Created by CakeIn this article, we’ll cover the steps to becoming a freelancer: Step 1: Define your servicesStep 2: Find your target audienceStep 3: Create a financial planStep 4: Create a strong freelance resume and portfolioStep 5: Find workStep 6: Maintain client relationshipsFreelancers are self-employed workers who offer their services on a project or contract basis. Theyoffer their skills, talent and assistance in areas such as: Web, graphic or interior designCopywriting or copyeditingTutoring or career coachingContracting work (plumbing, painting, movers)Development (coding, app making)Closed captioning or transcribing jobsArtwork, music, photography services If you want to start freelancing, consider the tips below to ensure you freelance successfully! Step 1: Define your servicesIn order to start freelancing, you need to narrow down your scope of services. For instance, if you want to become a freelance writer, you should list all the types of writing projects you’d be comfortable with. Writing essays, news articles, resumes and advertising copy is very different from writing contracts, scientific articles and terms and conditions. When advertising yourself, specify the industries, formats and length of writing you are capable of, as well as revisions and adjustments you can make from client feedback. Step 2: Find your target audienceSucceeding as a freelancer is highly dependent on having a client base. Finding clients who you can successfully freelance for will help you boost your reputation and help you make your services known. To find an audience you can start freelancing for, you first need to: 🎯 Analyze clients Find the common types of projects that your niche audience is asking for, and analyze their criteria, industry, company and projects. This will help you refine your services to be most suitable to their needs. 🎯 Research competitors Take a look at other freelancers’ portfolios who do the freelance work you’d like to do. You can also look at freelancer websites to see what’s in demand. 🎯 Create User Personas User personas are a way to represent the ideal clientele you would like to freelance for. Narrow down the demographics of your ideal ‘users’ as well as their industries, objectives, goals and lifestyle to form a user persona related to your work. This will help both you and your clients evaluate your services. Step 3: Create a financial planStarting a freelance business means you have more autonomy and freedom; however it can be volatile financially, especially at the start. Providing your services at competitive yet sustainable prices will help you freelance successfully and without financial stress. 💰 List your expenses Consider the time and resources you need to start your freelancing work and factor these in as baseline expenses which your prices need to cover. 💰 Set an income goal In order to start a freelance business which can replace your regular 9-5, you need to set an income goal for your services. Think progressively – it's unlikely that you will be able to transfer from your existing salary as soon as you start freelancing. Compare prices on freelancer websites and calculate an estimated monthly income. Make goals for 3 months, 6 months and 1 year to track your progress. 💰 Create a pricing plan Brainstorm the services you can provide and price them competitively. At the start, you might need to price your services quite low to entice clients to work with you. Consider doing one-off services, packages and add-ons so clients can customize their orders. Step 4: Create a strong freelance resume and portfolio💡 Writing a killer freelancer resume Just like any other job, you need to have a resume to showcase how you’re fit for the role. Freelancer resumes can be more personalized to the services you offer, which can include: Showcasing key skills Make sure you highlight the tools, skills and programs which you can use for client projects in your freelancer resume. For instance, being proficient in photoshop, procreate and Adobe InDesign will boost your resume if you want to become a freelance graphic designer. Include relevant work experience Your freelance resume can focus solely on relevant work experience to help you convey that you are well-versed in your field. If you want to become a freelance artist, listing previous exhibition pieces or published work will showcase that you have a wide range of experience in artmaking. As your clients are only hiring you for your advertised skills, you don’t need to include all your experiences in chronological order in your freelance resume like you would in a traditional resume. 💡 Creating a strong freelancer portfolio When hiring a freelancer, clients want to see samples of the types of work you are capable of. A freelancer portfolio should showcase the quality and range of work you offer. To make a successful freelancer portfolio, think back to the works you have created and what they showcase. Choose your best and most relevant works Pick high-quality examples of your work which are similar to the services you want to offer as a freelancer. If you want to become a freelance writer, but only want to write short-form content, pick samples of shorter works to use in your freelance portfolio. Or, if you want to become a freelance web developer, include examples of both simple and complex designs for various industries in your freelance portfolio. Include explanations of each work Use your freelance portfolio to provide context to the clients about the work, but also to highlight your proficiency. If you want to become a freelance photographer, include explanations of the type of camera, editing software and the story of the photos. To start a freelance business as an artist, you might need to include a more nuanced explanation of the art beyond the mediums used. Explain tools used Expand on the medium of art, editing, development or graphic design software used in each sample in your freelancer portfolio. If clients are looking for a specific format, style or program made for them, the tools you are able to use will be a deciding factor.📚 Further reading:Let’s Build an Attractive Freelancer Portfolio Step 5: Find workNow that you know how to get into freelance work, your next step is to make yourself available for hire. Utilize your freelancer resume and portfolio and advertise yourself to your audience using one of these options: 📍 Freelance job platforms Freelancer websites are a great first option to start freelancing work, as they are well known and used by many. Sites such as Fiverr, PeoplePerHour and UpWork are great places to find the most popular freelancers to research how to become a freelance writer, photographer, artist or designer. You can also share your freelancer portfolio on these sites, so you have everything in one spot. 📍 Job Portals Many job websites have an option to search for freelance work, which also might be called ‘piecework’ or ‘contract work’. Companies who want to work with you for a short-term project are a good way to start freelancing, as you can use both your skills from the traditional work environment and your freelancer portfolio to apply. Try sites which support these job types, such as Cake to search for your first job and start freelancing. 📍 Networking If you already have a large network from your previous 9-5, you might be well acquainted enough to start freelancing by networking. This option would work better for hard skills such as editing, web development and writing, since you might have used these skills in a professional capacity already. If you can start your freelance business via networking, you should still have a freelancer portfolio that is available to access. Many freelance writers have an online writers portfolio showcasing the pieces they’ve written across many publications, making it easier for them to link their freelancing portfolio when networking. Step 6: Maintain client relationshipsAs your freelancing success relies on having a client base consistently paying you to freelance, maintaining professionalism with them is essential. It can be a bit overwhelming juggling work and client rapport when you first start freelancing; you can handle this more effectively by: ✨ Deliver good quality work Clients are paying you for your output. Make sure you only offer skills, tools and projects which you can use to a high level and make quality work with. Successful freelancers that have good reviews are more likely to be hired again, so make sure you can meet the expectations you set in your freelance portfolio. ✨ Be on time Delivering fast as a freelancer is enticing to customers. However, don’t sacrifice the quality of work for speed. It might be tempting to choose the fastest turnaround time when setting up a profile on freelancer websites. However delivering on time, no matter how long, is more valuable to clients. ✨ Communicate with clients Clients will often reach out to you, especially on freelancer websites, so it's important to be able to communicate on time and effectively with them. Discuss the goals of their project and give progress updates throughout to maintain a relationship with your clients. The most successful freelancers are praised for their politeness and capacity to communicate. ✨ Provide extra value A client might come to you and ask for a project a bit out of the scope of your freelancer portfolio or what you have listed on a freelancer website. However, if you are capable of their requests, going the extra mile to incorporate their ideas will be highly appreciated. Providing extra value such as unlimited revisions, progress discussion, previews of work and added touches in your work will be reviewed highly by clients and ensure you succeed as a freelancer. 🔑 Key Takeaway:Overall, starting a freelance business involves planning and understanding your clients, capabilities and goals. Now that you know how to become a freelancer, being prepared and realistic will help you start freelancing on the right foot. Go at your own pace, build rapport with clients, and once you can start expanding your business, consider setting up your own website and finding work through networking. Good luck!With Cake, you can easily create a resume online, free download your resume in PDF, and utilize ATS-compliant templates to create a resume. Create your resume online (free download) now and land your dream job!Create resume--- Originally written by Bronte McNamara---

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 workDo a lot of research about Cake and SEOPractice my presentation and interview questions many timesBring 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 researchSEO content management and production (for the Indonesian market + assisting the English market)SEO content optimizationContent planningEmail marketingWriting 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 Cake 2022 Christmas Party 2023 Year-End BanquetCake 2023 Year-End Banquet -- Content Marketing Team Moving in to Our New Office!Cake New HQ 2023 Farewell dinnerFarewell to the Indonesian Content Marketing Team ✨ 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 servicesAre highly motivated and adaptableCreative and want to make a difference in the HR industry I want to express my deep gratitude to Sindy Chen and Steffie Mayrelinfor 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!

Created by CakeResumeIn this article, we'll cover: What Is an Application Letter?What to Include in a Job Application LetterJob Application Letter SamplesApplication Letter TemplateTips for Writing an Application LetterAside from your resume, the hiring manager may ask you to submit a cover letter as a formal letter for a job application. Under different circumstances, it can go under different names shown below: Job application letter – explains why you're applying for this position and what makes you qualified.Letter of interest – expresses your interest in some position in a company even though it's already filled or not being advertised yet.Letter of motivation – proves that you are the perfect candidate for the position. Among these application formats for jobs, an application letter most closely resembles the function of a cover letter. It demonstrates your relevant qualifications for the position and convinces the employer to call you for an interview. This article will guide you on how to write an application letter for employment and feature samples of both an application letter format and an email job application format. What Is an Application Letter?Simply put, a letter of application is a formal document sent with your resume to explain at least these three things: Why you want to apply for this roleWhat makes you the right fitHow you can bring value to the organization A well-written job application letter can grab the recruiters' attention effectively, motivate them to read through your resume and offer you a job interview. Hence, you should always submit a short application letter, even though it’s not required for the application. Recruiters normally would read your application letter before your resume. Therefore, it is important that your job application letter could serve as an overview of your profile as a candidate, and is interesting enough to make them want to review your application until the end. When reviewing an application letter, recruiters expect to find a brief introduction of who you are and why you're applying for this role. Next, some paragraphs should elaborate the qualifications you possess that make you the right fit, in terms of education, experience, and skills. If you've stayed in the field for a while, focus on showing your achievements and present to the employer how you would contribute to their company in your job application letter. Lastly, to make a lasting ending for your application letter, express your appreciation for their time and insert a CTA about the job interview. Also, make sure you include a professional sign-off! What to Include in a Job Application LetterIn this paragraph, you will learn how to write each of the 6 sections included in a job application letter:Letter headerSalutationIntroduction paragraphBody paragraph(s)Closing paragraphSignature1. Letter header Basically, the header of an application letter should follow the format of any other formal letters. It means that you need to provide the following information: Your personal info (name, email, phone number/LinkedIn)Date writtenThe recipient's info (name, job title, email, company address) Example of anapplication letter header:Kaylee Tran9215 Fremontia Ave, Fontana, CA 92335[email protected](+310)-442-1500May 10, 2022Davis MiserPrincipalWest Randall Elementary School15620 Randall Ave, Fontana, CA 92335 2. Salutation The salutation in a job application letter is a greeting to the people who will read your document and evaluate your qualifications for the role. Normally, they can be the company founder, the hiring manager, or the position’s department head. Good salutations for application letters:Dear Mr/Mrs + [Last Name], Dear Hiring Manager,Dear [First Name], Hi Team,To Whom It May Concern,Bad salutations for application letters:Hey,How do you do!Dear all, Good morning/afternoon!What's up! 💡 Pro Tip: The cover letter salutation is one part of the letter where you can address the receiver of the letter directly. Addressing the correct or relevant people directly shows that you’ve put in the effort to do some research about the role and the team. 3. Introduction paragraph In the opening paragraph, it's essential to introduce yourself and the purpose of writing this application letter. The most important information that employers expect to read is a brief statement of your qualifications that make you qualified for the position. Instead of stuffing too many details in this section, keep your application letter opening paragraphs within 2-3 sentences. Example of the introduction paragraph in a job application letter:“My name is Kaylee Tran, an MSc graduate from IU International University of Applied Science. I am interested in applying for the Software Engineering Intern at Google after coming across your job listing on LinkedIn. I believe that my educational background and freelancing experience make me a highly competitive candidate for this position.” 