Sign Language Interpreter resume examples for 2025

Sign Language Interpreter resume format and sections

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   1. Add contact information to your sign language interpreter resume

   Your name should be the biggest text on the page and be at or near the top of the document. Your address doesn't need to include your street name or house number - listing your city and state works just fine. Your email address should be professional, but not your current work email address. It's not a good look to use your work email for personal projects (job-searching). Your social media can be included if you have a fully-fledged LinkedIn page or another social media page that showcases your relevant skill set.

   Sign Language Interpreter Resume Contact Information Example #1

   Dhruv Johnson

   d.johnson@email.com | 333-111-2222 | www.linkedin.com/in/dhruv-johnson

   Do you want to know more?

   How To Write The Perfect Resume Header
2. 2

   2. Add relevant education to your sign language interpreter resume

   Your resume's education section should include:

   • The name of your school
   • The date you graduated (Month, Year or Year are both appropriate)
   • The name of your degree

   If you graduated more than 15 years ago, you should consider dropping your graduation date to avoid age discrimination.

   Optional subsections for your education section include:

   • Academic awards (Dean's List, Latin honors, etc. )
   • GPA (if you're a recent graduate and your GPA was 3.5+)
   • Extra certifications
   • Academic projects (thesis, dissertation, etc. )

   Other tips to consider when writing your education section include:

   • If you're a recent graduate, you might opt to place your education section above your experience section
   • The more work experience you get, the shorter your education section should be
   • List your education in reverse chronological order, with your most recent and high-ranking degrees first
   • If you haven't graduated yet, you can include "Expected graduation date" to the entry for that school

   Check More About Sign Language Interpreter Education

   Majors

   American Sign Language

   26.8%

   Special Education

   13.6%

   Business

   7.1%

   Psychology

   6.5%

   Show More

   Sign Language Interpreter Resume Relevant Education Example #1

   Master's Degree In Communication 2008 - 2009

   Pennsylvania State University Main, PA

   Sign Language Interpreter Resume Relevant Education Example #2

   Bachelor's Degree In American Sign Language 2010 - 2013

   William Woods University Fulton, MO

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   3. Next, create a sign language interpreter skills section on your resume

   Your resume's skills section should include the most important keywords from the job description, as long as you actually have those skills. If you haven't started your job search yet, you can look over resumes to get an idea of what skills are the most important.

   Here are some tips to keep in mind when writing your resume's skills section:

   • Include 6-12 skills, in bullet point form
   • List mostly hard skills; soft skills are hard to test
   • Emphasize the skills that are most important for the job

   Hard skills are generally more important to hiring managers because they relate to on-the-job knowledge and specific experience with a certain technology or process.

   Soft skills are also valuable, as they're highly transferable and make you a great person to work alongside, but they're impossible to prove on a resume.

   Example of skills to include on an sign language interpreter resume

   • Customer Service Skills.
      

     Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

   • ASL Skills.
      

     American Sign Language (ASL) is a language that communicates ideas by using hand signs, facial expressions, and body posture.

   • Registry Skills.
      

     Registry is a list of products or people, depending on the purpose. A registry listing products may be used for weddings, where guests are encouraged to buy the new couple home goods. A registry may also be used for keeping track of people registered for an event or people who may have a rare disease or be waiting for an organ transplant.

   • Sign Language Skills.
      

     Sign language is a system of communication using gestures and signs. The deaf community applies sign language when communicating with each other or other people.

   • Deaf Culture Skills.
      

     Deaf culture is referred to as the way of living of the deaf community and includes their beliefs, core values, language, behaviors, and more. The sign language is the main form of communication in the deaf culture. In America, the ASL, American Sign Language, is used while other countries like Australia have their own sign languages. The deaf culture enjoys its own sense of humor, arts, literature and experiences. In culture, deafness is not perceived as a disability. Instead, they are proud of their uniqueness and happy in their skin. Some behaviors common to the deaf culture include eye contact, touch, closeness and thumping on tables or floors.

   • Facilitate Communication Skills.
      

     Facilitating communication helps a person with a communication disability interpret and communicate with their peers. A facilitator is assigned in a medical/schooling environment who bridges the gap between a doctor, teacher, or classmates and the person with communication disability. Facilitating communication can also help a professional interpret the disabled person or help the disabled person communicate through hand gestures, motion, or eye movement. These facilitators can be employed in many settings, including a church, school, weddings, funerals and more.

