
CV vs Resume: Key Differences to Choose Between the Two
A resume is a CV... except when it isn't. Find out what the difference between a curriculum vitae and a resume is to maximize your chances of landing the job in any industry, not just academia.
Whether translating Arabic to English, Brazilian Portuguese to Mandarin, or Swahili to High Valyrian, this guide will help you write a translator resume that gets interviews.
“Study translation,” they said.
“It will be fun,” they said.
“Everyone needs translators, so you'll never be out of work,” they said.
So you’ve spent years perfecting your craft… only to find out that too many people think you can be replaced by Google Translate.
However, rest assured: top-notch translation gigs still exist. You just need to know how to apply to them with a high-quality translator resume.
But what if you find resume writing even harder than translating baseball memes into High Elvish?
Well, we can make it easy. All you have to do is translate the story of your professional achievements into a language that hiring managers understand. And we’ll show you how.
This guide will show you:
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.
Sample resume made with our builder—See more resume examples here.
Here are a few teaching guides related to translation resumes:
Felicita Ruiz, CT
Certified Spanish-to-English Translator
felicita.ruiz@gmail.com
(347) 888-9955
linkedin.com/in/felicitaruiz
Passionate multilingual translator with 2.5 years experience in Spanish-English translations and over 1 year with English-Spanish translations. Linguaphile from early childhood. ATA CT English>Spanish & Spanish>English. Successfully translated over 300 complete projects, ranging from documents to entire websites. Looking to further improve translation skills by becoming the head translator at MegaTron Corporation.
Spanish-to-English Translator
November 2016–June 2019
One-Stop Translations & Linguists, Jackson Heights, NY
Key Qualifications & Responsibilities
Key Achievements
English-to-Spanish Translator
April 2015–September 2016
Spread the Word Publishers, New York, NY
Key Qualifications & Responsibilities
Key Achievements
Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Translation and Interpreting
New York University, New York, NY
Graduation: 2014
Relevant Coursework: Advanced Linguistics, Business Spanish, Spanish Phonetics and Conversation, Spanish Composition, Translation and Interpreting for Business, Advanced Translation for International Business, Modern Transcription Methods, Translating Fiction.
Above was our idea of the ideal translation resume sample.
Let’s fix up yours, now.
This is how to write a translator resume:
Whether they’re freelance translator online jobs or cushy translation work for a large corporation, there’s a method to your tasks.
Same on a resume—
To be sure the hiring manager can interpret what you read, format your translator resume right.
Follow these formatting guidelines on a translator resume:
Pro Tip: Is a resume PDF or Word doc better? The PDF is almost always better, as it can be read on just about any device the hiring manager chooses to view it on. Use a Word doc if the job description specifically asks for it.
On a resume, your elevator pitch is the resume objective or summary statement, also called a resume profile.
Though it’s only a short paragraph, this introduction is powerful, if done right. It gives hiring managers an overview of your translation experience and language skills.
A resume summary is perfect for when you have tons of experience. This introduction statement breaks down your translating background and language skills. It further wins them over by including a key achievement with numbers to quantify your abilities.
A resume objective is the better option when you have little or no experience. This introductory paragraph focuses on your career goals. However, it still provides them with a numbered accomplishment to allow you to stand out as a top translation candidate.
Pro Tip: Though they’ll read the heading statement first, write it last. With this strategy, you’ll be able to come up with better morsels of information to include after you’ve written the rest of the translator resume.
Time to show them you can #i18n like it’s nobody’s business—
How?
By knowing how to describe work experience on a resume most effectively.
To turn in a translator job description that’s davvero eccellente:
Pro Tip: Are you preparing a resume for the first job as a translator? You still have translation-relevant tasks. Just impress them with job responsibilities related to project management, accuracy, etc.
As a specialized job requiring intense precision and training, hiring managers for translator jobs place high value on the education in a resume.
So—
Keep these rules in mind to make an education section they’ll admire:
Pro Tip: What is relevant coursework for translation jobs? Aside from any specialized classes dealing directly with translations, include project management, cultural studies, and classes related to the language pair you deal with.
From 2016 through 2026, translation and interpretation jobs will increase by a whopping 18% in the United States.
That’s more than 12,000 translators to compete against.
So—
Whether for a medical translator job or a legal translation job, choose the right translator skills to wow them with on your resume:
But—
Every translating job is different, so they’ll each require different skills.
So don’t just take our list word-for-word.
Rather, here’s a better way:
Pro Tip: You won’t be able to fit it on your resume, but include samples of your past translation work along with your resume and cover letter. This is a way to prove how skilled you are in translation without just saying it.
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.
Your language skills on a resume are super important for translation jobs (obviously).
That’s why we’re placing the language section just under the resume heading, to give it some prime real estate.
Here’s how to nail the resume language skills section:
Pro Tip: Language skills are skills, but don’t group them with your other translation skills. List languages in their own section to ensure they get the viewing time they deserve.
You have all the basics and necessities on your translation resume template.
However—
If you really want to stand out as a translation job applicant, add some extra sections.
There are several good options for a translator resume:
Yes.
Most hiring managers want a cover letter for a job application.
So—
Here’s how to make a cover letter for translation jobs they’ll appreciate:
We’ve got more on what to include in a cover letter, the perfect length of a cover letter, and more of the best cover letter advice.
Have a look!
Pro Tip: As you prepare for a job interview, remember to follow up on the job application two or three days you send it in.
Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:
See more cover letter templates and start writing.
Do you have any questions on writing a translator resume? Having trouble with your sections on language skills, translation certifications, or job experience? Get at us in the comments below, and thanks for reading!
A resume is a CV... except when it isn't. Find out what the difference between a curriculum vitae and a resume is to maximize your chances of landing the job in any industry, not just academia.
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