4. Body paragraph(s) Here comes the most important part of your application letter for employment where you will need to express your motivation to apply and provide details on why you think you're the right fit. In the same way that you write a resume or CV, key components include skills, education, work experience, and professional achievements. However, instead of listing them in bullet points, you will compile a concise paragraph that best presents yourself to the hiring manager.💡 Pro Tip: Don't just repeat information from your resume. Keep your explanation no longer than 10 sentences. Be brief and concise since recruiters don’t have all day to review your application letter. Example of the body paragraph in an application letter:“I have a strong passion for writing and blogging, which is why I have found such fulfillment in content creation. My first job was as a social media specialist at IVY Travel, where I was responsible for managing the company’s social media accounts and producing well-thought-out content to attract more potential customers. My biggest achievement is receiving the 2018 Marketing Award for doubling the average organic likes from 80K to 160K on Facebook in one year.The following year, I advanced my career as a freelance content writer. This allows me to write for a variety of industries such as FinTech, EdTech, fashion, beauty, and tourism. I have helped over 15 companies with their content strategy and online branding. My previous clients are content with my active listening, attention to detail, and commitment to deadlines.” 5. Closing paragraph In this the final paragraph of your application letter, you will need to: Restate your interestKindly remind the hiring manager to review your resume and other files attachedKindly ask for an interviewExpress your appreciation for their time and consideration Example of the closing paragraph in an application letter:“As requested, I have enclosed my resume, work samples, and IELTS certificate. Please let me know if you have any questions or need any additional information. Thank you for your time and appreciate your consideration of my application. It would be my honor to have the chance to discuss this opportunity further with you.” 6. Signature To end an application letter, just simply write a formal closing, followed by your signature. If you're using an email job application format, make sure your email signature is professional and covers your personal information, like this: Kaylee Tran (Ms.)cakeresume.com/kaylee1990[email protected](+098)-1234-567 Good sign-offs for application letters:Best,Best regards,Kind regards,Sincerely,With gratitude,Bad sign-offs for application letters:See you soon!Thanks in advance!Stay safe!Cheers,Bye! Job Application Letter SamplesSample of an application letter for a job vacancy Kaylee Tran9215 Fremontia Ave, Fontana, CA 92335[email protected](+310)-442-1500 May 10, 2022 Davis MiserPrincipalWest Randall Elementary School15620 Randall Ave, Fontana, CA 92335 Dear Mr. Miser, My name is Kaylee Tran, an MSc graduate from IU International University of Applied Science. I saw the posting of the Software Engineering Intern from Google on LinkedIn, and I am very interested. I believe that my educational background and freelancing experience make me a highly competitive candidate for this position. For the past two years, I have gained hands-on experience in coding and programming, providing solutions in database technology, and testing applications. My main responsibility is collaborating with a US-based team to develop four new websites that serve 2.5 million users per month. The biggest accomplishment I have achieved is building and implementing an automated bug tracking system, resulting in a 25% reduction in issues reported in the later stages of development. The documents attached are my resume and work portfolio. I look forward to learning more about the Software Engineering Internship Program at Google. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely,Kaylee Tran Simple job application email sample Dear Hiring Manager, I'm writing to express my interest in the content editor position listed on CakeResume. While I have 5 years of experience in content marketing and social media management, I am confident that I am well-positioned to support IVY Magazine. I have a strong passion for writing and blogging, which is why I have found such fulfillment in content creation. My first job was as a social media specialist at IVY Travel, where I was responsible for managing the company’s social media accounts and producing well-thought-out content to attract more potential customers. My biggest achievement is receiving the 2018 Marketing Award for doubling the average organic likes from 80K to 160K on Facebook in one year. The following year, I advanced my career as a freelance content writer. This allows me to write for a variety of industries such as FinTech, EdTech, fashion, beauty, and tourism. I have helped over 15 companies with their content strategy and online branding. My previous clients are content with my active listening, attention to detail, and commitment to deadlines. As requested, I have enclosed my resume, work samples, and IELTS certificate. Please let me know if you have any questions or need any additional information. Thank you for your time and appreciate your consideration of my application. It would be my honor to have the chance to discuss this opportunity further with you. Kind regards,Colleen Miller[email protected](881)-123-1234cakeresume.com/colleen.miller Application Letter TemplateNeed to write a quick and simple application letter? Use the free application letter template below. [Your name][Your address][Your email address][Your phone number] [Date written] [Recipient’s name][Company name][Company physical address] Dear Mr./Mrs. [Last Name], I am writing this letter to apply for the [job title] position at your company - [company name]. I believe that my educational background and professional experience make me an ideal candidate for this role. Moreover, I can have a chance to continue building upon the [technical skill] and [soft skill] acquired over the past [number] years. In the last role as a [job title], I was responsible for [job task 1], [job task 2], and [job task 3]. I pride myself on [notable accomplishment 1] and [notable accomplishment 2], resulting in [contribution] at [your former company]. You and the team can rely on me as a [personal trait 1], [personal trait 2], and [personal trait 3] employee with the ability to [soft skill] effectively. In terms of my educational background, I earned my [degree type] in [your major] from [University name] in [year]. I also obtained a certificate (or license) in [field]. Please find attached my resume for your further review of my skills and work history. I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss this position and how I can bring more value to the [team or department name]. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Kind regards,[Your Name] Tips for Writing an Application Letter✅ Start with a professional subject line. This is particularly important if you choose an email format for your job application. Think of it as an article title that is professional-looking and can grab the reader's attention. Examples of email subject lines for application letters:Front-desk Position - Your NameJob Posting #321: Marketing ManagerApplication for Public Health Associate Position 💡 Pro Tip: Some job postings list specific formats that you are required to follow when submitting your application. Make sure to pay close attention to these specific instructions if you don’t want your application to go missing. ✅ Highlight your skills. Bullet points on a resume make it easier to list relevant skills. However, you can’t do so when writing a job application letter - instead, provide specific examples of how you’ve leveraged that skill and what you've achieved. That will help fully showcase why you’re the right one for the position. ✅ Incorporate related keywords. A rule of thumb is not only your resume but also your application letter should be tailored to the job opening. You just need to review the job description carefully and insert keywords related to skills, job responsibilities, and requirements. Doing so can help effectively pitch yourself to employers and stand out from the crowd. ✅ Be concise. In general, an application letter sample for any position should not exceed one A4 page, ideally 250 to 400 words. Also, keep in mind that the body paragraph is the focus of the letter - longest and providing the most detail. ✅ Express your gratitude. Being polite and professional will always imprint a positive impression on recruiters. It also indicates good character and can be seen as an indication of how you will fit into the company. Hiring managers will be impressed by your professionalism if you put your appreciation into words. ✅ Include a strong CTA. A CTA (call-to-action) is like an invitation and reminder to the hiring manager to follow up and speak with you further regarding the job opportunity. This allows you to express your interest in the role and give them a push to reach out to you for an interview. ✅ Proofread before sending it out. Many job applicants don't make a practice of proofreading their application letters, resulting in spelling and grammar mistakes. These may reflect badly on you and cost you the interview. Thus, make sure your job application letter is error-free before it's submitted.Take the guesswork out of resume writing. Our AI resume checker analyzes your resume against industry standards and provides instant feedback.Get AI Feedback--- Originally written by May Luong --

Created by CakeGrowing admiration of flexible work times and escaping sedentary work conditions have definitely led to the freelancing boom these past few years. Freelancing, also known as independent contracting and project-based work, refers to a work arrangement of independently providing services or skills to different companies or individual clients based on projects. By freelancing, people believe they do not have to give up on their dreams to see the world, take opportunities, and be present in life, whilst still having a job to make a living. Career development for freelancers is one of the most crucially important aspects of the job - with contract-free work that implies demand and income uncertainty, it is beneficial for freelancers to always seek extra knowledge and further develop their skills for professional growth. This article will focus on exploring the creation of a career development plan, and the utilization of resources that are helpful for freelancers.Table of Contents:Importance of Career Development for FreelancersHow to Create a Career Development Plan for Freelancers?Resources Freelancers Can Use for Career DevelopmentConclusionImportance of Career Development for FreelancersIt is good to first start by acknowledging and truly understanding the importance of career development for a freelancing career.Freelancer career development can be extremely beneficial in the following ways: 1. Staying relevant in a dynamic market In our current generation, as the popular saying goes, change is indeed the new constant. The world presents us with new inventions, trends and industries every day - the ability to keep up and stay relevant through doing freelancing as a career includes keeping up-to-date with the direction your industry is going towards, and adapting professionally along the way. This way, you can always welcome new generations of clients in the long-run. 2. Expanding skills sets and services Flexibility is a major factor why people want to pursue a freelancing career. What many people are not aware of is that, with the flexibility freelancing encompasses, freelancers have more freedom to never stop trying new things in their field of expertise and continuously diversify their various skill sets, which they should definitely do. 3. Enhancing credibility and reputation Similar to white collar workers who have a 9-5 full time day job, a freelancer’s wonderful reputation can be a career catalyst. When clients are comparing your services off to other freelancers’, it can really quickly come down to your credibility and reputation. Knowledge on how to master personal branding and build your reputation should be a to-do in your career development plan. 4. Increase efficiency and productivity Always seeking strategies to improve your productivity when producing freelance work or services can save up much of your valuable time and energy! Because freelancers work independently and usually have a relatively smaller community, it is essential to work towards being more efficient and productive each day, which is a topic you will come across very often during developing your freelance career professionally. 5. Building a competitive edge Let your career development journey unleash unprecedented potential that only you can offer! Gain competitive advantage by exploring new areas of your field to then find unique domains you can specialize in. This takes time, but sooner or later, you will soon set your freelance career to a success!How to Create a Career Development Plan for Freelancers?What is a career development plan? A career development plan refers to a specifically outlined plan of actions or steps one must take to work towards achieving his career development goals, which includes upgrading skills and gaining experience. Not sure where to start? Lucky for you, we have listed these key steps and points you should definitely include in your career development plan: 1. Assessing Your Freelance Skills Before jumping directly into a specific area of your field that you “have decided” to develop professionally, it is best to first know where you currently stand - your strengths and areas that might need improvement. You can do this by firstly identifying the technical, soft, and niche-specific skills that you need to have to be successful in your industry. Afterwards, rate yourself honestly using a numerical or ordinal scale. Take into consideration the feedback and opinions of former colleagues as well. Online tests are also available on the internet, if you are trying to assess more technical skills such as programming languages or your proficiency using softwares. This also gives a great idea where you compare to by a benchmark. As the market is continuously evolving, honing in-demand skills is tremendously advantageous to maintain a competitive advantage amongst other freelancers. Make sure to include new skills as well! 2. Setting Freelance Career Goals Like many other things in this world, setting a goal is a crucial step in the creation of a plan. When creating your career development plan, set clear goals that can be a point you can always refer back to.To ensure that these goals are sustainable and will stick with you in the long-run, it is important to make them reasonable and achievable. Setting unrealistic goals can potentially demotivate you, causing you to be less productive. For a freelancer, this may look like: Number of projects increasing by 10% in the next 3 monthsGetting a certification this yearReaching and maintaining a 4.0/5.0 client satisfaction rateUnderstanding the fundamentals of a programming language in the next 6 monthsExpanding to another area of the field in the upcoming 2 yearsAlso, setting long-term and short-term goals separately can