What does a Interpreters and Translator do?

Interpret oral or sign language, or translate written text from one language into another. Day to day that includes work like follow ethical codes that protect the confidentiality of information and Translate messages simultaneously or consecutively into specified languages, orally or by using hand signs, maintaining message content, context, and style as much as possible.

What skills should a Interpreters and Translator put on a resume?

O*NET rates Speaking, Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Writing, and Critical Thinking among the most important skills for this occupation. Name the ones that are genuinely yours and show where you used them. A resume that lists skills you do not have is weaker than one that lists fewer.

What software should a Interpreters and Translator list?

Software recorded for this occupation includes AceTools.biz Ace Translator, Adapt It, AmoK Translator, Ashkon Translation Pad, and Babylon Online Translator. Applicant tracking systems match on the exact product name, so write the tool as the posting writes it rather than describing it in general terms.

What other job titles cover Interpreters and Translator work?

O*NET records 29 titles for this occupation, including Interpreter, Medical Interpreter, Sign Language Interpreter, and Translator. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.

What qualifications does a Interpreters and Translator need?

In O*NET's survey of people doing this job, 55% reported their level of education as "Bachelor's Degree". That is what current postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.

Will this resume pass an ATS for a Interpreters and Translator role?

No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer's system is configured, including ours. What you can control is that the resume parses cleanly, names the work in the words the posting uses, and does not claim anything you cannot back up.

Interpreters and Translator resume example

A resume for a Interpreters and Translator needs to show the work itself: interpret oral or sign language, or translate written text from one language into another. Day to day that means work like this: follow ethical codes that protect the confidentiality of information; translate messages simultaneously or consecutively into specified languages, orally or by using hand signs, maintaining message content, context, and style as much as possible. Recruiters and applicant tracking systems both read for the tasks and tools this role actually involves, so the strongest resume names them in your own experience rather than describing the job in the abstract. Below are the tasks O*NET records for this occupation, the software and tools it uses, the titles it is advertised under, and the skills worth naming if they are genuinely yours.

Also advertised as

The same job is posted under many titles. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.

Interpreter
Medical Interpreter
Sign Language Interpreter
Translator
American Sign Language Interpreter
ASL Interpreter
Court Interpreter
Educational Interpreter
Linguist
Spanish Interpreter
Spanish Translator
Arabic Translator
Bilingual Interpreter
Bilingual Secretary
Braille Transcriber
Braille Translator
Community Interpreter
Cryptologic Linguist

O*NET records 29 titles for this occupation in total.

What this work actually involves

Tasks recorded for this occupation, in O*NET's words. If your experience covers one of these, it belongs on your resume in your own words.

Follow ethical codes that protect the confidentiality of information.
Translate messages simultaneously or consecutively into specified languages, orally or by using hand signs, maintaining message content, context, and style as much as possible.
Listen to speakers' statements to determine meanings and to prepare translations, using electronic listening systems as necessary.
Compile terminology and information to be used in translations, including technical terms such as those for legal or medical material.
Refer to reference materials, such as dictionaries, lexicons, encyclopedias, and computerized terminology banks, as needed to ensure translation accuracy.
Check translations of technical terms and terminology to ensure that they are accurate and remain consistent throughout translation revisions.
Identify and resolve conflicts related to the meanings of words, concepts, practices, or behaviors.
Compile information on content and context of information to be translated and on intended audience.
Adapt translations to students' cognitive and grade levels, collaborating with educational team members as necessary.
Check original texts or confer with authors to ensure that translations retain the content, meaning, and feeling of the original material.
Adapt software and accompanying technical documents to another language and culture.
Educate students, parents, staff, and teachers about the roles and functions of educational interpreters.

17 tasks are recorded in total; these are the most central.

Example bullets for this role

Built from this occupation's own tasks. The brackets stay empty on purpose: we will not invent a number for you, and a fabricated metric is the fastest way to lose an interview you had already won.

