Skills
Interpreter Skills & Tools
The technical skills, people skills and tools employers look for in interpreters, and how to build and show them.
What skills do interpreters need?
Interpreters need technical skills such as language fluency, consecutive and simultaneous interpreting, and translation, plus people skills like concentration and cultural awareness. They also use tools such as Interpreting headsets and Video remote interpreting platforms.
Technical (hard) skills
- Language fluency
- Consecutive and simultaneous interpreting
- Translation
- Terminology research
- Ethics and confidentiality
- CAT tools
People (soft) skills
- Concentration
- Cultural awareness
- Discretion
- Composure
Tools, equipment and technology
- Interpreting headsets
- Video remote interpreting platforms
- Translation memory tools
- Glossaries
- Dictionaries
- Note-taking supplies
Skills in action: common tasks
These step-by-step guides show how interpreters put their skills to work:
- How to interpret a medical appointment
- How to build a terminology glossary
- How to translate a document
How to show these skills on a resume
- Lead your skills section with the technical skills from the job posting, for example, “Language fluency” and “Consecutive and simultaneous interpreting.”
- Prove soft skills with results: instead of listing “concentration,” describe a situation where you used it.
- List credentials such as Medical interpreter certification near the top, with the issuing organization and date.
- Use the employer’s vocabulary. Our interpreter glossary covers the terms hiring managers expect.
How to build these skills
Formal training, supervised practice and certification are the most direct routes. Our Interpreter training introduces each of these skills with plain-language lessons, procedures and a final knowledge check: a strong foundation before hands-on training or your first day.