not only help you track your progress better, but can also keep you focused and motivated.3. Building a Strong Personal Brand Personal branding is never more important for anyone working independently and contract-free! The way you “carry yourself” and the way you make an impression to a client may determine whether a client wants to move forward with your service or not.Your personal branding should be welcoming, attractive, yet still exudes credibility. Most freelancers can show this through a portfolio, website, or a social media page. To make sure you are tailoring your portfolio so it highlights your services nicely, follow these tips below: Attach high quality visual content that can showcase your services pleasantlyFor social media: use hashtags, be active, and engage frequentlyHave a consistent, reputable branding across all platforms to create a cohesive online presence4. Navigating the Freelance Market To make sure that your amazing freelance services can reach the correct audience, do a thorough research on freelance platforms and marketplaces that are right for you. Different clients looking for different services go to different platforms - it is important to know which platforms best list freelance services in the field you’re offering. In order to become truly familiar with various platforms, it is helpful to network with fellow freelancers through conferences and other social events, where exchange of information amongst freelancers often occurs. Listening to other people’s past experiences may help give you an idea of what platform suits you best. 5. Managing Finances and Contracts For some people, doing finance and contract-related matters with nobody to help is probably the most dreadful part of freelancing. When you are just starting, you will have to understand how to set rates, do budgeting, do invoicing, as well as how to draft a contract. Surprisingly, these tasks will easily make up quite a big part of your career development plan. Clear and professional contracts will help you avoid undesirable misunderstandings and not having to do tasks beyond what has been agreed upon. This will also indirectly benefit your client, as they understand the term and other aspects of their project. When setting up contracts and settling on a rate with your client, be sure to include these important points: Scope of workPayment termsTimeline deadlineRevisionsOwnership rightsConfidentialitySignatures If you are not sure where to start in learning financial management for freelancing, here are a few resources that might help get you started: Freelancers UnionThe Balance MoneyFreshbooksMint Ultimately, if you still feel unsure and in need of more serious help, reach out to financial advisors and consultants, and be at ease with their professional services. 6. Upskilling and Continuous Learning Career development is all about continuous skill enhancement and acquiring knowledge. This should be what your career development plan revolves around. Freelancing tends to be more dynamic, which is why it is important to keep up with current trends and industry advancements. There are many numerous ways a freelancer can upskill, including taking online courses, attending seminars or workshops, and even networking at conferences. Keep on reading the article to find out resources that may help you in achieving your career development goals! Invest in yourself to add more value to your services - impress your client and stay relevant in the market!7. Time Management and Productivity Freelancers do not have a precise 9-5 working time clock, flexible working times are frequently glorified - what most people do not see, however, is that time management has become a common struggle for many freelancers. Being able to manage your time well, by doing time-blocking or using the infamous Pomodoro technique, can steer you far away from procrastination. To boost your efficiency, here is a list of tools and apps that can help you be more productive: TrelloTogglClockifyAsanaNotionGoogle Calendar No matter how productive you want to be when managing your working schedule, do not forget to also carve time out for yourself. After all, work-life balance is one of the big goals in freelancing - burnout is our greatest enemy! 8. Seeking Feedback and Professional Development Lastly, along the way, as a part of your continuous learning, do not stop asking feedback from clients, mentors, and fellow freelancers. Once you identify areas for improvement, you can work on them, and further add competitive advantage to your freelance services. Career development for freelancers is not a simple thing to do - although freelancers do not have supervisors to guide and advise them along the way, it doesn’t mean that they cannot learn from other, more experienced people in their field. Mentorship can boost your professional development, help enhance your skills, and is definitely beneficial for your long-term growth. After all, having someone who can help you excel and thrive in your career, and be proud to help, is never said to be undesirable.Resources Freelancers Can Use for Career Development There are plenty of handy tools available that can further guide and be a helpful reference for your professional development.Don’t forget to include utilizing these resources as a part of your plan to achieve your career development goals: 1. Specialist literature Specialist literatures are often used by experts to gain in-depth insights of a particular field, as these scholarly publications are deemed to be one of the most reliable sources to seek knowledge from. If you want to start your career development journey by understanding theories or interpreting data, specialist literature is a good place to start. Here is a list of well-known websites to help you in find the scholarly journal you’ve always been looking for: JSTOR - for general academic articles and research in various fieldsIEEE Xplore - for computer science, programming, and some areas in engineeringEmerald Insight - for business, management, and technology research 2. Webinars One of the best ways to gain insights in any particular field or industry is to learn from someone who has acumen and valuable experience in the industry for years and years! Webinars, which is short for Web-based Seminar, are online educational seminars delivered remotely, where you can learn, interact, and ask questions to experts in the field, from the comfort of your own home. From these webinars, you might get the opportunity to find a mentor that can help you with your career development plan! Other times, webinars are also referred to as online courses, which are recorded classes taught by experts and professors from reputable universities that you can watch at your own time. These online courses also often provide you with certifications, which can definitely add value to your freelancing career‘s credibility. These resources might help you find enriching Webinars: Eventbrite - for webinars across various fields including business, arts and technologyBrightTALK - for business, management, and technology webinarsSocial Media (LinkedIn Events, Facebook Events, Instagram, etc.) Some popular websites where you can look for online courses across all fields: CourseraedXUdemySkillshareMasterclassCodecademy (only for coding and programming courses) 💡Pro tip:If you are still in university and freelancing is your ‘uni part-time job’, attend seminars, workshops, and webinars that interest you! Most of the time, not only is it a good learning experience, but you can meet people in the community to network with. The best part of university events is that they are usually free!Many universities also offer free online courses from Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, and other academic learning sites to their students. Make sure that you utilize these resources as they might come in handy in the future! 3. Workshops or seminars Want to get hands-on, practical experience for your freelancing career? Learning by doing is definitely an effective way to grow professionally. If you cannot wait to implement the knowledge you have obtained from academic journals and online courses, taking part in a workshop is the next great step for you! Workshops are engaging and interactive sessions that allow participants to try and apply what they have learned in real-world scenarios. A workshop can be delivered using various methods, and usually includes practical activities such as collaborative projects, problem-solving tasks, and software tutorials. Where can I find workshops and seminars? Try these sites below:Meetup - for art, creative fields, and business workshopsEventbrite - for business, arts, and health workshopsSocial Media (LinkedIn Events, Facebook Events, Instagram, etc.)Local community centers, local universities/schools, local libraries 4. Blogs If the reason you chose freelancing as a career is because you prefer working by yourself and have minimal social interaction with others, then the idea of Webinars and Workshop may seem daunting. Online blogs, on the other hand, can be an amazing alternative that allows freelancers to learn from each other, have discussions and create a community. Reading blogs allows you to learn from people’s past experiences, get some useful tips and tricks, and also to expose yourself to different perspectives or strategies. Many online blogs and articles discuss about career development for freelancers - some of them are:Medium - for various blogs across all fieldsHubSpot Blog - for business, sales and marketing blogsCopyblogger - for marketing blogsHarvard Business Review BlogForbes 5. Conferences or fairs Despite the independence and flexibility a freelancing career offers, knowing fellow freelancers or professionals in your field, and having a sense of belonging in the industry, is still something nice to have. A way you can meet many other enthusiasts in your field is by going to conferences and fairs. At the end of the day, networking is a huge and important part of career development. Conferences and fairs are not usually held too often - typically annually, semi-annually, or once every few months, which is perfect if being social drains you! These events may introduce you to new innovations, or perhaps be the start of exciting collaborations. Some well-known conferences or fairs, especially for freelancers, are: Freelancer's SummitThe Freelance ConferenceSXSW for technology and the creative industriesWordCamp for web developmentBookExpo for creative writingTED Conferences6. Print magazines Print magazines are physically printed publications of magazines that usually cover a wide range of in-trend topics, which consumers read on a regular basis. Although its popularity has decreased with the rise of digitization, you can still definitely find invaluable insights on key trends of your specific field, or just generally of the current, latest news. Many people who are subscribers of the product state that printed magazines have saved them lots of time on compiling different kinds of news or information, with ease that the content is reliable. Additionally, several print magazines provide niche-focused content filled with profound knowledge, which can help you achieve your career development goals. Examples of sought-after printed magazines: The New YorkerReader’s DigestWired If you work in the creative industries, you might want to check out: Rolling StoneVoguePeopleCosmopolitanGQConclusion Setting clear career development goals and having a career development plan is an essential step to take as a freelancer in order to stay relevant and competitive in the ever-evolving market.Personal branding, financial management, and networking will have a significant influence on your professional career journey. Try your best to master them!There are plenty of resources freelancers can utilize to enhance skills, gain expertise, and add value to their careers. To conclude, in order to reach goals and be successful as a freelancer, career development is a key factor that cannot be skipped. Start taking small steps and never stop learning to accelerate your professional career - your future self will thank you! Cake is an online job search platform with thousands of postings for work in Taiwan, including internship, part-time, and freelance opportunities. Follow Cake to find more engaging content and advice on how to excel professionally!With Cake, an online resume builder, we provide you with hundreds of free professional resume templates and various resume format examples that help showcase the best you. Landing your dream job will be a piece of cake!Create Resume--- Originally written by Lorencia Ang Budijono ---

Created by CakeResumeTaiwan has been hitting the headlines over the past couple years, but there’s more to this disputed island nation just 160 km off the coast of China than you might think. For starters, Taiwan is home to the tallest mountains in East Asia. As a bustling - there’s a population of about 24 million people crammed into Taiwan - subtropical island oasis with plenty to explore and eat, expat life in Taiwan is notoriously good. Hence why Taiwan has continually placed within the lists for the top 10 best places to live for expats. But what about living in Taiwan? With 822,319 foreign nationals living in Taiwan in May 2023, you won’t be alone in making the leap across the pond. In this article we’ll detail the pros and cons to life in Taiwan, as well as how to live in Taiwan permanently and how to find Taiwan expat jobs and/or study opportunities.Table of Contents:Why Consider Relocating to Taiwan?Exploring Higher Education OpportunitiesExploring Employment OpportunitiesExploring Business OpportunitiesConclusionWhy Consider Relocating to Taiwan?As much as we could wax on about the captivating beauty of Taiwan, life in Taiwan is not without its challenges. In this section, we’ll be providing an overview of the pros and cons of living in Taiwan to help you more accurately assess whether Taiwan is the right place for you. Pros of Living in Taiwan 1. Quality of LifeThere’s a reason expat life in Taiwan gets rave reviews, and not least because of the extraordinary high quality education and healthcare systems in place. Life in Taiwan is also super safe, with Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, ranked the 4th safest city in the world. 2. Public Transportation and InfrastructureTaiwan transportation is one of the most enviable, and comprehensive, systems in the world, consisting of Ubikes (bicycles for hire), buses, slow trains, High Speed Rail trains, and the MRT (underground). Efficient, well-connected, and sparkling clean (no, really!), this may just be one of the biggest catalysts for moving to Taiwan. 3. Cultural and Culinary RichnessA constant favorite of life in Taiwan for expats is the culture and food. Whether a formosa historian, foodie fanatic, or casual observer, expat Taiwan movers will be immersed in the diverse and vibrant culture (and food) of Taiwan. In other words, there’s plenty more to slurp up than just bubble tea. 4. Cost of Living While Taiwan currency has an attractive exchange rate, the cost of living in Taiwan is probably the main draw for expat life in Taiwan. That’s because, even in comparison to other Asian countries, food and rent prices are incredibly low. In fact, the average price of a meal in Taiwan costs just $50 to $150 NTD, which is under $4 USD! NTD is the Taiwan currency, and stands for New Taiwan Dollars, by the way. What’s more, rent doesn’t even have a significant impact on the low cost of living in Taiwan, although affordability does depend on location and accommodation type:A shared room on a college campus (usually with 4 to 6 other people, mind you) costs an average of $5,000 to $10,000 NTD a month.The cost of a shared flat generally falls in the range of $10,000 to $20,000 NTD.The cost of a one-bedroom apartment can cost anywhere between $10,000 to $30,000+ a month. Cons of Living in Taiwan 1. Language Barrier Make no mistake, Taiwan is a Chinese-speaking nation. Even if there’s a government policy to become officially bilingual by 2030. As such, it can be difficult for non-Mandarin speakers to communicate and construct a comfortable life in Taiwan. Luckily, and this is kind of a pro within a con, Taiwan is home to some of the greatest and most renowned Chinese-language teaching centers in the world, so there’s absolutely no excuse on only being able to parrot 您好，您好嗎？. 2. Air Quality While there are parts of Taiwan with amazingly clean air, this is not the case for Taipei. Located in the Taipei Basin, Taipei, the city with the largest number of expats in Taiwan, is prone to such extreme levels of air pollution during the winter months that it can make living in Taiwan uncomfortable, especially for those with health concerns like asthmatics. 