Follow ethical codes that protect the confidentiality of information, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
Translate messages simultaneously or consecutively into specified languages, orally or by using hand signs, maintaining message content, context, and style as much as possible, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
Listen to speakers' statements to determine meanings and to prepare translations, using electronic listening systems as necessary, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
Compile terminology and information to be used in translations, including technical terms such as those for legal or medical material, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].

Software used in this role

Recorded for this occupation by O*NET. An applicant tracking system matches the exact product name, so write the tool the way the posting writes it.

AceTools.biz Ace Translator
Adapt It
AmoK Translator
Ashkon Translation Pad
Babylon Online Translator
DocTranslate
Electronic dictionaries
ExcelTrans Translator
Extensible hypertext markup language XHTML
Google Translate Client
HunterSoft Business Translator
Hypertext markup language HTML
Intrado SchoolMessenger
jalada GmbH Just Translate

27 software entries are recorded in total.

Tools and equipment

The physical equipment this occupation is recorded as using. Worth naming when a posting asks for it by name.

Compact binoculars
Desktop computers
Digital audio recorders
FM transmission equipment
Headsets
Infrared transmission equipment
Interpreter consoles
Laptop computers
Personal computers
Portable calculators
Tablet computers
Tie clip microphones

What this job rates as most important

O*NET rates every skill for importance to this occupation. These are the highest rated, in order.

01Speaking
02Active Listening
03Reading Comprehension
04Writing
05Critical Thinking
06Monitoring
07Active Learning
08Judgment and Decision Making
09Service Orientation
10Social Perceptiveness

Knowledge areas

The subject knowledge this occupation draws on, rated by importance.

English Language
Foreign Language
Customer and Personal Service
Education and Training
Administrative
Public Safety and Security
Law and Government

What qualifications people in this job have

From O*NET's survey of people doing this work. This is what postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.

55%Bachelor's Degree
28%Master's Degree
8%High School Diploma, or the equivalent

What level this role is pitched at

O*NET places this occupation in “Considerable Preparation Needed”. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Common questions

What does a Interpreters and Translator do?: Interpret oral or sign language, or translate written text from one language into another. Day to day that includes work like follow ethical codes that protect the confidentiality of information and Translate messages simultaneously or consecutively into specified languages, orally or by using hand signs, maintaining message content, context, and style as much as possible.
What skills should a Interpreters and Translator put on a resume?: O*NET rates Speaking, Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Writing, and Critical Thinking among the most important skills for this occupation. Name the ones that are genuinely yours and show where you used them. A resume that lists skills you do not have is weaker than one that lists fewer.
What software should a Interpreters and Translator list?: Software recorded for this occupation includes AceTools.biz Ace Translator, Adapt It, AmoK Translator, Ashkon Translation Pad, and Babylon Online Translator. Applicant tracking systems match on the exact product name, so write the tool as the posting writes it rather than describing it in general terms.
What other job titles cover Interpreters and Translator work?: O*NET records 29 titles for this occupation, including Interpreter, Medical Interpreter, Sign Language Interpreter, and Translator. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.
What qualifications does a Interpreters and Translator need?: In O*NET's survey of people doing this job, 55% reported their level of education as "Bachelor's Degree". That is what current postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.
Will this resume pass an ATS for a Interpreters and Translator role?: No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer's system is configured, including ours. What you can control is that the resume parses cleanly, names the work in the words the posting uses, and does not claim anything you cannot back up.

Related roles

Occupations O*NET records as closest to this one, and worth looking at if this search is not moving.

What this page cannot tell you

No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer’s ATS is configured, including ours.
This page makes no claim about pay, demand or how many people hold this job. O*NET does not publish that here and we will not estimate it.
Keyword overlap is one input to a resume’s score, not a verdict on you. A resume that names skills you do not have is worse than one that names fewer.

If this is the job you are aiming at, the guide to tailoring a resume covers how to aim one posting properly, and building and exporting a resume here is free.

Occupation data from the O*NET 29.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. SpartanResume is not endorsed by USDOL/ETA.