimes, translators and interpreters alike need to come off a little smug. Why? It shows confidence, which studies identify as one of the key qualities of a good translator. Don’t be afraid to flaunt your skills and show some flair!
There’s one more key message you need to get across in your cover letter:
The fact that you want this job, not any job.
Globalization is here to stay, so there’ll never be a shortage of translator and interpreter jobs. What draws you to this particular one?
Pro Tip: The essence of making a good impression is not coming off as entirely self-interested. For this reason, avoid mentioning salary requirements on your cover letter.
What will the employer gain by hiring you? In the final paragraph of your cover letter, make sure to show the recruiter how your skills can translate into the company’s success.
Read more: The Best Way to End a Cover Letter
All that’s left to do now is to include a professional signature, and your cover letter will be ready to win you a job!
Here’s how to sign off on your work:
When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional resume template here for free.
When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.
Done and dusted!
That’s a surefire way to getting a translating job!
What did you think about this translator cover letter writing guide? Did we miss any important details? Maybe you have some burning questions? As always, look to the comment section below!
Once you’ve submitted your job application, don’t just sit and wait. Employers expect you to follow up! This guide will show you how to do it right, beat your competition, and land that dream job. Use our sample resume follow-up email, see a follow-up phone call script and learn the most effective follow-up hacks and tips.
Need to show your good communication skills on a resume or at an interview? Our guide gives you the best verbal, nonverbal, and written communication skills to list.
Most positions aren’t advertised and you’re left fighting for the few that are. Work smarter by writing a cold cover letter that will get you the job no one else knows about.