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Ultimate resume for a translator/interpreter in the 21 century |
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Tuesday, 26 October 2010 18:25 |
 This post should be considered as a recommendation and not as a guideline. Many places that contract with or hire interpreters and translators may have their own set of rules and requirements. With that in mind, we probably looked through thousands of resumes and most of them did not survive our review process. Why? Because they were copied from the web page or a book that was probably created in late 90's and was slightly modified and updated with modern corporate lingo. How to create a resume in the 21 century, the one that helps you to get hired or land a contract? We try to look at some aspects of it right after the break.
Many people think that résumé must comply with some kind of standards and usually begin with loosely designed template (MS Word, Internet, friend's copy, etc.) As a result we would normally receive MS Word or Adobe PDF file that looks like hundreds of others. If you want to get some attention, learn how to get your resume on the web.
Résumé as a web page. It does not have to be complex or have all bells and whistles of the latest technology. It should be simple, to the point, well presented and it's nice if you can use easy to remember domain name. There are probably quite a few examples, but I think Anne Leahy, with her personal anneleahy.com domain, is a superb example of how it could be done. As you can see, it does not have any moving or flashing banners. Layout, fonts and colors are well maintained and the page offers links to PDF and MS Word copies of the document. If you don't know how to do any of that, ask around and hire a professional web designer. One page résumé will not cost you too much. Make sure you can update it on your own so your potential customers can see your professional development.
Language. Use common, conversational English. Forget about corporate language, it's been designed for people who can't speak their mind. Statements like "Seeking a position to utilize my skills and abilities" urge me to whisper in the applicant's ear "did you try to apply for a position where no one can utilize your skills and abilities." Be yourself, write the way you speak. Instead of a professional CV writer, get someone to review and edit your content.
Experience. One of the advantages of a web based résumé is that you don't have to fit it into a single letter or A4 sheet. List all your experience in chronological order with the latest being on the top of the list. Concentrate on large projects and group small ones into a single line statement. If you did more than 1000 birth certificates from 12 countries where Spanish is the State language don't list all of them. If you worked with scientist on Large Hadron Collider (LHC) installation make sure to list it separate from your other scientific experience.
Social media. Many people moved to ProZ, Facebook, LinkedIn and other places to extend their professional network. Person who is looking to review your information may not be able to see it, unless you enable public profile. Outdated personal pictures is a bad start in social media. Consider to update your picture at least every 6 months. Blogging is addictive and it's not bad. Professional blogging helps you to focus and build on-line presence. Include links to your Twitter, Facebok, LinkedIn, blog and other social networking into your on-line CV.
References. Don't think that if you can list 20 references on your résumé it will impress everyone. Instead go back to your contacts and ask them to write you a letter of recommendation. Remove all personal information from those letters and ask the authors to include their phone numbers. Add it to your CV. It helps to streamline the process of review and requires less steps from the person who is reading your résumé.
Rates. Don't be shy and include your rates. If company can't use you on small margin projects there is always a chance to use your expertise on larger translations or interpreting assignments.
Expertise. This is very important as most of the translators and interpreters during their career decide to specialize. Outline your specialty and expertise and update it as it grows or narrows.
If you think we are missing something feel free to drop us a line or two in the comment section. We'll be happy to expand this list as we go. |