   • Interpretation Services Skills.
      

     Interpretation services refers to the process of translating information from one language to another. These services can be for languages that are spoken or signed and require the translator to be fluent in both languages and even the tones necessary to convey the messages.

   Top Skills for a Sign Language Interpreter

   Customer Service, 19.8%
   ASL, 19.6%
   Registry, 8.4%
   Patients, 7.9%
   Other Skills, 44.3%
   See All Sign Language Interpreter Skills

   Not sure which skills are really important?

   3 Big Tips For Listing Skills On Your Resume
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   4. List your sign language interpreter experience

   The most important part of any resume for a sign language interpreter is the experience section. Recruiters and hiring managers expect to see your experience listed in reverse chronological order, meaning that you should begin with your most recent experience and then work backwards.

   Don't just list your job duties below each job entry. Instead, make sure most of your bullet points discuss impressive achievements from your past positions. Whenever you can, use numbers to contextualize your accomplishments for the hiring manager reading your resume.

   It's okay if you can't include exact percentages or dollar figures. There's a big difference even between saying "Managed a team of sign language interpreters" and "Managed a team of 6 sign language interpreters over a 9-month project. "

   Most importantly, make sure that the experience you include is relevant to the job you're applying for. Use the job description to ensure that each bullet point on your resume is appropriate and helpful.

   Don't have any experience?

   How To Show Your Experience On a Resume... Even When You Don't Have Any

   Work History Example # 1

   Deaf Interpreter

   Campbell County High School

   • Performed American Sign Language and communication for students facing language barriers.
   • Worked closely with teachers & other staff to meet or exceed student IEP goals & to resolve problems.
   • Interpreted for students or parents at Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings.
   • Interpreted in an educational setting using manual methods of communication.
   • Interpreted in ASL for a developmentaly delayed high school student.

   Work History Example # 2

   Staff Interpreter

   CyraCom

   • Served as a liaison between providers and LEP patients according to their cultural backgrounds.
   • Provided assistance to teacher to facilitate the learning and communication environment between children and parents.
   • Averaged over twenty medically-related communications per day from doctors and hospitals across the United States.
   • Certified as defined by the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI)
   • Established accurate, smooth and seamless communication process between two parties including explaining cultural differences when needed.

   Work History Example # 3

   Sign Language Interpreter

   TransPerfect

   • Facilitated communication and tutored academic subjects to autistic deaf adolescents.
   • Interpreted and Transliterated for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Assisted and enriched the lives of special needs children
   • Accepted various interpreting assignments within Smith County for a variety of Deaf clients using ASL and English.
   • Filled out continuing education forms for Board for Evaluation of Interpreters and Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf CEUS.
   • Interpreted class instruction and lectures for individuals and acted as school facilitator for district's communication needs.

   Work History Example # 4

   Interpretive Program Coordinator

   The Salvation Army

   • Supervised day-to-day activities of the Retired Senior & Volunteer Program (RSVP) and Telephone Reassurance Programs (TR).
   • Developed software and assessment procedures to screen senior citizens for eligibility for 23 entitlements and benefits.
   • Provided overall management, evaluation, planning and developed methods, procedures and practices for efficient program functioning.
   • Represented the program at internal and external functions and implemented agency procedures and policies.
   • Implemented new meeting process to improve transparency, communication, and buy-in.

   Show More
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   5. Highlight sign language interpreter certifications on your resume

   Specific sign language interpreter certifications can be a powerful tool to show employers you've developed the appropriate skills.

   If you have any of these certifications, make sure to put them on your sign language interpreter resume:

   1. Master Level Sign Language
   2. National Interpreter Certification (NIC)
   3. Certified Interpreter
   4. Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI)
   5. Certified Medical Interpreter (CMI)
   6. Certified Medical Interpreter - Spanish (CMI)

   More Certifications For Sign Language Interpreter
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   6. Finally, add an sign language interpreter resume summary or objective statement

   A resume summary statement consists of 1-3 sentences at the top of your sign language interpreter resume that quickly summarizes who you are and what you have to offer. The summary statement should include your job title, years of experience (if it's 3+), and an impressive accomplishment, if you have space for it.

   Remember to emphasize skills and experiences that feature in the job description.

   Are you a recent grad?

   Read our guide on how to write a resume summary statement