How To Write a Cover Letter (Plus Tips and Examples)

In fact, it’s a great idea to share your cover letter with a few people, says Lees. Rather than sending it off and asking, “What do you think?” be specific about the kind of feedback you want. In particular, request two things. First, ask your friend if it’s clear what your main point is. What’s the story you’re telling? Are they able to summarize it? Second, ask them what’s wrong with the letter. “Other people are more attuned to desperation, overselling, over-modesty, and underselling,” says Lees, and they should be able to point out places where the tone is off.

How to write a cover letter in 6 steps

1. Start with your header

, you should include a few pieces of personal and role specific information at the top of your cover letter. This section should include your contact information, date of application and recipient’s contact information. If you’d like, you can also center your name and address at the top of the page, mirroring the way it looks on your resume.

2. Include a greeting

In your research, try to find the name of the person who will be reviewing applications for the job. Address your letter to this person with a common business greeting, such as “Dear” or “Hello.” If you’re unable to confirm the gender pronouns (he/him, she/her, them/they) of the person reviewing your application, it is best to use a gender-neutral greeting such as “Dear [first and last name]” or “Dear [position title].”

3. Write an opening paragraph

In the first paragraph of your letter, mention the job title for which you’re applying and where you saw the position posting. Explain your specific interest in the role and company so the reader knows you’ve done your research and are genuinely interested. Briefly state the main experience or qualification you have that makes you a good fit. The first section of your cover letter is also the first impression the reader will have of you, so it is important to appeal to that person quickly and succinctly.

Example: “I’m excited to apply for the Graphic Designer position at Cloud Clearwater I found on Indeed. I understand you’re currently adding several new product lines, and I believe my skills in video and animation provide a significant advantage for creating a successful launch. As a longtime fan of your products, I’m thrilled at the opportunity to bring my unique style and passion for beachwear to the company.”

4. Follow with a second paragraph

Your second paragraph should be a brief overview of your background as is relevant to the position. Here, you should include key achievements, skills and specialties that make you particularly suited to perform well in the position. Focus on one or two and provide specific details about your success including measurable impacts you made.

Example: “As the Director of Human Resources at Wes Morgan Philips, I was a key senior leader in the organization and was responsible for improving the efficiency and performance of the company’s 540 employees. Before that, I worked in human resources, equal employment opportunity and diversity for Jenkins Technology Solutions, Inc. At Jenkins Technology Solutions Inc., I developed an employee retention plan that involved the creation of a wellness program, an internal training program and a promotions selection process, which led to a 50% reduction in the overall employee turnover rate.”

5. Finish with a closing paragraph

The next paragraph should focus on another key achievement or skill that is relevant to the position. Instead of repeating details from your resume, expand on specific stories or anecdotes that display your fitness for the role. Again, focus on stories that demonstrate the skills and qualifications outlined in the job description.

Example: “Achieving ambitious marketing goals is always a top priority, and I am always looking out for the best interests of the company. I enjoy delivering marketing presentations to potential clients and focusing on the strengths of an organization. My marketing skills at River Tech enabled the company to experience new levels of success and a 45% increase in customer engagement. I am never satisfied with the status quo, and I believe that a company should continually look for ways to improve and reach new clients through innovative campaigns.”

6. End with a professional signoff

Example: ”Thank you for your time and consideration. I’m looking forward to learning more details about the Sales position and about TradeLot. Growth is essential to my continued success, and I’m excited for the chance to be a part of TradeLot’s industry-leading team. My proven track record and TradeLot’s quality products are a winning combination for increasing the company’s market share.

Cover letter examples

Here are two examples of cover letters, a traditional version and a less traditional version. First, read the job description, then read the cover letter. In the first example, you’ll see how the writer uses specific phrases from the job description and includes them in the letter.