3. Natural Disasters Even though Taiwan lies within the infamous “Ring of Fire'', and even though it is regularly hit by earthquakes, they usually cause little damage to urban cities as the epicenter is often located on the more underdeveloped east coast of Taiwan. However, regardless of where you’re living in Taiwan, you may still feel a jolt. Taiwan also has typhoons, which are equally destructive but a bit more predictable. This is largely due to typhoons being seasonal, much like the monsoon rains of Southeast Asia, landing mainly during the summer months. 4. Visa and Residency While living in Taiwan may be a breeze, actually moving to Taiwan can be tricky. That’s because Taiwan has a fairly complex visa and residency application process, regardless of what nation you hail from. Let’s take living in Taiwan for study as an example. Unlike other places, Taiwan doesn’t have an actual “Study Visa”, instead splitting the visa into two “Visitor” and “Resident” visas that determine your length of stay in Taiwan. Resident Visa holders can apply for an ARC, but only if they do it within 15 days of arrival and if all their paperwork is in order (more on this later). Exploring Higher Education OpportunitiesTaiwan has incredibly high quality universities, which is evident through National Taiwan University (NTU), the most prestigious university in Taiwan, ranking #69 on the QS World Rankings for 2024. If that wasn’t enough, foreigners studying and living in Taiwan are particularly welcomed to attend universities in Taiwan, often receiving large scholarships, being accepted onto excellent programs, and being eligible for fantastic research opportunities. Government Scholarships The Taiwanese government offers several higher education scholarship opportunities, many of which include full tuition plus a monthly stipend. Ministry of Education (MOE) scholarships: MOE scholarships are for prospective international university students with excellent grades.ICDF: TaiwanIDCF is a scholarship for international students from a list of countries including Malaysia, Haiti, Serbia, Honduras, Mongolia, Kenya, etc.Huayu Enrichment Scholarship (HES): HES is a Chinese-language study scholarship open to international students who have not previously had a Taiwan government scholarship. University Scholarships Most universities in Taiwan offer attractive scholarships to international students, including the top universities in Taiwan. Scholarships can include partial or full tuition. Research Opportunities International students living in Taiwan have the opportunity to pursue doctoral and postdoctoral programs across universities in Taiwan, including NTU. The Taiwan Scholarship program additionally offers a monthly stipend of $20,000 NTD to students undertaking a PhD in Taiwan. Notable fields to consider include green energy development, and AI.Exploring Employment OpportunitiesFrom technology, manufacturing, and finance, to healthcare and education, Taiwan has an incredibly diverse job market. What’s more, foreigners contribute to a significant proportion of the Taiwan job market, which means that many of these employment opportunities are actually open to you as Taiwan expat jobs! In this section, we’ll cover where to find jobs in Taiwan, and what to look for. Taiwan Job Search Sites The best way to start your working expat life in Taiwan is by hunting down your job. Jobs in Taiwan are most commonly found on online job sites (such as these ones), through recruitment agencies, and at networking events. Luckily for you, CakeResume encompasses all three, with its annual career fairs and impressive online job board for employers and recruitment agencies. CakeResume also helps solve job application woes by making building your resume a piece of cake with our free online resume builder. Once done, you’ll be ready to break into Taiwan’s competitive job market with a tailored resume, cover letter, and prepared candidate (aka you).Finding Employment Looking for Taiwan expat jobs but not sure where to start? Although we have a comprehensive guide on how to find jobs in Taiwan for foreigners, we’ll give a brief overview of the job opportunities that are commonly available to foreigners living in Taiwan here.Education and Language-related jobs It’s not hard to become an English teacher in Taiwan, what with all of these possibilities: Private Tutor, Secondary School English Teacher, Cram School English Teacher, and more! Freelance Freelancing is another big draw for foreigners looking to make a living in Taiwan. From Translators and Marketers to Data Analysts, there’s a position for every profession…so long as your Chinese is relatively okay. Technology and Engineering Semiconductors are the bread and butter of exports in Taiwan, so it goes without saying that Mechanical Engineer, Quality Supervisor, and factory jobs in Taiwan are super in demand. However, while there are numerous openings, foreigners may find it tricky to fill these roles due to the language barrier. Finance and Banking While finding a job at a Taiwan bank like Bank of Taiwan or Chinatrust Bank is tricky for foreigners living in Taiwan with no Mandarin proficiency, it’s not as hard to find a Taiwan expat job in sales, trading, or analysis, at an international company like JPMorgan, HSBC, or Bank of America. Tourism and Hospitality Getting involved in the tourism and hospitality sector is a great way to improve your Chinese if you’re thinking about living in Taiwan long term. International talent is always welcome in culinary roles, as well as wait staff, tour guides, and janitorial services.Work Permits and Regulations Acquiring a Work Permit Let’s get this straight; a work permit is not the same as a work visa. To obtain a Taiwan work visa for working and living in Taiwan, your employer must first apply for a work permit before you make your visa application. Although applications for work permits for foreigners vary, you’ll generally need the following documentation:PassportProof of employment with company Visa Types Taiwan has a variety of visa types allowing foreigners to start their life in Taiwan, including the classic Work Visa, Resident Visa, Working Holiday Visa, and Taiwan Gold Card. Where the Taiwan Work Visa allows you to work in Taiwan, it’s really the Resident Visa and subsequent Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) that will allow you to make a permanent life in Taiwan.Exploring Business OpportunitiesAlthough Taiwan is experiencing slow and steady growth, there are many business opportunities tailored to foreigners living in Taiwan, a number of which offer considerable incentives to entrepreneurs and foreign businesses. Starting a Business Regardless of the industry, Taiwan has a business-friendly landscape. This rolls over into starting a business in Taiwan, where Taiwan expats living in Taiwan can establish their own companies and partnerships.Reminder! If starting a business in Taiwan, you’ll need to open a Taiwan bank account to make payments. Some of the main Taiwan banks are Bank of Taiwan 臺灣銀行, Cathay United Bank 國泰世華銀行, and Chinatrust Bank 中國信託銀行.Government Support Support for Startups Taiwan’s government loves startups, and they love foreigners, which means they’ll love you! Startups are eligible for numerous government incentives like subsidies, grants, and loans, as well as support and guidance programs. Investment Incentives Speaking of money, life in Taiwan for foreign businesses is also fairly comfy with tax benefits to foreign businesses in Taiwan Special Zones, in certain industries, on certain projects, and on certain land types. Networking and Collaboration Business Associations Alongside befriending employers on CakeResume, there are a variety of business associations in Taiwan to join to network and collaborate. From AmCham (the American Chamber of Commerce) to Facebook Groups (like the Taiwan Expats Association), you can easily connect with local and international business communities while thriving and living in Taiwan.ConclusionWondering how to live in Taiwan permanently? In this article, we’ve given you a brief overview on how you can do just that, plus all the reasons why you definitely should. From the low cost of living in Taiwan to the numerous scholarships for study and work opportunities, there are so many reasons to start living in Taiwan! Looking for more ways to perfect your job application for future work in Taiwan? CakeResume is the best resource for career development and guidance, helping you craft amazing cover letters for a variety of professions, and nailing that job interview. What are you waiting for? Let’s start that application today! Take the guesswork out of resume writing. Our AI resume checker analyzes your resume against industry standards and provides instant feedback.Get Instant Feedback--- Originally written by Eva O’Mara ---

At some point in your career, you may be asked to write a job referral letter for your friend or former colleague, or your employer may ask you to refer someone for a job opening at your company. Whatever the case might be, you might want to look for several references before starting writing. In this article, we will guide you through how to refer someone for a job in four simple steps while providing you email examples and ready-to-use template. Without further ado, let’s dive right into it! TABLEOFCONTENTSWhat Is a Job Referral?How to Refer Someone for a JobWhat to Consider when Referring Someone for a JobJob Referral Email ExampleJob Referral Email Template Things to Consider when Referring Someone for a Job What Is a Job Referral? A job referral is a situation when you recommend someone you know for a job position. You can refer your friends or former colleagues if you are an employee or write a recommendation letter for your students if you are a professor. Job referrals can be communicated through referral emails or by directly speaking with the hiring manager (a formal recommendation letter is still advised after verbal confirmation).If you refer someone to a job vacancy at your company, a job referral is often known as an employee referral program. Job referral is very common if you work in an industry that faces severe talent shortages, like leisure and hospitality, wholesale and retail trade, etc. Benefits of Job Referrals Job referrals have been proven to be a cost-effective means of recruitment, tapping into a large, qualified labor pool of passive job seekers and saving much time compared to candidates from conventional job search websites. Besides, if you refer someone for a job within your company, you may receive a reward if they are successfully hired. This reward is usually in the form of cash, but the amount may vary depending on the company and the position. For example, if you refer someone for a Management position, you may receive a more valuable reward than if you refer someone for an entry-level or mid-level position.How to Refer Someone for a Job If you have someone in mind but don't know where to start, this section will walk you through four simple steps to referring someone for a job. Confirm with the HR department. If you’re doing an internal employee referral, the very first thing you will need to do is ask HR and have them confirm whether the position is still vacant or not. If still, check with them when the referral letter needs to be submitted and how to send it. Also, it's equally important to get a detailed job description so that you can ensure the referred person is suitable for that vacancy. Collect all necessary information from the referred person. Before writing an email or speaking to a hiring manager to refer someone for a job, make sure you've got all information about that person, including: Full nameThe availability for a new jobExpertise with relevant work experience in the fieldSkills and strengthsTheir most up-to-date resumeAny other information that will support your referral letter (portfolio, certificate, etc.) Write a professional job referral letter. After gathering all the necessary information, now it’s time to write a job referral letter. Here is what you need to include in a job referral letter besides their basic information: How do you know that person?What are your experiences of working/collaborating with them?What qualifications do they possess that make them the right fit for the role?What value do you think they can bring to the company? Follow up with your HR. Once you've sent the referral letter or email, keep an eye on the hiring manager's response. If you haven't heard from them, don't hesitate to contact the HR department to inquire about the status of the job referral. You can also tell your friend (or colleague) whom you referred for the job to apply directly and mention your name in the cover letter.What to Consider when Referring Someone for a Job When it comes to referring someone for a job, there are five factors you will need to consider. These factors include:The person is qualified Recommending someone with poor performance could reflect poorly on your judgment and professionalism. You might be concerned about how your own reputation is perceived is the individual you referred does not perform well in the new role. Not to mention, you might be questioned about your motives for referring the individual, especially if it's perceived as trying to pass the problem on to someone else.You can give evidence of their abilities or skills While an employee referral program is a great recruiting tool, there is some controversy over whether it is fair and unbiased. Since many hiring managers are aware of this, they tend to be more strict with job applications from job referrals. Therefore, make sure you provide specific examples and quantifiable results to support your claims so the hiring manager will find your referral letter convincing and credible.Your relationship with that person This can be a two-edged sword. On one hand, it's crucial for the hiring manager to be aware of essential information about the candidate. However, recommending someone for a job can potentially be perceived as promoting nepotism or favoritism. Consequently, it's advisable to refrain from delving into unrelated work matters and focus solely on the relevant qualifications and experience.Their work style ethic When considering a person for a job referral, evaluating their work style and ethic is crucial. Here are some specific aspects of work style and ethics that you can consider: Punctuality: Assess whether the individual consistently arrives on time for work or meetings. Punctuality is often a good indicator of a strong work ethic.Responsibility: Look at how the person handles their tasks and responsibilities. Are they proactive and reliable, or do they frequently need reminders and follow-ups?Quality of Work: Consider the quality of their output. Do they consistently produce high-quality work, or do they often make errors and