Freelance translators handle the conversion of written text from one language to another while ensuring accuracy and maintaining the original meaning. On your resume, highlight your language pairs, relevant experience, and any specialized fields you’ve worked in, such as legal or medical translation. It's important to emphasize your proficiency in translation software, attention to detail, and excellent writing skills. Additionally, mentioning successful projects or notable clients can demonstrate your expertise and reliability in the field.
All Resume Templates Peter Segura Freelance Cantonese Interpreter | Medical | Educational | Social Services +1-541-754-3010 help@enhancv.comWith over 10 years of interpreting experience, I am enthusiastic about facilitating clear and accurate communication between non-English speaking individuals and healthcare or support personnel. My expertise in medical, educational, and social services terminology, along with my commitment to patient confidentiality and exceptional customer service, positions me well for success. My biggest career achievement includes interpreting over 1000 medical sessions with 99% accuracy.
Experience Freelance Cantonese Medical Interpreter LanguageLine Solutions 2019 - 2023 Provided medical interpretation services for Cantonese-speaking patients. Interpreted over 1000 medical sessions, resulting in enhanced patient care. Maintained 99% accuracy in interpretation, adhering to National Standards of Practice. Conducted training for new interpreters, improving team efficiency by 20%. Cantonese Educational Interpreter TransPerfect 2016 - 2019 Facilitated educational content interpretation for Cantonese-speaking students. Assisted 200+ students in understanding educational materials, improving grades by 30%. Implemented new interpretation techniques, reducing session time by 15%. Collaborated with teachers to create customized interpretation plans for special needs students. Social Services Cantonese Interpreter 2013 - 2016 Provided interpretation for Cantonese-speaking individuals in social services settings. Facilitated 300+ social service meetings, ensuring clear communication. Developed a guidebook for common social service terms in Cantonese, used by 50+ interpreters. Coordinated with social workers to understand specific needs, tailoring interpretation accordingly. Bachelor's in Translation and Interpretation New York University 2009 - 2013 Training / Courses Medical Interpretation Certification Certified by CHI, 2018 40-Hour Interpreter Training Completed at LanguageLine Academy, 2017 Effective CommunicationFacilitated over 500 medical interpretations, ensuring clear understanding between patients and healthcare providers.
Time Management Managed scheduling for interpreting sessions, achieving 98% on-time performance. Customer ServiceMaintained high satisfaction rates by providing exceptional service to both clients and non-English speaking individuals.
Customer Service Medical Terminology Continuous Integration Interpersonal Skills Time Management Key Achievements Interpreter of the Year Award Received the award for exceptional service at LanguageLine Solutions in 2020. Community Outreach ProgramInitiated a program to provide free interpretation for low-income families, assisting over 100 families.
Language and Culture Passionate about bridging cultural gaps through language interpretation. Fitness and Well-being Enjoys staying active and promoting a healthy lifestyle. www.enhancv.com
Want to land more freelance translation gigs?
You may be able to translate the most complicated of documents from one language to another faster than you can say Jack Robinson.
You’re ready to impress with your language degree, translations certifications and association memberships.
But a truly stand-out freelance translator has a set of skills beyond just the technical requirements.
They can land more clients, maintain excellent professional relationships, and be a breeze to work with.
The hiring manager tasked with finding a freelance translator is on the hunt for that person who has it all.
Your resume is the best place to show off both your language expertise and your admirable work ethic.
This guide will help you write an impressive resume that stands out from the crowd and lands you more business.
Let’s get started.
A good Freelance Translator resume delivers confidence that you’re a wizard with spelling, grammar and formatting.
After all, no one wants a translated document that’s gibberish instead of English (or French, Italian, Japanese, etc.).
The best way to prove that you’ll deliver perfect grammar is by starting with your resume.
Here are a few tips on how to format your freelance translator resume:
Your resume header houses your contact information, as well as links to your portfolio or LinkedIn profile.
It’s essential that all the information in your header is up-to-date. Otherwise, you may miss out on a call or email from your dream client.
Let’s take a look at two examples of a Freelance Translator resume header.