Example 1: Administrative Assistant

I am drawn to this opportunity for several reasons. First, I have a proven track record of success in administrative roles, most recently in my current job as an administrative coordinator. A highlight from my time here was when I proactively stepped in to coordinate a summit for our senior leaders last year. I arranged travel and accommodation for a group of 15 executives from across the company, organized meals and activities, collaborated with our internal events team, and ensured that everything ran according to schedule over the two-day summit. Due to the positive feedback I received afterward, I have been given the responsibility of doubling the number of attendees for the event this year and leading an internal team to get the job done.

I am also attracted to this role because of the growth opportunities that [name of company] provides. The research that I’ve done on your company culture has shown me that there are ample opportunities for self-motivated individuals like me. A high level of organization and attention to detail are second nature to me, and I’m eager to apply these skills in new and challenging environments.

Example 2: Brand Copywriter

There are at least two less-than-obvious ways to improve your vocabulary (and by extension, your copywriting skills): studying for the GRE and becoming a crossword puzzle enthusiast. I’ve done both, but for this job application, I’d like to focus on the latter.

My grandmother was the best writer I’ve ever known. She wasn’t a professional writer, but her gift and love of writing was something we shared. It wasn’t until last year that I also took up her love of crossword puzzles and immediately saw how the two went hand in hand. Before long, I was solving Monday through Wednesday puzzles in the New York Times, needing to look up words less and less frequently as time passed. Soon, I was able to complete Thursday to Saturday, too. Throughout this process, I could feel my stock of quips, rejoinders and turns of phrase steadily growing. Eventually, I worked up the courage to attempt the Sunday puzzles.

It was this courage that was the real turning point for me. In my current agency, I was already known as a hard worker and creative spirit; my peer and manager evaluations had made this clear. But while I felt confident in my abilities, I had never seen myself as particularly daring. Considering new challenges and mastering each one along the way had given me a renewed sense of myself and clarity about my chosen profession.

I began a career as a copywriter because I was skilled at finding combinations of words to fit a thought or feeling. I’m continuing down that path because I’ve realized how I can shape and hone that skill to reach new heights. I’d like copywriting at [name of company] to be the next step in my journey.

What should a great cover letter say?

Salutation

Opening Paragraph (Introduction)

Body Paragraphs

The second paragraph of your cover letter should respond directly to the job description written by the hiring manager. Describe how your previous job experiences, skills, and abilities will help you meet the company’s needs. To make that easier, you should include exact words and phrases from the job descriptions in your cover letter.

Closing Paragraph

Your cover letter closing is the call-to-action portion of your cover letter. Inform the hiring manager that you’d love to go in for an interview. Provide your email address or other contact information and tell them that you’ll reach out in a week if you don’t hear back. Thank them for spending their time reading your cover letter.

1. General Cover Letter Example

The cover letter example

General cover letter example (text version)

I was excited to see your job listing for the Senior Digital Marketing position at Westward Strategies on Indeed.com. As a dynamic email marketing specialist with over two years of professional experience executing market research, analyzing consumer data, and running A/B tests to drive successful marketing campaigns, I’m confident that I would be a valuable asset to the team at Westward.

Your job listing mentions a need for someone who is experienced in email segmentation and campaign development, both of which are areas I have extensive experience in. I’m currently employed at Marketed Inc., where I’ve honed my skills by running numerous successful email marketing campaigns. While employed here, I’ve spearheaded a digital promotion campaign for the company’s new line of sandals that successfully raised our total online engagement by an impressive 13% over the course of six months, contributing substantially to the department’s annual goals.

I’m confident that my proven track record of excellent work ethic, unparalleled attention to detail, and high-performing email marketing campaigns will make me an immediate asset at Westward Strategies, and allow me to contribute to the team’s success.

I look forward to discussing the Senior Digital Marketing position and my qualifications with you in more detail. I’m available to talk at your convenience. I’ll be in touch next week to follow up and to make sure you’ve received my application.

