Translator resume query Thread poster: Ralph Brookes
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Hello all,
I'm creating a profile as I would like to move full-time into the field of translation. In addition to being a native speaker of English, I’m fluent in Polish and German, having grown up in Germany with Polish speaking family. My degree was in linguistics and a masters in translation. Despite working various jobs since leaving university, I perform translations as part of my current job and find it to be the most rewarding aspect of my job.
However, due to... See more Hello all,
I'm creating a profile as I would like to move full-time into the field of translation. In addition to being a native speaker of English, I’m fluent in Polish and German, having grown up in Germany with Polish speaking family. My degree was in linguistics and a masters in translation. Despite working various jobs since leaving university, I perform translations as part of my current job and find it to be the most rewarding aspect of my job.
However, due to personal circumstances, in the last few years I have undertaken work in none-translation fields, predominantly teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL), in addition to translating on an intermittent, part-time basis.
Unfortunately, my none-translation experience is not in fields which would be suitable for developing a professional specialism.
Would it therefore be advisable to omit the none-translator jobs from my resume? May they interfere with/distract from my credibility? How important is the resume in applying for jobs? Is one typically always uploaded on a translator’s website and/or Proz profile?
Advice would be much appreciated and thank you in advance,
Ralph ▲ Collapse
| | | | Samuel Murray 
Netherlands
Local time: 15:41
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
Ralph Brookes wrote:
How important is the resume in applying for jobs? Is one typically always uploaded on a translator’s website and/or Proz profile?
I'm not sure how common it is for translators NOT to upload a résumé to their profiles, but a résumé is one more thing that might cause a client to decide to use you instead of someone else. If I had to hire translators, I would not hire anyone who hasn't bothered to upload a résumé. That said, many translators' résumés do not follow the "traditional" layout, and act more like a brochure for their translation services, which is fine as well. You are not required to include ALL past experience on the résumé -- you can put only the experience on it that you feel will help convince the client to hire you.
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They say that you only get one opportunity to make a first impression. And in this business, that opportunity is more often than not conveyed in a resume.
Ralph Brookes wrote:
(...)
Would it therefore be advisable to omit the none-translator jobs from my resume? May they interfere with/distract from my credibility? How important is the resume in applying for jobs? Is one typically always uploaded on a translator’s website and/or Proz profile?
(...)
A resume serves to promote your services. You are not giving evidence under oath. With that in mind:
Tell the truth? - Yes, of course. In many jurisdictions your promotional blurb can be considered as part of your service offer, if not of your contracts with future clients; 'untruths' (deliberate or otherwise) may lead to accusations of fraud.
The whole truth? - No. You only need to say what you think will be favourable to your 'cause'. But what you do choose to say must comply with another well-worn expression from the realm of law and order: 'You are not obliged to say anything, but anything you do say may be taken down in writing and used in evidence against you'.
And nothing but the truth? - You don't need to restrict yourself to information that's directly related to the services you are offering. You can stray 'off-topic' if there's something you'd like to share which might help to form a 'bond' with potential clients (and/or your colleagues here...).
If you don't fill out your Proz profile, potential clients will have to rely on your first post in this thread if they want to get an idea your suitability as a service provider. Unfortunately, there are a number of errors in that post that would not be made by a genuine native speaker of English (and less still by a TEFL). The 'first impression' is, how should I put it ..., err... not to your best advantage. A carefully-crafted resume will go some way to restoring your professional image.
JL
[Edited at 2023-02-19 20:21 GMT]
| | | | Kevin Fulton
United States
Local time: 09:41
German to English
| A suggestion regarding structure | Feb 19, 2023 |
It can't hurt to make your résumé available on sites such as Proz.
Although I should be one of the last people in this business to give marketing advice, I'll try anyway.
My résumé started by enumerating my translation projects by year, e.g.:
19xx: Advanced braking systems for high-end passenger vehicle manufacturer
Robotic welding system maintenance manual
Blah blah blah
2xxx: Supply chain management seminar for automotive ... See more It can't hurt to make your résumé available on sites such as Proz.
Although I should be one of the last people in this business to give marketing advice, I'll try anyway.
My résumé started by enumerating my translation projects by year, e.g.:
19xx: Advanced braking systems for high-end passenger vehicle manufacturer
Robotic welding system maintenance manual
Blah blah blah
2xxx: Supply chain management seminar for automotive parts supplier
etc.
Then I identified my additional potentially relevant experience. As my list of assignments grew, I only named projects from the previous few years (Recent major projects include ..."). My earlier/additional experience became less relevant, and eventually that part of my work history was omitted. I did, however, continue to list my academic credentials, in the off chance that someone bothered to read my résumé to the end.
Basically a potential employer wants to know whether you can do the job, and making that apparent at the start of your personal statement is paramount. ▲ Collapse
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Samuel Murray wrote: Ralph Brookes wrote:
How important is the resume in applying for jobs? Is one typically always uploaded on a translator’s website and/or Proz profile? I'm not sure how common it is for translators NOT to upload a résumé to their profiles, but a résumé is one more thing that might cause a client to decide to use you instead of someone else. If I had to hire translators, I would not hire anyone who hasn't bothered to upload a résumé. That said, many translators' résumés do not follow the "traditional" layout, and act more like a brochure for their translation services, which is fine as well. You are not required to include ALL past experience on the résumé -- you can put only the experience on it that you feel will help convince the client to hire you.
Thank you for this incredibly helpful reply!
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Kevin Fulton wrote:
It can't hurt to make your résumé available on sites such as Proz.
Although I should be one of the last people in this business to give marketing advice, I'll try anyway.
My résumé started by enumerating my translation projects by year, e.g.:
19xx: Advanced braking systems for high-end passenger vehicle manufacturer
Robotic welding system maintenance manual
Blah blah blah
2xxx: Supply chain management seminar for automotive parts supplier
etc.
Then I identified my additional potentially relevant experience. As my list of assignments grew, I only named projects from the previous few years (Recent major projects include ..."). My earlier/additional experience became less relevant, and eventually that part of my work history was omitted. I did, however, continue to list my academic credentials, in the off chance that someone bothered to read my résumé to the end.
Basically a potential employer wants to know whether you can do the job, and making that apparent at the start of your personal statement is paramount.
Many thanks Kevin, this information is much appreciated!
| | | | Kay Denney
France
Local time: 15:41
French to English
You need a strong profile on websites like this one, and a strong resume in pdf form that you can send to people interested in your services.
I think mine is more or less identical to my LinkedIn profile (which is by far the most lucrative of profiles for me, mostly because I've kept in contact there with virtually everyone I ever worked with as a translator). I only list the work experience that serves to illustrate how I came to translation and acquired the skill set I deploy. So my tim... See more You need a strong profile on websites like this one, and a strong resume in pdf form that you can send to people interested in your services.
I think mine is more or less identical to my LinkedIn profile (which is by far the most lucrative of profiles for me, mostly because I've kept in contact there with virtually everyone I ever worked with as a translator). I only list the work experience that serves to illustrate how I came to translation and acquired the skill set I deploy. So my time spent purely teaching EFL is glossed over, but I do talk up my time spent writing content for EFL courses, because I learned computer skills, how to explain clearly, how to write software manuals and all sorts of other useful stuff then.
Do also mention any hobbies. I remember once, as a PM at an agency, I was looking for a translator to handle a text about horse-riding, and had no idea who to give it to. So I just searched the database and found that one of our highly specialised finance translators rode horses as a hobby. She was delighted to do the translation, it made a pleasant change from hostile takeovers. ▲ Collapse
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