From Freelancing to Content Marketing Intern at Cake

My journey of becoming a content marketing intern at Cake actually started from working as a freelance SEO content writer with them.

Let’s start from summer 2021. I was in my 3rd year of uni in Taiwan as an Indonesian student, majoring in Applied Foreign Languages. And every one of my friends already got summer jobs in restaurants and stores making bucks, while I was still volunteering online as a content writer, penniless. FOMO almost made me follow my friends’ path. But it didn’t. I was determined to make writing my career, so I kept my eyes open for any opportunities aligned with my goals.

Little did I know that decision and determination would change my life.

 ✨ Applying to My Dream Job at Cake

One day that summer, my sister sent me a link and told me about a job. Yes, you guessed it, it was a freelance writing job with Cake for Indonesians. I was beyond happy because Cake is one of the fastest-growing growing startups in Taiwan, and I ticked all the criteria!

• An experience in content writing ✅
• Basic knowledge of SEO ✅
• Native Indonesian speaker ✅
  

Immediately I wrote my cover letter and CV using Cake’s platform. From here, I found that Cake has a mission to help talents find and connect with their dream job, and I want to be a part of that. So I applied for the freelance SEO writing position.

About a week after, I received a pre-interview invitation email followed by an interview invitation. 

The freelance writer interview process

Before getting an interview, I had to pass and finish the pre-interview task first within three days.

Phase #1: pre-interview task

I was assigned to write an SEO article and design a CV for a specific topic. The guidelines and criteria were given in one document. I did plenty of research to learn more about SEO and their article style.

👉 Check out Cake’s resources page! (You might find some of my writings there~)

Phase #2: the interview

After passing the first stage, my future employer asked me whether I could join an online or offline interview -- I chose online.

It was very considerate of them to give me that option since I was still living 4 hours away from the headquarters, and there were still some restrictions during the pandemic.

I was thrilled and nervous because this was the last stage and the key to landing my dream job. And the last thing I needed to prepare was a short presentation about myself, my background, and my pre-interview task.

How was the interview?

I prepared like crazy for this interview, and it’s all worth it.

The 30-minute online interview went smoothly thanks to Sindy Chen and Steffie Mayrelin, who were very relaxed and friendly while interviewing me. I had a good feeling about the interview since they gave me a positive response and explained the workflow, payment, tools, etc.

Here are some of the things that helped me with the job interview:

• Being confident in myself and my work
• Do a lot of research about Cake and SEO
• Practice my presentation and interview questions many times
• Bring a pen and paper to the interview

✨ How Did I Become a Content Marketing Intern at Cake?

Six months later, in March 2022, Steffie offered me a freelance content assistant position to help her  manage writers, create article outlines, review and publish articles.

I aimed to get an internship in Taiwan in my 4th year of university, and Cake is at the top of the list. I worked hard and produced high-quality work day in and day out while maintaining my academic life. And let me tell you from my experience, working hard and working smart pay off.

Yet again, I was offered another opportunity in July 2023. But this time, it’s a Content Marketing internship opportunity with Cake! I was jumping and screaming and telling my family about this great news. Then in October 2022, I officially became a Caker.

✨ My Life as a Content Marketing Intern

What I did as a content marketing intern at Cake

Working in a startup pushes you to handle many different tasks. Though it can be overwhelming sometimes, it is actually an excellent opportunity to gain new knowledge and skills. Some of my tasks include:

• Keyword and competitor research
• SEO content management and production (for the Indonesian market + assisting the English market)
• SEO content optimization
• Content planning
• Email marketing
• Writing press releases
  

I also collaborate with the Social Media Marketing and Business Development team to create campaigns and content. These tasks keep me challenged and growing. I learned how to manage 6+ writers, implement SEO strategies, and use many tools such as Ahrefs, Google Keyword Planner, MOZ, Google Analytics, and many more. When everything is too much, we can always tell our mentors about it. Because in Cake, we practice open communication and transparency — this is one of the reasons why I love Cake.  

The Indonesian market is rapidly growing. We even reached an all-time high in the number of page views and registration in May 2023! Shout out to our team members, publishers, and writers 👏.

✨ Fun Things We Do Outside of Work

Even as an intern, they include us in many activities and events at work! Here are some of the fun moments captured in pictures:

2022 Christmas Party

2023 Year-End Banquet

Moving in to Our New Office!

Farewell dinner

✨ My 9-Month Internship Reflection

July 3, 2023, was my last day of internship at Cake. Completing this internship was a bittersweet feeling. I’m truly grateful to be a Caker! I will always carry the memories and knowledge I gained throughout this opportunity.

I learned that having a good team makes all the difference. The people behind Cake are working together with passion and warmth to grow Cake not only as a product but as a community.

Want to be a part of Cake?

If you want to join Cake, make sure you:

• Believe in Cake’s products and services
• Are highly motivated and adaptable
• Creative and want to make a difference in the HR industry
  

I want to express my deep gratitude to Sindy Chen and Steffie Mayrelin for your mentorship and for trusting me to do my work since I first started as a freelancer. Thank you so much for giving me many opportunities to grow in my professional & personal life. I also want to thank my global market team, and colleagues, for all the support and fun we had.

I’m sad that this internship has ended.

But there will be even more exciting things to come. I will continue my freelancing journey with Cake and embark on my journeys to hike around the mountains of Indonesia soon.

I can’t wait to see Cake and my colleagues continue to grow!