This header section is in the bad books. Why? The title “Freelance Translator” is too broad. It doesn’t reference what languages you can translate, what industry you specialize in (if any), or what type of translation you do.
Prospective clients reading your resume will not spend the time digging for more information. That’s why it’s essential that you’re as descriptive as you can be with your title.
Other than the weak title, the rest of this header is passable. But there are some more improvements that can be made.
Let’s explore them in this next example.
Jake Stevens Freelance French Editorial Translator 555-555-5555 jake.stevens@website.com Montreal, QC RIGHTThis example really shines.
The title is a huge improvement from the last one. Whoever’s reading this resume will instantly know that this freelance translator specializes in French editorial translations.
There are so many different styles of translation, from live interpretation to medical translations and more. That’s why being descriptive in your title is so important.
This header is also upgraded with the inclusion of a LinkedIn profile URL. You can only say so much in a one-page resume, so give the client an option to learn more about you with a portfolio, website or LinkedIn URL.
And finally, the actual contact information is thorough and up-to-date, including the:
Your professional summary is the “elevator pitch” on why you’re perfect for the job. These few sentences should summarize your career highlights, while showing how you can make a positive impact going forward.
For freelance translator resumes, these professional summaries need to show your translation areas of expertise and have quantitative data to back up your claims.
This summary says nothing specific about your specialties, years of experience, accomplishments or aspirations.
It won’t get a call-back for an interview.
Let’s take a look at a better example.
Freelance English-Italian translator with over 10 years of experience translating 2000+ legal documents. ATA Certified.
RIGHTThis example is still short and to-the-point, but it delivers a much bigger impact.
First, it mentions the number of years of experience, which helps to boost credibility.
It also uses quantitative data to stand out, including the number of translations the candidate has completed.
Finally, the summary is specific about the industry expertise (legal) and boosts credibility once again by mentioning the esteemed certification.
As the saying goes, “no one likes to go first.”
That applies to business as well. A prospective client wants proof that you’ve completed successful translation work before. They want to be confident that hiring you will be a positive move for them.
The main thing that companies want to know when bringing a new freelance translator on board is:
Can they provide accurate translations within the deadline, while being easy to work with?
Also, do they have relevant experience translating in this industry? Or will this medical/legal/technical document go way over their head?
The best way to answer these questions is by detailing your past experience.
Let’s look at some samples.
This example would have a hard time standing out.
Like we said before, prospective clients want to be confident that you can deliver accurate translation, on-time, while being a pleasure to work with.
They’re reading your resume looking for clues that you check the boxes on these necessities.
Here’s a better example that does just that.
Experience Independent Contractor - French Marketing Content Translator ABC Solutions Inc. 02/2012 - 11/2013Translated 1000+ product descriptions from English to French, ensuring accuracy and conforming to guidelines
RIGHTThis experience section would make any client want to meet you.
Adding quantitative data, like how many translations you’ve completed, backs up your claims. It also shows that your client enjoyed working with you enough to keep giving you more projects.
Real numbers like that add more assurance to your resume and your competence.
The skills section is your place to shine.
It’s here where you’ll detail your hard skills like your translation expertise, industry knowledge and language proficiency.
It’s also important to highlight your soft skills as a successful freelancer. Being self-employed requires a unique set of skills. You must be great at managing your client relationships, being self-motivated, staying organized, and managing your time between projects.
Clients want to work with freelance translators that make their job easier. They want you to communicate with them and stick to deadlines.
The best way to get inspired when writing your skills section is to read the job description or project proposal that you’re applying for, and then mirror the same keywords that they use.
For example, have they mentioned specific tools they want you to know how to use?
Are they looking for someone who can master both translation and live interpretation?
Or is it necessary that you have a strong skill-set in marketing and copywriting? Are your MS Office and Adobe PDF markup skills up to scratch?
If you have the skill sets they mention, use those keywords in your resume to boost your chances of getting hired.
Here’s a list of the top hard and soft skills freelance translators should have. Use this list as inspiration, but edit the details to match your specific experience.
