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Translator resume template
A clean starting structure with example content grounded in what translators actually do day to day, not generic filler. Download and replace the bracketed placeholders with your own details.
Which resume format should you use?
Reverse chronological
You have a steady work history. This is the format almost every recruiter and ATS expects by default.
Functional
You're changing fields or have gaps in your employment. Leads with skills rather than a job-by-job timeline.
Combination
You're early career or have worked consistently but for only a few employers. Blends a skills summary with a shorter chronological history.
This template uses the reverse chronological format: the one most translators should default to, since most Australian recruiters and ATS software expect it.
Professional summary
Translator experienced in converting written content between languages while preserving meaning, tone and cultural context. Comfortable working across legal, technical and marketing material, with a track record of researching specialised terminology and managing multiple projects to deadline. NAATI-certified with strong attention to consistency and client requirements.
Key skills
- Content creation and writing
- Terminology research and data analysis
- CAT software (SDL Trados, MemoQ)
- Terminology management databases
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Project management software (Asana, Monday.com)
- Grammarly or similar editing tools
- Written communication and proofreading
- Client liaison and requirements gathering
- Time and deadline management
Experience: example bullet points
- Translated technical manuals, legal documents and marketing collateral between source and target languages, maintaining terminology consistency through CAT software and shared glossaries
- Researched industry-specific terminology for clients in professional services and health care, building glossaries that reduced inconsistency across long-running projects
- Proofread and edited translated content for grammar, tone and readability before client delivery, catching errors before final sign-off
- Liaised directly with clients to clarify scope, confirm formatting requirements and manage revisions, maintaining clear turnaround expectations
- Managed concurrent translation projects with competing deadlines using project management software, prioritising urgent requests without missing client due dates
Education
Bachelor degree in languages, linguistics or translation and interpreting studies, commonly followed by a postgraduate qualification such as a Master of Translation and Interpreting, plus NAATI certification in the relevant language pair.
Keywords an ATS is likely to scan for
Applicant tracking systems match your resume against terms in the job ad before a person ever sees it. Only include the ones that actually apply to your experience, but if a term below matches something you've done, use the same wording the job ad uses.
- NAATI certified translator
- source language
- target language
- CAT tools
- SDL Trados
- MemoQ
- terminology management
- localisation
- transcreation
- AUSIT member
- ISO 17100
- certified translation
- proofreading and editing
- subject-matter expertise
Getting past ATS screening
- Match the specific skills, certifications and terms used in the job ad, not just your own wording for the same thing.
- Keep formatting simple: no tables, text boxes, columns, headers/footers or graphics. Parsers frequently drop content placed in these.
- Submit as .docx or PDF unless the job ad specifies otherwise.
- Use standard section headings (Experience, Education, Skills) rather than creative alternatives.
- List your core skills and technical competencies in their own section so a keyword scan can find them instantly.
This is a starting point, not a guarantee of interviews. Tailor every bullet point to your own real experience and the specific job ad.