A translator and interpreter resume builder organised around what language clients verify first: language pairs and direction, certifications, subject-matter specialties, and CAT-tool proficiency. You fill a structured form and a clean, ATS-friendly resume builds live beside it.
What makes a translator resume different
Translation clients — agencies, law firms, pharmaceutical companies, governments — screen linguist profiles very differently from HR departments reading conventional resumes. Their first question is always: what languages, in which direction, and into which domain? A translator who does English-into- French legal translation is not interchangeable with one who does French-into-English technical documentation, even if both list “English and French” on a generic resume. Direction and domain are the filtering criteria, not an afterthought.
This builder leads with language pairs and direction because that is how clients and vendor managers read a linguist profile.
How it works
The builder gives translation-specific signals their own sections rather than generic bullets. Language pairs captures your directions and native language, plus consecutive or simultaneous interpreting. Certifications lists ATA, CIOL, and court or NAATI credentials with the exact language direction. A dedicated subject-matter expertise field names your domains — legal, medical, technical, financial — because terminology accuracy is the whole job. CAT tools & volume lists Trados, memoQ, and Phrase along with realistic daily throughput. A repeatable experience section pairs each role with a result like on-time rate or words delivered.
The right panel re-renders the resume as you type. Your draft auto-saves to local storage, and the Copy text and Download .txt buttons export a clean, parseable file.
Listing certifications correctly
Translation certifications vary by country and language pair. In the US, ATA certification is specific to a language direction — an ATA-certified translator holds certification for a particular pair (for example Spanish into English), not a general credential. List the exact direction you are certified in. In the UK, full membership of the CIOL (Chartered Institute of Linguists) or fellowship of the ITI (Institute of Translation and Interpreting) are the main professional credentials. Court interpreter registration, NAATI certification (Australia), and sworn translator status (common in continental Europe) are all worth listing explicitly where held.
CAT tools and daily throughput
Translation agencies and direct clients frequently screen for specific CAT tool experience because it affects workflow compatibility. Trados Studio, memoQ, Phrase (formerly Memsource), Wordfast, and Déjà Vu are the most commonly requested. State which you have used professionally, not just experimentally. For daily throughput, the accepted average for standard text is roughly 2,000 to 3,000 words per day for translation and somewhat less for post-editing machine translation — depending on text density and specialism. State a figure you consistently meet; over-promising on speed damages client relationships.
Tips
Lead with the pair and direction, and mark your native language — clients filter on it first. Match the certifications and specialties named in the brief so keyword filters and human reviewers both see a fit. State realistic throughput; over-promising on speed is the fastest way to lose a repeat client. For interpreters, specify whether you work consecutive, simultaneous, or both, and the settings you have covered (courtroom, conference, medical).
Example
A translator might lead with English ⇄ French (native French) plus Spanish → French, note ATA certification and court registration, list legal and life-sciences specialties, and report 1.5M+ words delivered at a 99.8% on-time rate using Trados and memoQ. The result reads as a certified, domain-aware linguist rather than a generic list of languages.