Best Practices

Tips for Translating Your Resume from English into Spanish

It is common knowledge. There are countless similar tipsto the above and counting. What makes ours better? Step in and find out. We areflooding in content, swarmed with job searches, and stepped on by heartlessrecruiters. You need to state your uniqueness.
Romina C. Cinquemani
6 min
Table of Contents

It is common knowledge. There are countless similar tipsto the above and counting. What makes ours better? Step in and find out. We areflooding in content, swarmed with job searches, and stepped on by heartlessrecruiters. You need to state your uniqueness. You have to offer what isrelevant to potential employers. You need to make yourself indispensable. Butfirst, you need to believe in your value as a worker, a professional or aservice provider. Own your awesomeness. And then offer that one- of-a-kindvalue to the world.  

Sailing in SensibleWaters

Do not jump blindly into job seeking. Accomplishingany goal demands self-knowledge. Brutal honesty with yourself is mandatory. Youneed to establish what you have to offer, before demanding anything in return.

Know Your Target Market:

Make sure to accomplish cultural relevance. Adapt yourresume’s style to the specific countries where you are applying. DifferentSpanish-speaking countries, different expectations. Do not try to insert asquare peg into a round hole. But remember to maintain personality, even inadaptation.

Be Clear and Concise:

Mimic straightforward English style. Avoid long and complex sentences. Simplifyand share only relevant information.  

Translate Key Sections:

Less is more. Include personal Information, career goals, experience,education, skills, and other important competences that need noticing.

Use Specific Terminology as an Asset:

Respect and maintain industry-specific vocabulary in the translation. Ina bilingual environment, the translation itself is a cover letter.

Tailor Your Resume for Each Application:

Research the job posting. Customize your resume as perthe job description and the company's requirements. Explore relevant keywords andinclude them to showcase your suitability for the job.

Apply Visually Appealing Format:

You need professional format. Not dull, not generic,not “beige”. You need formatting that stresses your strengths. Ensureconsistency throughout the document.

Proofread Thoroughly:

Proofread your resume carefully. Detect and correctany grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. Although perfection does notexist, even minor mistakes can be discouraging to recruiters.

Quantify Achievements:

What cannot be measured, does not exist. When possible, quantify yourachievement in numbers or percentages. Make sure your figures are true andaccurate.

Include Relevant Training and Certifications. Quiteself-explanatory?

Use Action Verbs:

Action verbs make your resume more visible topotential employers. They need to visualize your offer, and believe in it.  

Avoid Literal Translations:

Literal translations kill language flow. They are the stagnant result ofpoor writing. You need to have a “live” translated resume that conveys as muchas the original one.

Get Feedback:

After translating your resume, seek feedback fromnative Spanish speakers. Their insights will prove valuable. They can help youconfirm whether your resume is easy to understand and effective. Consider themyour beta testers.  

In order to believe in yourself, first you need to beprepared. Build your self-confidence with training, hard work, and willingnessto learn from each experience in life. Consider each day a learningopportunity. Besides formal education and professional background, yourpersonal baggage can add to your value as an employee.

Accept challenges and face them head on. Whenpossible, generate your own challenges. Growth can take many forms, even whenyou least expect it. In an ever changing world, you surely have a few extratalents that might prove useful.

Never take yourself for granted. Do not let rejectionsdiscourage you. Know that your value as a professional does not depend onexternal opinions.

No one can replace you. You make your own mark in theworld. Make sure that mark is positive, kind, and relatable.

Repeat to yourself like a mantra: “I own myawesomeness. And I will offer my unique value to the world”. The rest is ananecdote. And each try is just another step towards the fulfilment of yourmission.

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Romina C. Cinquemani
Spanish translator, writer, language lover, and constant life apprentice.
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