require significant revisions?Workload Management: Evaluate how they manage their workload. Are they organized, able to prioritize tasks effectively, and meet deadlines consistently?Adaptability: Assess their ability to adapt to changing circumstances and handle unexpected challenges. Are they flexible and able to problem-solve effectively?Your referral letter The referral letter should adopt the same format as a cover letter, meaning that you should maintain a formal tone in writing and avoid exceeding 200 words. It's equally important to ensure no grammatical or spelling errors, especially wrong information about the job title, company name, and the name of your friend or colleague. If you plan to refer a friend for a job via email, make sure your signature contains your contact details, including email address, phone number, and LinkedIn URL.Job Referral Email Example Still don't know how to write a referral letter for a friend for a job? Check out the example of a marketing job referral letter below! Alvin Noel984 S Manor Station LaneWenatchee, WA 98801016-xxx-xxxx[email protected] September 8, 2022 Johnny LeeIVE Beauty Group1199 Prairie StStevens Point, WI 54481 Dear Mr. Lee, It’s my great pleasure to recommend Ryan Leimone for the position of Digital Marketing Specialist with IVE Beauty. As a former client who hired Ryan for many freelancing projects about organic skincare products, I’ve been greatly impressed with his professionalism, skills, and expertise in the field. I have no doubt that he will bring the same enthusiasm and game-changing ideas to the new role in your company. For the past 2 years working on a variety of Digital Marketing Social Media campaigns, Ryan was in charge of developing and implementing innovative initiatives to boost the online presence of my company’s brand, mostly on Instagram and Facebook. He also possesses exceptional abilities in market research and analysis as well as campaign evaluation which are very useful for driving market impact and developing higher-quality products. In addition to excellent problem-solving skills, Ryan is extremely accountable to deadlines and always willing to deal with urgent requests, while at the same time is committed to delivering the best quality work. I can feel that he has a huge passion for marketing as he never stops himself from learning new skills and techniques. You can also see that from Ryan's portfolio, attached in my email below. If you have any other questions about his qualities, feel free to let me know. Thank you and best regards, Alvin Noel Job Referral Email Template Below is the template of an email to refer someone for a job. Feel free to add and customize your own content. Dear Hiring Manager, I would like to refer my friend, [your friend’s full name], as a candidate for the [job title] position with your/our organization. As a [briefly explain how you knew this person] for [number] years, I’ve had the opportunity to observe [your friend’s name]’s work ethic on a daily basis. In his/her last position as a [former job role], [name] was responsible for [listing out 3-5 major job responsibilities]. He/She is also adept at [hard skills] and did an excellent job in [job aspect], leading to [a notable accomplishment]. What's more, he/she has excellent [soft skill 1], and is able to [soft skill 2]. Her capability of [strength] would also make him/her the ideal candidate for any [job title] position. I believe that he/she would add value to your/own company, and I recommend her for any endeavor he/she chooses to pursue. Please let me know if you have any other questions about [your friend's name] for the role. Thank you! Sincerely, [Your Name][Your email address][Your phone number] Key Takeaways Successfully referring someone for a job is no doubt a mutually beneficial situation - for the company, the referrer, and especially the referred person. Despite gaining much popularity in the hiring of almost every profession and industry, it has come with some controversy about being biased and lacking reliability. Here is a quick recap of what you need to keep in mind when referring a friend for a job: Make sure the job is still vacant and open for referrals.Go through the appropriate channels (using the company's referral system or contacting the employer directly)Write a professional job referral letter that demonstrates the individual’s qualifications in terms of work ethic, professional experience, accomplishments, and relevant skills.Be positive but also humble and honest when talking about your friend.Finally, don't risk your own reputation for someone you don't know that well! Found this article helpful? Follow our blog for more!Transform your resume from good to great. Our intelligent resume analyzer spots improvement opportunities you might have missed.Improve My Resume — Originally written by May Luong —

Created by CakeYou'll learn: Step 1: Pick the best layout for your freelance resume. Step 2: Adopt the right freelance resume format. Step 3: Start with personal details and contact information. Step 4: Create an intriguing freelance resume title. Step 5: Craft a freelance resume summary.Step 6: Include key skills relevant to the freelance job. Step 7: Highlight your best experience and accomplishments. Step 8: List educational background. Step 9: Add an extra section to highlight your qualifications. Step 10: Craft a convincing cover letter for the freelance job. Freelance resume sampleFreelancers are considered “contractors" as they take on contract work for companies and organizations instead of being employed as company staff. It’s common for them to work on multiple jobs or projects at one time, but some may be restricted to one certain project. The fields that hire the most freelancers may include computer IT, writing editing, translation, design, marketing, etc. As a freelancer, you get to be your own boss and set your own hours. No wonder the idea of becoming a freelancer is very appealing and makes this job type highly competitive in recent years. The key to landing your desired freelance job is to build a winning freelance resume that showcases your core competencies, experience, and skills.Step 1: Pick the best layout for your freelance resume.Regardless of what field of freelance work you're in, e.g. you're preparing a freelance photographer resume, a freelance translator resume, or a freelance video editor resume, the top priority is conciseness and readability. 5 standards you might consider to secure a great layout for your freelance resume:1. Resume length:Ideally, the resume for freelance work should be one page long, especially for fresh graduates and freelancers with below 10 years of experience. Note that if you’re required to submit a freelance CV, the length can range from 2 to 8 pages.🔎Read about the key differences between a CV and a resume to make sure you don't mix up these two terms.2. Letter font size:You may find it confusing to determine the best font for your freelance resume among a lot of options. Some of the best fonts for resumes recommended by resume experts and recruiters include Arial, Cambria, Calibri, Times New Roman, and Helvetica. It'd be fine to adopt any font or style that you think can make your freelance resume and your personality traits light up if you’re working in a creative field.Just keep in mind to use a professional and easy-to-read font with the standard size of 11-12pt, and use bold font styles to highlight section headings.3. Resume margin:Don't overlook this standard because setting the margins correctly can determine whether your freelance resume looks professional or not. Most employers prefer ½”–1″ margins, depending on the amount of information you include on your resume.4. Resume spacing:The proper spacing for a freelance resume is 1.0 or 1.15 between text and double lines after subheadings. Feel free to adjust this accordingly based on the white space of your resume as well as the freelance resume format and the letter size you adopt.5. Freelance resume format:Sending a resume as a Word file may have been the best practice of earlier years. However, with many advantages, PDF is being commonly opted for by both applicants and recruiters nowadays. We don't have to worry about formatting errors, optimization for ATS, or edit permission.🔎ATS (Applicant Tracking System) is a software application that provides recruiting and hiring tools for companies, such as collecting, screening, and filtering job applications. 👍Note: If you're seeking a creative freelancing career, exhibit your creativity and uniqueness in your freelance fashion designer resume or freelance musician resume to get you noticed by the reviewer.Step 2: Adopt the right freelance resume format.Here comes the next important and challenging step - opting for the right freelance resume format among 3 types of resume formats to best fit your professional level. Now you may find your own answer below.🏷️ Chronological resume formatFor this resume format, work experience is greatly emphasized and arranged chronologically, starting with the most recent job and then gradually dating back to the earliest one. Who should use this?-Professionals with considerable freelancing experience- Freelancers without career gaps Example:-02/2019 - Present: Freelance copywriter | NHA Books- 11/2010 - 10/2018: Freelance copywriter | Copify Blog 🏷️ Functional resume formatThe main focus is your skills and achievements rather than each work experience. Who should use this?-New grads (Entry-level freelance resume or freelance resume with no experience)- Freelancers with employment gaps or in the middle of a career transition 🏷️ Combinational resume formatWith this format, you can showcase both your skills and freelancing experience in reverse chronological order. Who should use this?-Career changers (from office staff toward a freelancer)- Professionals with some freelancing experience Example: Check out the freelance graphic designer resume in the last part of this article. No matter if you're a seasoned professional or a fresher, you can create a powerful freelanceresume using Cakeand get your dream job with ease!Try It Now Step 3: Start with personal details and contact information.Obviously, the personal information (or resume profile) section is your first opportunity to introduce yourself. Get it wrong at this early stage and you can miss the chance of getting an interview. So, what personal details should or should not be included in your freelance resume?✅ ShouldFull nameEmailPhone numberPersonal website (optional)LinkedIn (optional)❌ Shouldn'tDate of BirthIdentifying information (weight, height, gender, ID number)ReligionMarital status Further reading:10+ Personal Details in Resume SamplesStep 4: Create an intriguing freelance resume title.Labeling yourself with a well-branded title can mark you as a strong candidate. How? By stating your professional level and expertise in the field. This way, you are starting on the right foot and properly introducing yourself to the client/employer. Examples of resume titles/headlines for freelance jobs:Freelance marketing resume: Content Marketing Freelancer adept at strategic marketing planning and digital marketing on social mediaFreelance architect resume: Freelance Architect skilled in both residential and industrial constructionFreelance interpreter resume: Experienced Remote Spanish and French Interpreter Step 5: Craft a freelance resume summary.This part is well-worth your time and effort as the reader can find it more convincing to dive into your freelance resume after reading the summary statement.What to put in a professional freelance resume summary:The summary of freelancing experience you've obtainedOutstanding accomplishmentsFreelancing skillsRelevant certifications Examples of well-written resume summary for maintenance jobs:Freelance translator resume: Freelance Translator with a track record of success in translating documents and spoken words. Converses efficiently in Chinese, Korean, and English.Freelance video editor resume: Creative and detail-oriented Video Editor with 8 years of hands-on experience in editing videos for business and individual clients. Adept at pre- and post-production editing and visual effects application with excellent time management and writing skills.Freelance musician resume: Freelance Musician Composer with a strong love and working-knowledge of music and music theory. 10+ years of extensive experience in orchestra, band, and theater settings, as well as teaching all age groups and ability levels. 💡If you are writing a freelance resume with no experience and not sure what to write in the summary statement,this comprehensive resume summary guide will help you out!Step 6: Include key skills relevant to the freelance job.Your freelancing core skills are divided into three basic types:Hard skills are technical knowledge or training that can be taught and measured, such as how to use certain software or tool.Soft skills are personal traits that make you a good member and colleague in the workplace, such as behaviors, communication, leadership, etc.Others: They can be any linguistic ability, knowledge, and hobbies you have. Below are key skills to put in a freelance software developer resume:Hard skillsJavaScriptHTMLCSSAdobe InDesignAdobe PhotoshopSoft skillsAttention to detailActive listenerCommunicationResult-drivenCritical thinkingLanguagesEnglish (native)French (professional) 👍Reminder: Only list the skills that are beneficial for the freelance job you're targeting.Step 7: Highlight your best experience and accomplishments.When listing freelance work on a resume, note the following things:Provide an accurate but brief description of what projects you worked on (job title, client name, date of starting and ending, and job duties).Quantify the results that you've achieved in your last jobs.Mention and tailor relevant work experience to the specific job.Use action verbs and keywords from the job description.Include references or testimonials to gain trust from the clients/recruiters. Example of writing freelance work and accomplishments on freelance content creator resume:Produced 5 SEO-friendly articles on Ragic blog on a weekly basis, generating approximately 130 new readers per month.Managed the daily content creation on Ragic Instagram, gaining 3000 followers after 2 years. Step 8: List educational background.Does your freelance resume need an education section? Of course, it does! But don't panic if your educational background is irrelevant to the freelance job you're applying for. You can also add any relevant training and online courses.Your education section in a freelance resume should include:School/university nameDegree typeMajors minorsGraduation yearStep 9: Add an extra section to highlight your qualifications.Go the extra mile to make your freelance resume stand out from the competition by adding any of the extras: Linguistic abilitiesCertificationsHobbies and interestsVolunteer workAwardsSide projectsReferences 📝Reminder:Remember to only feature what is related to the job you're applying for.Step 10: Craft a convincing cover letter for the freelance job.At its most basic, the cover letter for freelance work is no different from a generic one.You will need to cover the following information in your freelance cover letter:Contact information: Full name, email, personal website (if any)Introduction: Who you are and what freelance job you're seekingMotivation: Why you intend to apply for this freelance workQualification: What skills and work experience you have that make you qualified for this jobClosing: Express an appreciation for the reader's time. Further reading:Dos Don’ts of Writing a Cover Letter Freelance resume sampleKaylie HanesFreelance Graphic Designer with Extensive Experience in Print Design, Multimedia, and Photography. [email protected](+890)-890-8900Upwork: Kaylie Hanes Professional Summary Highly creative and performance-driven Freelance Graphic Designer with 5+ years of work experience in a variety of industries, including education, fashion, cosmetics, tourism, and automobiles. Able to set up unique trends and visual strategies that revolutionize corporate branding. Committed to delivering the most satisfactory performance in deadline-driven and fast-paced environments. Work Experience Freelance Graphic Designer Photographer2/2015 - PresentClients: Fashion Nova, Merzy Beauty, Gopedia, Vinfast Group Created logo and business cardDesigned printed and non-printed materials for company eventsDeveloped websites on different CMS platformsCreated and increased social media channelsHandled product photography and edited 6000+ raw photographs and videos Key achievement: Rated 4.8/5* by clients on Upwork. Web Graphic DesignerUniversity of Maryland, Baltimore County09/2012 - 12/2014 Redesigned web design standards for 5 departments within the campus; achieving 87% overall satisfaction from students and ProfessorsAssisted with the modification of the UMBC logoDesigned web interface and printed materials for 20+ events such as Opening Convocation, TEDxUMBC, Summer Camp, etc Education BA in Graphic DesignUniversity of Maryland Baltimore CountyClass of 2010 Skill setPrint designBusiness cardCompany logoPoster flyerBrochuresMultimediaSocial media postVideo editingVideo photomontagesWebsite designPhotographyProduct photoshootBW photographyRetouchingPhotographic storytelling Certifications Graphic Design Certification by Cal Arts (Coursera), 2015 --- Originally written by May Luong ---

