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Cryptologic linguist skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
5 min read
Quoted experts
Jennifer Cramer,
Jennifer Cramer
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical cryptologic linguist skills. We ranked the top skills for cryptologic linguists based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 50.4% of cryptologic linguist resumes contained tip as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a cryptologic linguist needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 cryptologic linguist skills for your resume and career

1. TIP

Here's how cryptologic linguists use tip:
  • Apply traffic analysis principles to recognize and tip off essential elements of information for time-sensitive intelligence reporting vehicles.
  • Recognize changes in transmission modes and tip the appropriate authority.

2. Government Agencies

Here's how cryptologic linguists use government agencies:
  • Drafted hundreds of time-sensitive intelligence reports used by numerous government agencies.
  • Served as a leading translator for numerous members of government agencies.

3. National Security

Here's how cryptologic linguists use national security:
  • Passed Professional Qualification Examination for National Security Agency professionalization credit.
  • Interpreted, analyzed, and reported sensitive classified information pertaining to National Security interests.

4. Signals Intelligence

Here's how cryptologic linguists use signals intelligence:
  • Directed and planned signals intelligence collection efforts of ten airmen during operations to provide urgent time-sensitive intelligence to various consumers.
  • Trained US Special Forces and foreign military intelligence teams on Signals Intelligence collection procedures and analysis.

5. Language Training

Here's how cryptologic linguists use language training:
  • Created first-ever Compliance and Standardization Requirements List used to measure an organization's language training program effectiveness during official inspections.
  • Developed curriculum for language training and target exploitation.

6. Signals Equipment

Here's how cryptologic linguists use signals equipment:
  • Perform the detection, location and identification of foreign communications using various signals equipment.
  • Performed and supervised the detection, acquisition, geolocation, identification and exploitation of foreign communications using signals equipment.

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7. Foreign Communications

Here's how cryptologic linguists use foreign communications:
  • Trained on identifying and analyzing foreign communications to support military operations and procedures for handling classified information and preparing reports.
  • Learned to listen and identify foreign communications, perform transcription and translate critical information and write comprehensive and detailed reports.

8. Transcription

Here's how cryptologic linguists use transcription:
  • Provided transcription and translation expertise through identifying and analyzing foreign text in a highly sensitive environment.
  • Provided near-real time tactical reporting, second-phase transcription and analysis, and finished intelligence products.

9. TS/SCI

Here's how cryptologic linguists use ts/sci:
  • Top Secret (TS/SCI) security clearance.
  • Worked on multiple, highly classified technical intelligence projects.Previously Held Security Clearance: TS/SCI with CI Poly

10. SIGINT

Here's how cryptologic linguists use sigint:
  • Extracted essential elements of information from intercepted communications, including location and emitter type, to support SIGINT tasking and coordination.
  • Collaborated with collection system engineers in pioneering the collection of transmissions utilizing multiple new SIGINT architectures.

11. Intelligence Community

Here's how cryptologic linguists use intelligence community:
  • Safeguarded classified intelligence community material for technical data integration
  • Responded to requests for information from the intelligence community and provided actionable intelligence to Joint Task Force Commanders.

12. Mandarin

Here's how cryptologic linguists use mandarin:
  • Worked as a translator for written and oral communications in Chinese Mandarin.
  • Rank: Sergeant (E5), translate Spanish and Mandarin Chinese.

13. Combat

Combat is a violent conflict between two parties. Combat can be held by using weapons or unarmed. The fighting between the armed forces of different countries can also be called combat and the main purpose of the combat is to eliminate and stop your opponent from achieving their goal.

Here's how cryptologic linguists use combat:
  • Awarded Air Medal for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight during combat missions over Afghanistan.
  • Educated staff on discrimination polices and mandated training to enhance operating effectiveness within combat situations.

14. Language Proficiency Test

Here's how cryptologic linguists use language proficiency test:
  • Pass an annual Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT) to show that a proficient level of language skills was maintained.
  • Learned and maintained proficiency in the modern standard Arabic language as measured by the Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT).

15. Intelligence Reports

Here's how cryptologic linguists use intelligence reports:
  • Read, edited and corrected over 25,000 translated, intelligence reports for readability, usability and reliability prior to timely submission.
  • Contributed to more than 130 intelligence reports that targeted narcotic-trafficking efforts associated with insurgency groups in the Western Hemisphere.
top-skills

What skills help Cryptologic Linguists find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on cryptologic linguist resumes?

Jennifer Cramer

Associate Professor and Chair, University of Kentucky

Linguistics stands at the intersection of the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Therefore, the skills one acquires in linguistics degree programs can include many types. What stands out for most is their ability to apply quantitative and qualitative problem-solving skills to a wide range of problems. Most students are given the opportunity to learn how to use specialized tools that have specific applications in linguistics but can also be used in various other domains (e.g., various statistical packages, programming languages, visualization tools, audio recording equipment). Yet, they also learn to critically assess data on more qualitative measures, like discourse and sentiment analysis, which also have applications beyond the field. The most impressive resume is one that showcases that a person not only understands these approaches to a problem but can carefully articulate the problem, to begin with, execute a plan to find solutions to that problem, and produce a complete project that addresses the nuances of language in clear and concise ways.

What soft skills should all cryptologic linguists possess?

Jennifer Cramer

Associate Professor and Chair, University of Kentucky

Every linguistics program will teach students to use critical thinking and reading skills. In many cases, because of the complex nature of the linguistic structure, linguistics students must develop a keen sense of pattern-finding. Also, research is usually the main component of a linguistics degree program. Therefore students are typically well-trained in academic writing. Yet, because language is of interest to many, it is also important for linguistics students to develop an ability to explain what this research accomplishes in lay person's terms and what real-world implications it has.

What hard/technical skills are most important for cryptologic linguists?

Jennifer Cramer

Associate Professor and Chair, University of Kentucky

As more text-to-speech and speech-to-text devices become commonplace, linguists must stay on the cutting edge of technology. I expect many recent graduates to have experience with basic statistical, corpus, and computational linguistics tools. But I also expect that they can consider those tools within the context of actual language use; that is, for Siri to understand Appalachian voices, for example, those people designing the backend have to be familiar with dialects beyond the standard. Thus, while the technical skills are necessary, they are not sufficient in and of themselves. A student must apply those tools within the appropriate contexts with the relevant linguistic and cultural knowledge necessary for their deployment.

List of cryptologic linguist skills to add to your resume

Cryptologic linguist skills

The most important skills for a cryptologic linguist resume and required skills for a cryptologic linguist to have include:

  • TIP
  • Government Agencies
  • National Security
  • Signals Intelligence
  • Language Training
  • Signals Equipment
  • Foreign Communications
  • Transcription
  • TS/SCI
  • SIGINT
  • Intelligence Community
  • Mandarin
  • Combat
  • Language Proficiency Test
  • Intelligence Reports
  • Dlpt
  • NSA
  • Pashto
  • Intelligence Collection
  • Intelligence Analysis
  • Foreign Language Materials
  • Target Language
  • Russian Language
  • Korean Language
  • Reconnaissance
  • Computer System
  • Direct Support
  • Professional Development
  • ISR
  • Airmen
  • Situational Awareness
  • Secret Security Clearance
  • Top Secret
  • Terrorism
  • Technical Reports
  • PowerPoint
  • On-The-Job Training
  • DOD
  • USAF
  • Intelligence Products
  • Time-Sensitive Reports
  • GPA
  • Foreign Language
  • SME
  • Processing Equipment
  • Physical Training
  • US Army
  • Google Earth
  • Mission Planning

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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