As a translator, you work with words for a living. While you might think that the ingredients for a translator’s cover letter are all there in your head, ready to be put onto paper, the reality can be a little more complicated. When you translate a phrase, there is a reasonably specific right answer. When it comes to writing a cover letter, however, the content can vary wildly depending on the nature of the role. The common factor is that your words should reflect the meaning that you wish to convey - which words will you pick for your cover letter?
That means your writing skills need to be at their most flexible to tailor each letter to perfection. With technology increasingly taking the bulk of the workload for a translator, you have to be able to polish the result to perfection.
With dozens of cover letter examples and writing guides, Resume.io can show you how to weave the perfect message to secure that dream translation role.
Here is what we’ll cover in this translator cover letter example and writing guide:
- Selecting the optimal cover letter format and which paragraphs to use
- Making the most of every letter paragraph (header, greeting, intro, body and conclusion)
- How to approach writing the translator cover letter
- Potential mistakes that are best to avoid in a translator cover letter
These other service-led cover letter examples may also help to guide you:
Best format for a translator cover letter
A translator understands the importance of conveying a message. How they format their cover letter will reflect on their effectiveness as a communicator. They have limited space to tell what is undoubtedly a complicated and fascinating story. Sometimes there will be a choice of using one word or using ten words to scribe the same thing - your skill lies in picking the perfect word (or collection of words). Here is how you can go about packing in all those subtle details that matter so much:
- The cover letter header
- The greeting / salutation
- The cover letter intro
- The middle paragraphs (body of the letter)
- The ending paragraph of your cover letter (conclusion and call-to-action)
A translator’s skill is visible in their work, so while you might wish to share a portfolio of your translations, a cover letter should convey your personality and how you approach your work. You will need a work with a range of stakeholders, both internal and external, so show how you solve your translation challenges. How you utilise technology is also an increasingly important consideration.
Whether you are working for a translation company or have the fortune to secure a role within a global corporation, the demands of the job can vary greatly. Follow the job description to pick out where your unique fit lies and weave a story around what will make you stand out. Whether you are translating an important contract or interpreting at a conference,, talk about the business impact of your role. Don’t parrot the responsibilities – talk about your accomplishments.
Our translator cover letter example below may offer further ideas:
Dear Annette,
I would like to apply for the translator role at your consultancy. I have a love for languages and am fluent in English, Italian, and Spanish.
After completing my degree in modern languages and achieving a first, I have worked across a variety of functions and industries. Throughout my career, I have translated a wide range of materials, including legal documents, marketing materials, technical manuals, and literary works.
Aside from my translation experience, I am also skilled in localization and cultural adaptation. I have worked on several marketing campaigns for global brands, ensuring that their message resonates with local audiences in target markets. In one such project, I collaborated with a team of translators and marketing experts to create a Spanish-language campaign for a major fashion brand.
I am proficient in using translation software like SDL Trados, MemoQ, and Wordfast, and I continuously invest in professional development courses to enhance my skills. I believe that practice makes perfect, but sometimes you have to change the way that you do things if you want to make step-change improvements.
It would be my pleasure to meet with you to discuss my translation experience in more detail and find out more about your esteemed organisation. I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
Sarah Greene.
Cover letter header
The cover letter header is like the format of a leaflet that might contain your translations. Visuals matter – they convey a message about the text within, so choose your cover letter header carefully. Your style choices will tell the hiring manager much about the brand “you.”
In terms of information, it should contain your full name, contact mobile and email address. A social media link is optional – but important if you post links of your translations there.
There is no requirement to post your full home address (there are privacy and data protection concerns) and no requirement to include the inside address of the hiring manager. If you do have their address, this will create a professional impression, although it does take up valuable space.
Cover letter greeting
As translators work with many people from across the globe, being able to address them correctly is part of the job. Starting a translator cover letter greeting with “Dear Surname” is the most professional approach. If you do not know their name, have a look at the job description or maybe call the company to find out. Make sure that you spell the surname correctly - there is a likelihood that you may be working in an international setting, so take particular care.