Created by CakeCareer development refers to a collection of milestones to achieve long-term professional goals. It is a lifelong process which requires a strong commitment to continuously learn, adapt, and build connections in order to gain career accomplishments in the long run. Being proactive in developing your career will not only leverage your personal and professional growth, it will also make you a valuable asset in the ever-changing job market. This article will give you insights about the importance of career development and provide guidance to help you create your own career development plan, step by step.Table of Contents:What Is Career Development?Why Is Career Development Important?What Is a Career Development Plan?4 Types of Career DevelopmentHow to Create a Career Development PlanCareer Development TipsWhat Is Career Development?Career development is a process of learning and enhancing skill sets to achieve one’s long-term career goals. As you pave your way to professional success, this never-ending process can be visualized as a collection of stepping stones to help you accomplish in your chosen profession. This process plays a significant role in shaping your career path because it enables you to explore and reflect different aspects of your current state of being. It involves a series of well-planned steps and actions aimed to enhance your skills, knowledge, and experiences. Why Is Career Development Important?Career development is significant because it empowers people to reach their full potential in their designated field. It essentially helps professionals meet career satisfaction and success, contributes to higher earning potential, and improves job performance. In fact, 87% of millennials agree that learning and development is important in the workplace, Lorman revealed. Helps Achieve Career Satisfaction It is found that 41% of employees consider career advancement opportunities a dominant factor to achieve job satisfaction. Career development boosts satisfaction and success by ensuring that professionals contribute to higher productivity and performance. Consequently, it gives a sense of pride and makes employees feel valued as they are consistently improving themselves each step of the way. Increases Higher Pay and Professional Growth Investing in career development offers higher-paying job opportunities and long-term growth in your career path. The process allows you to set career goals, acquire related skills, and deliver optimal performance. Once you’ve achieved certain milestones, it makes you more valuable, leading to job promotions and salary increases. Boosts Job Performance An article published in the International Journal of Research revealed that career development has the biggest impact on employee performance compared to the effect of training. Meaning that organizations that support employees by developing strategies to help them move forward towards career achievements have a positive impact on their performance (Sellar, 2022). Besides, the process helps employees gain confidence and motivates them to put their best effort in their job as they are offered opportunities to climb their career ladder from having strategic career development.What Is a Career Development Plan?A career development plan is a document created to outline your career goals and the steps you have to take to accomplish them. Whether you are an employee working in an organization or an independent freelancer, it aims to navigate professionals throughout their career progression. Having a structured career development plan is a great kick-start to career success. It serves as a roadmap to guide you to stay on the right track in achieving your professional goals and aspirations. Although it may seem a bit under pressure having to follow each established career step, keep in mind that career development plans are adaptable. Consider the rapidly changing world where automation is becoming more and more replaceable to humans. It is therefore very important to keep an eye out for unexpected changes and make adjustments any time along the way.4 Types of Career DevelopmentWe’ll introduce you to four different types of career development based on professions. Let’s see which one best fits your current state. Knowledge-based Career Development In this type of career development, it is important to always keep yourself updated with new knowledge related to your work field. Many companies are even willing to spend large budgets in top-notch training programs to help their employees improve. There are plenty of sources where people can gain access to useful insights these days. Employees can benefit from both in-house and external training programs provided by the organization. Besides, there are also many options to enhance your knowledge by exploring interesting workshops, seminars, or online learning platforms that relate to your job field.Skill-based Career Development Skill-based career development focuses on being equipped with the right skills to specialize in your expertise for your career growth. The key is to identify the skills you already have and the ones that you need to obtain aligning to your professional goals. Take note that it’s as important to keep flourishing your existing skills as to acquire new ones. Obtaining on-the-job experience is a learning approach to gain practical skills you need for your job. As the name suggests, it’s a learning-by-doing process which allows you to obtain actual skills from hands-on training in a normal working environment. To move forward, skill-specific training can also benefit you and your organization in terms of motivation and productivity. Looking out for these learning opportunities will get you armed with realistic skills needed for specific roles.Entrepreneur-based Career Development This type of career development approach highlights entrepreneurial mindsets enhancement. It shapes the career journey of business owners allowing them to develop business ideas and essential entrepreneurial skills. Running a business can be tough. So, how do aspiring entrepreneurs come up with brilliant business ideas? There are in fact, many great sources of generating business ideas. For instance, surveys, hobbies, knowledge from previous experience, client complaints, mentorship and networking. It’s highly recommended to build a network and seek mentorship when it comes to entrepreneurship. You’ll benefit from getting connected to industry experts who can provide valuable insights to satisfy your consumers. Besides, it could serve as a shortcut to grow your business.Freelance Career Development People who pursue a freelancing career path enjoy being able to work anytime, anywhere. Since the common 9-5 work might not be ideal for everyone these days, more and more people turn to freelancing jobs because they prefer flexibility and independence. There’s also no need for formal dress codes. Kickstart your freelancing career by building a strong portfolio to keep the workload coming. Make sure you showcase your talent and skills your clients want to see. Also remember to include your high-quality and most relevant work examples, highlight your experience with clear explanations of each work, and explain the tools used to emphasize your proficiencies. It’s also important to establish your brand. Start by building your online personal brand and connect with people you’re interested in on communication platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter. Next, create a website or webpage by using website builders to make yourself trustable online. Also, don’t forget to use social media to market your identity.How to Create a Career Development Plan Establishing a career development plan may sound intimidating. Follow these four easy steps to achieve career success. 1. Self-assessment The very first step to building a career development plan is by identifying the current state of your career. It creates a good foundation to help you understand yourself better, so take some time to analyze your strengths, weaknesses, interests, and values. Here are some simple questions to consider:What are my previous experiences?What are my talents and skills?What do I enjoy doing?What motivates me at work?Do I prefer to work independently or in a team? Utilize the right self-assessment tools to assist you in this process. You can either record your thoughts on guided journaling, create a career portfolio, or take online self-assessment tests, suggested by Indeed. 2. Do the Research and Get Hands-on Experience In this step, do some research on industries, companies, and career paths that meet your interests and goals. Another great way to expose yourself to the career you are aiming for is to seek internships, job shadowing, or freelance opportunities. By doing so, you’ll gain hands-on experience that will give you a clearer picture of what it’s like in the real working environment.3. Establish Goals and Look for Gaps Next, think about the goals you hope to accomplish. Whether they are short-term, mid-term, or long-term goals, make sure they follow the SMART goal framework. Effective goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Setting specific goals gives a clearer direction as you progress through your career path. Knowing exactly what you’re trying to accomplish will help in planning and taking the right action. It’s very important to set achievable goals. Don’t make yourself feel overwhelmed by mission-to-the moon goals. Having goals within reach will keep you motivated throughout your career development process. Examples of practical goals:Earn two relevant certifications within the next quarterAttend networking events and connect with expertsTake a leadership role in a new team project in 2 years As you work toward your goals, don't forget to look for gaps to find out what is preventing you from reaching them. 4. Evaluate, Adjust, and Repeat Unpredicted circumstances sometimes show up out of nowhere. Certain changes can affect your well-established goals any time, and that is okay. The important thing is to make sure you regularly review, adjust, and update your career development plan as you progress. It’s also important to be adaptable when things don’t turn out as planned. Keep an open mind for new knowledge and make sure to explore new opportunities. Career Development Tips Good career advice can guide you in the right direction. Here are some useful tips for career development. Tip 1: Invest in Learning Opportunities No investment is ever wasted on education. Add self value by educating yourself and acquiring new skills relevant to your career. Career development is an ongoing journey, so make sure you continuously grasp learning opportunities through workshops, webinars, and career development courses.New trends and information rapidly come and go. Keeping your knowledge and skills fresh is important as it allows you to stay ahead of competitors in the job market. Tip 2: Be Intentional and Take Initiative Keep yourself proactive throughout your career development process. Take the initiative to look out for growth opportunities by embracing continuous learning, being updated to industry trends, and seeking constructive feedback from supervisors and colleagues. Remember that you are the main character of this career journey, so it’s important to have full commitment to your own career development.Tip 3: Hone Your Communication Skills Communication skill is an essential tool you’ll need for career advancement. This soft skill contributes to effective collaboration with your team and stakeholders. Possessing clear and concise communication allows you to clearly express your ideas in meetings, build positive relationships in the workplace, as well as bring leadership opportunities. Here is some career advice to ace your verbal and written communication skills. First thing’s first, keep practicing. Make great use of your free time to do some written and speaking tasks, or take courses to upgrade your skills. It’s also useful to ask for help by having tutorial sessions from those who have excellent communications skills surrounding you. Next, read books on grammar or self-development to expand your vocabulary and improve your grammar.Tip 4: Build Your Network Developing professional relationships can be more beneficial than you think. Not only do they lead to great job opportunities, but you will gain valuable insights of different perspectives, stay up-to-date with the latest industry trends, and receive professional guidance to advance your career. Tips to establish connections: Attend industry events Participate in conferences, seminars, and workshops in your job field.Utilize online platformsFor example, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.Communicate effectivelyBe clear and concise to the messages you want to convey.Stay in touchMaintain relationships by updating career milestones and give support to your connections when needed. 🔑 Key TakeawaysIn this article, we’ve walked you through the definition of career development, its importance, the ways to define a career development plan, different types of career development, methods of creating a career development plan, and career success tips. Whether you are working in an organization or freelancing, career development applies for everyone. It may take a lot of effort to manage, but having clear directions of what you want to accomplish would help you to achieve long-term success and fulfillment. You can simply start by creating your own career development plan to shape a bright future coming ahead.Cake, a free resume builder, helps you create a one-page platform by combining a social media-based personal website and a resume together. We also provide you with hundreds of free resume templates download and resume examples that help showcase the best you. You can now build your own unique and professional profile today. Follow us for more advice!Create Resume--- Originally written by Ainee Setthamalinee ---

Created by CakeCV and cover letter are the two documents that are often required for a job application. While the CV focuses on your work history, educational background, and key skills, the cover letter for the CV allows you to elaborate further details about why you’re applying for this role and how you can contribute to the company's growth.In some cases, a cover letter for a CV can go under different names such as: Job application letterLetter of interestLetter of motivation Regardless of the name and format, it acts as an accompanying letter for your CV that allows you to express yourself in a more personal way and better match your application to the job opening. Table of Contents: How to Write a Cover Letter for a CVCV Cover Letter ExamplesFree CV Letter Template How to Write a Cover Letter for a CVSince both a CV and a cover letter are not always required, some employers may skip your CV letter email. To keep them reading until the end, you will need to create a compelling job application cover letter for your CV. Let us show you how! 1. Use the correct format Here are the elements that should be included in a CV application letter: Date writtenContact informationSalutation or opening greetingOpening paragraph - Introduce who you are and explain why you're writing this letter.Body paragraph(s) - Explain why you think you're qualified for the role and how you can add value to the organization.Closing paragraph - Kindly ask for an interview and express your gratitude.Sign-off 2. Include your contact information The hiring manager will need your contact information to reach out to you if they require more information or if they want to invite you for an interview. Hence, make sure you provide your contact information in your cover letter for your CV, including your: Email addressPhone numberSocial media handles 💡 Pro tip: You can exclude your residential address, as it is private information that might cause safety issues when misused. If you’re writing a cover letter for your CV, this information can be included in your letterhead when you start your cover letter.If you choose to email a cover letter for your CV, these details should be included in your email signature. 3. Show your commitment to the company's growth One thing that the hiring manager takes into consideration is whether your personal development aligns with the company's mission and goals. However, there isn’t much room to express this in your CV. Thus, you must show your commitment to the company’s growth when writing the cover letter for your CV to prove that you're a dedicated employee and will take this job offer seriously. Here’s an extract from CV letter example that shows one’s commitment:“To the best of my knowledge, True Botanical aims to promote natural, organic skincare by using nature's most restorative and nourishing ingredients. As an individual who greatly cares for the environment and has adopted a sustainable lifestyle since I was just 15 years old, True Botanical’s vision and mission align with my career goal, which is to work for an all-natural skincare brand that emphasizes sustainability, both for the environment and the body. 4. Maintain a professional tone of voice Since a CV application letter is a formal business letter, it's important to maintain a formal tone - polite and business-like. It's your professional demeanor, not your educational background or work experience that will make a great first impression on the employer. Here's how to strike the right tone when writing a cover letter for your CV: No icons, emojis, or slangs.Use appropriate cover letter salutations and cover letter closings.Write a professional subject line for your CV letter email. 5. Tailor the CV letter to the job opening As a general rule of thumb, both your CV and cover letter should be customized to the position you're applying for. Doing so is the best way to prove that you're the right fit, since different jobs require specific experiences, skills, and qualifications. It also shows your genuine interest in the job, since you took the time to understand the work requirements and show that in your writing. 6. Avoid rehashing your CV As mentioned earlier, a cover letter acts as an accompanying letter for your CV. It means that you should provide additional details aside from what has been written in other documents. Hiring managers have to screen multiple, or perhaps many, applications every day. They might lose interest in your application if you put repetitive information in the cover letter for your CV. 7. Follow the application instructions (if any) You might find specific details on how to apply for the role at the end of the job posting, like this:  Job posting by MindX Technology SchoolThat's why correctly following the company’s instructions for your application letter and CV can show your professionalism and thorough attention to detail. 8. Share your knowledge about the company Every prospective employer will be impressed to see you spending much time and effort doing thorough research about the company. These research findings should be incorporated into the cover letter accompanying your CV. 💡 Pro tip: To better understand an organization's mission, operations, and clients, you can check out its website as well as business pages like LinkedIn and Facebook. Reviewing the job description carefully is also a great way to learn about the company and the team you will work with. 9. Avoid spelling and grammar mistakes In fact, many job applicants have made this mistake when writing a cover letter for their CV.Though this sounds trivial, typos and grammar mistakes might cost you the interview as it indicates a lack of attention to detail and professionalism (not something recruiters like). Thus, keep in mind to double-check your letter content before sending out. 10. Keep it within 1 page Generally, your CV letter should range from half a page to one full page (ideally 250-400 words for CV letters in English). A tip is to structure your letter in 3 or 4 paragraphs, with 4-5 sentences for each paragraph. CV Cover Letter ExamplesCV letter for teachersLetter format Casy Liu[email protected](+1)-098-0987cakeresume.com/casyliu1990 May 1st, 2022 Steve Lee WaynePrincipal of VIS International School9941 Horizon Circle, Tacoma, WA 98444 Dear Principal Wayne, I am writing to express my interest in the Music Teacher position at VIS International School. With a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from North Central College and 3 years of experience, I believe my skills and qualifications will serve as a substantial addition to your school and the students. During my former position as a Music Teacher at Blossom House School, I’ve handled various tasks and duties, including: Designing lessons and syllabuses to meet individual students' needs.Acquiring appropriate teaching materials and resources.Teaching music theory, aural skills, and practical techniques. The biggest accomplishment I’ve achieved is designing new learning methods to boost the students’ engagement in class, resulting in comprehension improvements, and discussion time reduction by 35%. I'm now looking for a diverse workplace, which led me to apply for this position at VIS International School. I also believe that I will provide students with dynamic resources to pursue their capabilities and develop essential perspectives. Thank you for your time and consideration. I would be honored to speak further with you about how my experience and knowledge of music can be an asset at your school. Sincerely,Casy Liu Email format Dear Principal Wayne, I am writing to express my interest in the Music Teacher position at VIS International School. With a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from North Central College and 3 years of experience, I believe my skills and qualifications will serve as a substantial addition to your school and the students. During my former position as a Music Teacher at Blossom House School, I’ve handled various tasks and duties, including: Designing lessons and syllabuses to meet individual students' needs.Acquiring appropriate teaching materials and resources.Teaching music theory, aural skills, and practical techniques. The biggest accomplishment I’ve achieved is designing new learning methods to boost the students’ engagement in class, resulting in comprehension improvements, and discussion time reduction by 35%. I'm now looking for a diverse workplace, which led me to apply for this position at VIS International School. I also believe that I will provide students with dynamic resources to pursue their capabilities and develop essential perspectives. Thank you for your time and consideration. I would be honored to speak further with you about how my experience and knowledge of music can be an asset at your school. Sincerely,Casy Liu[email protected](+1)-098-0987cakeresume.com/casyliu1990 Cover letter for CV with no experienceLetter format Laura Wee114A Serangoon Garden Way, Singapore 556012[email protected]linked.com/laurawee90 March 28, 2022 Keith WongHiring ManagerLite-On Singapore Pte. Ltd.151, #03-03 Lor Chuan, Lobby C New Tech Park, Singapore 556741 Dear Mr. Wong, I am Laura Wee, a recent graduate of Singapore Management University. While I was seeking a front-desk receptionist position, I came across your job posting on Cake. I am confident that my exceptional multitasking skills and attention to detail make me a qualified candidate for this role. Though I have yet to possess much professional experience, I never stop learning and acquiring important skills for a receptionist, such as problem-solving and customer service skills. Also, I am fully aware that this job is more than just welcoming guests, answering phone calls and emails, doing data entry, and preparing paperwork. A superb front-desk receptionist should be able to deal with emergencies in a timely and effective manner, while streamlining office operations as well. I have been following Lite-On's LinkedIn page for many years, and I believe that not only I can become a cultural fit but also bring more value to the company. The opportunity to offer more details about my qualifications would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to review my application. With gratitude,Laura Wee Email format Dear Mr. Wong, I am Laura Wee, a recent graduate of Singapore Management University. While I was seeking a front-desk receptionist position, I came across your job posting on Cake. I am confident that my exceptional multitasking skills and attention to detail make me a qualified candidate for this role. Though I have yet to possess much professional experience, I never stop learning and acquiring important skills for a receptionist, such as problem-solving and customer service skills. Also, I am fully aware that this job is more than just welcoming guests, answering phone calls and emails, doing data entry, and preparing paperwork. A superb front-desk receptionist should be able to deal with emergencies in a timely and effective manner, while streamlining office operations as well. I have been following Lite-On's LinkedIn page for many years, and I believe that not only I can become a cultural fit but also bring more value to the company. The opportunity to offer more details about my qualifications would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to review my application. With gratitude,Laura Wee114A Serangoon Garden Way, Singapore 556012[email protected]linked.com/laurawee90 Cover letterfor CV for internshipLetter format Janice Flavien(+342)-6327-385[email protected]9035 119 St NW, Edmonton, AB T5K 2V6, Canada April 29, 2022 Samuel T. ScottAPL Corp.2902 104 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB T5J 5G7, Canada Dear Hiring Manager, My name is Janice, a final year student majoring in Marketing at the University of Alberta. During a recent conversation with Professor John Pullman, my faculty advisor in the Business Management department at my school, I was told about the internship program at APL Corp. I believe that my academic achievements and freelancing experience would make me an exceptional intern. I have been the President of the Marketing Youngsters Club at UA for the past 2 years and working freelance as a content marketer. With in-depth knowledge of digital marketing, I am responsible for inbound marketing strategies that help boost my clients' brand identity and online presence, while developing well-written content for their social media platforms. I am a fast learner and a team player with strong communication skills as well as the ability to work on multiple tasks effectively. I believe a 3-month internship opportunity at APL Corp. will allow me to further develop my existing skills and learn more from great people there. In this letter I have also attached my up-to-date CV where you can read about my experiences and qualifications. Thank you for taking the time to review my application. I hope to hear from you soon.Best regards,Janice Flavien Email format Dear Hiring Manager, My name is Janice, a final year student majoring in Marketing at the University of Alberta. During a recent conversation with Professor John Pullman, my faculty advisor in the Business Management department at my school, I was told about the internship program at APL Corp. I believe that my academic achievements and freelancing experience would make me an exceptional intern. I have been the President of the Marketing Youngsters Club at UA for the past 2 years and working freelance as a content marketer. With in-depth knowledge of digital marketing, I am responsible for inbound marketing strategies that help boost my clients' brand identity and online presence, while developing well-written content for their social media platforms. I am a fast learner and a team player with strong communication skills as well as the ability to work on multiple tasks effectively. I believe a 3-month internship opportunity at APL Corp. will allow me to further develop my existing skills and learn more from great people there. In this letter I have also attached my up-to-date CV where you can read about my experiences and qualifications. Thank you for taking the time to review my application. I hope to hear from you soon.Best regards,Janice Flavien(+342)-6327-385[email protected]9035 119 St NW, Edmonton, AB T5K 2V6, Canada Free CV Letter Template[Date] [Your name] [Your address][Your phone number][Your email address] [Hiring manager’s name] [Company name][Company address] Dear Hiring Manager (or [Name]), I am submitting this application to apply for the [job title] position at [company name]. I know that this job opportunity will allow me to continue to build upon the [technical skill] and [soft skill] that I have acquired over the past [number] years as a [past role]. As a [your role/expertise], I have handled a variety of tasks, including [your major job responsibilities]. I pride myself on [your greatest accomplishments], which contribute to [a significant change] at [your former company]. You can rely on me as a [personal trait 1], [personal trait 2], and [personal trait 3] with the ability to [soft skill 1] and [soft skill 2]. I earned my [degree type] in [your major] from [university name]. Aside from [your native language], I can speak [other languages] fluently. I have attached my CV for your further review of my skills and work history. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. I would love to meet you and discuss how I can bring value to the [team/department name] at your company. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Best regards,[Your name] 🔑 Key TakeawaysAfter all, a cover letter is not just an introduction. You must think of it as a tool to pique the hiring manager’s interest from the beginning when they start reviewing your application. Whether it’s required or optional, you should submit both a CV and a cover letter when applying for a job. This CV application letter allows you to make a favorable first impression while encouraging them to review your attached CV and other documents.Here're some key points to help you create a strong cover letter for your CV:Include all essential elements of an application letter.Maintain your professionalism throughout the letter, in terms of the structure, writing, and content.Don't copy-paste information from your CV into your cover letter.Pay close attention to minor details such as spelling and wording, salutation and sign-off, the application instructions, etc.Proofread all documents before hitting “Send".Cake provides afree online resume builder that allows you to create resumes and portfolios with ease. You can start building your resume from scratch or use ourATS resume template to create the perfect resume for your job hunt! Take your career journey to new heights - create a resume online (free download) now!Create Resume--- Originally written by May Luong---