If you do not know, a warm “Dear Translation Company Team” will be more appropriate than the colder “To whom it may concern.” View the greeting for our cover letter sample below:
Dear Annette,
Cover letter introduction
The cover letter introduction needs to cover the aspects of your translation career that are most similar to the demands of the future role. Tell a story about a particularly challenging translation project, show how you respond to an impossible deadline or talk about how you get things done with a diverse team. You need to make the hiring manager want to read on.
Share a quantifiable achievement in the early part of the letter. You have to show that you are aware of the business benefit of your translations. How did your translation make a difference to the bottom line?
The introduction from our adaptable translator cover letter sample below offers some ideas:
I would like to apply for the translator role at your consultancy. I have a love for languages and am fluent in English, Italian, and Spanish.
Cover letter middle part (body)
Every translator understands the importance of making the most of every word, so, unlike most other professionals, they will understand that 300 words have the potential to be powerful indeed. The middle part of their cover letter is where they can unleash their communication wizardry. Those two or three paragraphs should form the start of a conversation that can continue at an interview – they don’t have to be the full story, but they should contain the most interesting parts.
Talk about your projects, your value add, the commercial difference that your translations made, and how you collaborated to the best effect with your colleagues. Only you know your translation secret sauce – share the recipe with your potential employer.
The one thing that will set you apart from your competition is your ability to handle volume whilst maintaining accuracy. Include whatever figures you can around your workload and follow up with your customer satisfaction metrics. You do a great job and you get it down swiftly.
After completing my degree in modern languages and achieving a first, I have worked across a variety of functions and industries. Throughout my career, I have translated a wide range of materials, including legal documents, marketing materials, technical manuals, and literary works.
Aside from my translation experience, I am also skilled in localization and cultural adaptation. I have worked on several marketing campaigns for global brands, ensuring that their message resonates with local audiences in target markets. In one such project, I collaborated with a team of translators and marketing experts to create a Spanish-language campaign for a major fashion brand.
I am proficient in using translation software like SDL Trados, MemoQ, and Wordfast, and I continuously invest in professional development courses to enhance my skills. I believe that practice makes perfect, but sometimes you have to change the way that you do things if you want to make step-change improvements.
The STAR method can be a useful way of outlining a story. Talk about what the Situation and Task involved, explain the Actions that you undertook and share the Results. This anecdote in a nutshell should only be reserved for your most relevant accomplishments.
How to close a translator cover letter (conclusion and sign-off)
The conclusion of a translator cover letter should leave your meaning unambiguous. You want this job. You deserve this job. Close with one last fantastic example and then don’t be afraid to say that you are looking forward to hearing more at a potential interview. This call to action will show your passion for the role and interest in getting into the crucial details. See how to strike the perfect balance in the translator cover letter example below:
It would be my pleasure to meet with you to discuss my translation experience in more detail and find out more about your esteemed organisation. I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
Sarah Greene.
Basic mistakes in a translator cover letter (and how to avoid them)
Translators are expected to have an eagle eye for detail, so any errors in the translator cover letter could be a bad sign. While writing original content may not be part of their usual role, the ability to proofread and spot mistakes very much should be. Avoid the following:
- Spelling and grammar mistakes: Translators are used to partnering with technology to double check for human error, so use an online program such as Grammarly to check your spelling and grammar.
- Formatting errors: Every translator knows that their work should be presented with a cherry on top. Little errors in formatting or page design can easily distract from their work. Make sure that you use an attractive cover letter template.
- Too wordy: In your enthusiasm to get the job, you might wax a little too lyrical about your experience. Keep your career story tight. It is better to include more stories than expand excessively on your favourite. You don’t quite know what the hiring manager will be interested in at this early stage.
Key takeaways
- Ensure that your translator cover letter matches the demands of the role.
- Share how you do your work as well as what you do – personality matters.
- If your arguments are compelling enough, don’t hesitate to say that you are looking forward to finding out more at an interview.
- Our translator cover letter sample should offer some relevant ideas.