Working in SingaporeSingapore, a city-state with nearly 6 million people, is Asia's most prosperous economy. But it doesn’t stop there, as Lion City also claims the title of the fourth most competitive economy in the world and one of only a few countries that can claim a triple A (AAA) credit rating with net zero debt. Yes, zero. What does this mean for expats looking to start living and working in Singapore as a foreigner? Simply put, it means that working in Singapore is a super attractive proposition. Perhaps that’s why nearly half of the workforce are expats. From lucrative salaries to lucrative lifestyles, expats living and working in Singapore can reap significant benefits. We’ll detail what they are in this guide and delve further into the economic environment and work culture, insights and tips for finding Singapore work, salary expectations for working in Singapore, and common FAQs about living and working in Singapore as a foreigner. Table of Contents:Singapore’s Economic Landscape and OpportunitiesSingaporean’s Working CultureSingapore Minimum Wage and Average SalaryHow to Find Jobs in Singapore as a ForeignerCommon FAQs Singapore's Economic Landscape and Opportunities Though small in size, the Lion City packs a considerable punch when it comes to its economic landscape and opportunities. With its low tax rates, low unemployment rates, and fiercely competitive markets, Singapore is widely viewed as one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Working in Singapore is therefore seriously recommended if you’re looking for a high-paying job. This is especially true for those interested in the technology sector, which is one industry that is expected to grow exponentially in the coming years with the addition of automation, AI, and digitalization. This will be aided by the emerging trends of digital literacy and focus on sustainability. As such, expats have plenty of opportunities to come live and find the best company to work in Singapore. But first, there are a few things you have to know before leaping. First, it’s the Singaporean working culture!Singaporean's Working Culture There are five key differences to note when it comes to Singapore's work culture, which is: 1) Punctuality and Time Management: Punctuality is essential in any professional setting, but for those working in Singapore, this trait carries additional significance as a demonstration of respect for others’ time. The emphasis on punctuality in the workplace is complemented by a strong commitment to effective time management. This combination not only underscores personal responsibility but also reflects a cultural value placed on the efficient use of time in Singapore. 2) Dedication to Job Responsibilities Singaporeans are widely recognized for their sense of ownership and accountability towards their tasks and projects. As we will delve into later, this dedication is often expressed through extended working hours, showcasing the profound work ethic prevalent among Singaporean professionals. The commitment to job responsibilities is a cornerstone of the work culture in Singapore, reflecting the high standards individuals set for themselves in fulfilling their roles. 3) Recognition and Rewards: In the Singaporean workplace, dedication to job responsibilities and exceptional performance are the primary criteria for earning recognition and rewards. The prevailing ethos places a premium on hard work and commitment, making these attributes more likely to garner acknowledgment and tangible incentives than other factors. In essence, the work culture in Singapore strongly emphasizes the correlation between dedication, performance, and the ensuing acknowledgment and rewards in the professional realm. 4) Team collaboration and harmony Collaboration is highly valued in Singapore's work environment. Team cohesion and working seamlessly with colleagues are considered essential skills. The emphasis on teamwork is rooted in the belief that a harmonious working relationship contributes to increased productivity and overall success. Singaporean professionals often prioritize collaboration, recognizing that collective efforts yield superior outcomes compared to individual endeavors. This emphasis on team harmony is reflected not only in the work processes but also in the social dynamics within the workplace. 5) Adaptability and Continuous Learning: Singapore's rapidly evolving business landscape demands adaptability and a commitment to continuous learning. Professionals in Singapore understand the importance of staying abreast of industry trends and embracing technological advancements. The willingness to adapt to change and acquire new skills is highly regarded. The work culture fosters an environment where individuals are encouraged to pursue ongoing education and training, ensuring that they remain agile and competitive in a dynamic global marketplace. This commitment to continuous learning is seen as an investment in personal and professional development, reflecting the forward-looking nature of Singapore's work culture.Singapore Minimum Wage and Average Salary Singapore's most in-demand Jobs 2024 According to Morgan McKinley, the annual average salary in Singapore is S$70,000, while the monthly average salary is S$5,783. The maximum monthly salary range is S$2,140 to S$37,700. Individual income will, of course, depend upon certain factors like your designated industry for Singapore work, professional experience, and level of education. So, in reality, you could be earning anywhere from S$0 to S$200,000 plus. Why S$0, you ask? That’s because Singapore doesn’t have a minimum wage, meaning that while Singapore boasts some of the highest salaries in the world, technically, there’s no cap to how low your salary can go…But do not worry if you’re in any of the following industries, as they all have substantial average salary increases: Average salary increase by industry Banking: 7%Energy: 5%IT: 3%Healthcare: 3%Travel: 8%Construction: 6%Education: 4% Source: Time DoctorHow to Find Jobs in Singapore as a Foreigner In order to legally work in Singapore as a foreigner, you must first obtain a job offer. After that, you need to determine which type of employment pass you will need. Only then will you be able to enter the country and start working: Employment Pass for Professionals: This is an employment pass, or visa, for foreign professionals. In order to qualify for this visa, you will need to have a monthly salary of at least S$5,000.S Pass for Mid-skilled Workers: This is a Singapore work pass for mid-skilled workers earning at least S$3,150 a month.Work Permits for Foreign Workers: There areseveral permitsavailable for those working in Singapore as a foreigner, such as the Work Permit for Migrant Workers for skilled and semi-skilled workers in construction or manufacturing. Confused? There’s no need to be with this short and snappy guide on how to find a job in Singapore! Step 1: Network and Search First, let’s get you out there looking for employment opportunities from job posting sites in Singapore. Not to toot our own horn (we’re definitely tooting away over here), but Cake features many international and local companies based in Singapore, with many of them even offering working from home in Singapore opportunities! Step 2: Update / Create Your CV or Resume You’ve found your dream job at the best company to work in Singapore with the ideal Singapore office hours. Now what? Now it’s on crafting your resume or CV, which is your opportunity to share a snappy overview of the most significant facts and figures in your academic and professional career that are relevant to the role. In other words, you need to tailor your CV according to the job description, company, and role in question. You should also try to make this an ATS-friendly resume, but that’s easily done with Cake’s ATS-compliant templates. Step 3: Write a Professional Cover Letter Writing a cover letter can be a daunting task, but we’ve got you. From tailoring each cover letter for their respective application to keeping it short, concise, and relevant and using a suitable tone throughout, there are plenty of ways to make your professional cover letter pop with our helpful cover letter tips. Step 4: Nail That Interview Cake is an excellent resource for job seekers looking for tips on how to ace their interviews. Here are a few simple tips for standing out during an interview: Research your interviewer and learn about their background and role at the company.Engage with your interviewer and show your enthusiasm about the company and the position.Prepare answers to common interview questions to ensure you're ready for anything that comes up.Ask insightful questions that demonstrate your interest in the company and the role.Be mindful of your body language, as it can communicate a lot about your confidence and demeanor.Make sure to control the pace of the conversation and steer it in a positive direction, so that you leave a lasting impression on your interviewer. In addition to opportunities for working in Singapore’s soaring skyscrapers, there are also plenty of jobs tailored for working from home in Singapore. Take freelancing, for example. There are several online job sites boasting about the best company to work for in Singapore. However, Cake has a significant advantage when it comes to searching for remote Singapore work, with nifty toggles to refine your search for jobs with 100% Remote, Partial Remote, and Optional Remote working environments. Which makes it super easy to find freelance writing, customer service, tutoring, computer programming, and e-commerce selling jobs, among many others. You can even be a self-employed business owner while working in Singapore, which, according to InterNations, is a pretty easy process to go through. First, you’ll need to register your business with the regulatory authority, ACRA, whom you will then have to provide your company name with. After that, it’s smooth sailing so long as your company has at least one shareholder, one Singapore resident who is a director, one Singapore resident who is a company secretary, paid-up capital of S$1 minimum, and a registered physical office.Common FAQs Ready to start working in Singapore but just need a little bit more information? We’ve got you, and we applaud you; taking the first step to working in Singapore as a foreigner can be daunting. To help ease some of those pre-Singapore work nerves, we’ve provided a few answers to some of those burning questions about working in Singapore that you’ve probably got raging around in your head. What Are Typical Working Hours in Singapore? While the working hours in Singapore vary from company to company, there are some regulations. Most prominently, employees in jobs that are classified under the Employment Act (managers and executives, government workers, domestic workers) must not work more than 12 hours a day.. This makes the average working hours in Singapore lie somewhere between 40 to 60 hours for a 5-day week and 40 to 72 hours for a 6-day week. So it really just depends on your company, profession, and industry for how lengthy your Singapore office hours will be. Is Lunch Break Included in Working Hours in Singapore? Lunch breaks aren’t really considered within working hours around the world, yet you may be wondering, “Is lunch break included in working hours in Singapore?”. Unfortunately, it’s not. That said, those working in Singapore should expect half an hour to one hour of unpaid lunch break. How Does Maternity Leave Work in Singapore? A woman working in Singapore as a foreigner is eligible for maternity leave so long as their child will be a Singapore citizen and they have been working in Singapore for at least 3 months prior to giving birth. If eligible, mothers will have 12 weeks of paid leave and a paid benefit of S$20,000 for each child, followed by S$40,000 for every child after the mother’s first two children. How Does Paternity Leave Work in Singapore? A man working in Singapore as a foreigner is not eligible for paternity leave unless their child is a Singaporean resident. If eligible, they are granted two weeks of paid leave at a maximum of S$2,500 per week. Can Malaysians Work in Singapore? What Are the Requirements? Yes, Malaysians can work in Singapore. As for the regulations for Malaysians working in Singapore, there aren’t any special work passes to obtain aside from the ones already mentioned in ‘How to find jobs in Singapore.’ Can I Move to Singapore Without a Job? Unfortunately, prospective individuals wanting to start working in Singapore as a foreigner will need a job offer prior to making the move. What’s more, they will need to be relatively skilled in order to meet the salary requirement needed for work passes, as mentioned above in ‘How to Find Jobs in Singapore for a Foreigner.' Which Job is Easy to Get in Singapore? Even if you’re looking for the best company to work in Singapore, there are actually plenty of jobs to find that may allow for easier access to start living and working in Singapore. Aside from careers in hospitality - which are easy to get but not so helpful for visa requirements - you should look for jobs in digital marketing, sales, and engineering fields, as these are in high demand. Do I Need to Pay Tax if I Work in Singapore? Yes, foreigners working in Singapore need to pay taxes. More specifically, you will need to pay personal income tax. You are not, however, expected to pay tax on income that is made overseas (even if it’s placed into a Singapore bank), capital gains, or earnings from foreign sources like dividends and the like. The exception to the rule is if you are working in Singapore for short-term employment, for 60 days or less, in which case you will be exempt from paying income tax. This does not apply to directors of companies. How Much is Income Tax for Expats in Singapore? While income tax varies on income and residency classification, all individuals working in Singapore are taxed on any income above S$20,000. Non-residents are taxed 15% to 22% of their annual personal income, however, as of 2024, the cap will be increased to 24%. Tax residents, on the other hand, have “lower progressive tax rates” that start at 0% and go to 22%, although the cap will also increase to 24% in 2024. Key Takeaways From high average salaries to low taxes, working in Singapore as a foreigner is an expat dream. While it may be a strict process to get there initially, and one that you’ll need a job offer for first, there are many benefits. Ready to start living and working in Singapore? With the right preparation and the right CV crafted using Cake’s free resume builder, you’ll be in the perfect position to easily find a job at the best company to work for in Singapore. Did you find this article useful? Feel free to drop us a question or comment below - we’d love to hear from you! Cake is the best resume builder that provides you with hundreds of free professional resume templates and various resume format examples that help showcase the best you. Landing your dream job will be a piece of cake!Create Resume — Originally written by Eva O’Mara —