Why this is a great example of a cover letter

Then the candidate lists specific responsibilities from the job description, and mentions her experience handling similar responsibilities. She even gives an example of how her efforts have benefited her current employer.

Finally, the candidate signs off by mentioning how she’ll reach out if she doesn’t hear back from the hiring manager. This call to action is a key part of a general cover letter, because it highlights the writer’s interest in the job, and willingness to go further than other candidates for the opportunity.

Sources:

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/how-to-write-a-cover-letter
https://hbr.org/2014/02/how-to-write-a-cover-letter
https://resumegenius.com/cover-letter-examples

How to Make a Life Plan in 6 Steps

A SMART goal pulls on a popular system in business management [3] . That’s because it ensures the goal you’ve set is both realistic and achievable. It can also be used as a reference to guide you through your action plan.

Sample Agile project plan in a kanban board view with columns for to do, in progress, and done

How to plan your day

“Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans..” While this saying holds a lot of truth, it is also true that a goal without a plan is just a wish. Without proper planning in place, the line between idea and strategy becomes unclear, blurring your map for the future. Yet when you plan your day out , set goals and track your progress, you know exactly where you stand as your work toward your goals.

Whether you’re seeking to tame an overwhelming workload, build a new habit or create more time for fun, understanding how to plan your day out is key to taking control and getting where you want to go. Here are the top eight ways to plan your day so you can improve your productivity and achieve your dreams.

How to plan your day out
1. Think ahead

Human beings have limited willpower. When you attempt to plan your day out in the morning, you deplete your supply of willpower first thing. Why do that to yourself, when you can just as easily plan your day out the night before? By giving yourself a heads up on what tomorrow will look like, you’re mentally prepared the moment you wake up – no need to waste time and energy when your day’s strategy is ready and waiting.

This doesn’t necessarily mean scheduling out every minute of your day. It also means using the power of routine to take some things off your plate. There’s a reason Steve Jobs and Barack Obama wore the same thing every day. These types of routines save your brain’s energy for what really matters – making tough decisions and focusing on your goals.

planning your day

2. Embrace rituals

routine

Your most powerful routine takes place in the morning. Embracing morning ritual s will provide the structure and discipline you need to learn how to plan your daily life . It also sets the mood for your day, shifting your mindset to one of positivity and productivity.

L ike any new habit, managing your schedule takes consistency to make it second-nature. Build new habits into your schedule so you’re reminded to follow through on them on a consistent basis. By making new habits ritualistic, you’re able to build patterns that align with your values and priorities.

3. Slow down

As helpful as technology can be, mastering how to plan your day is a great time to go analog. Before you turn on any technology, get out a piece of paper and write down what end results would make for a successful day. Next, write down the steps needed to get there.

From those steps, select the ones you can realistically get done in a day. By taking a few minutes’ break from the rush of digital information, you’re able to focus calmly on today’s plan of action. Make this a part of your morning routine to get your mind in the right place before you start your day.

computer

4. Find tools that work for you

using chunking to manage time

You don’t have to ignore technology entirely – time management apps and tools are essential for many people. To master how to plan your day out, elevate your focus with Tony Robbins’ best-selling custom life planner, the RPM Life Planner . Unlike the majority of time management systems, which focus solely on mapping out your to-do list, the RPM Life Planner takes a holistic approach.

You get all the tools you need to get organized and pursue what you truly want out of life right at your fingertips. You get an achievable blueprint for not only how to plan your day but also how to strategize and meet larger life goals. This approach saves you from the busywork of unfocused activity. You get real progress – forward movement toward your passions.

5. Use chunking

When you have too much on your plate, it’s almost impossible to focus on anything, much less on how to plan your day . Enter chunking , the time-management strategy at the center of the Rapid Planning Method (RPM planning). Rather than thinking of your time as a fleeting resource that’s either “spent” or “saved,” RPM planning guides you to prioritize the outcomes you really want in life, then target your time toward those goals.

By using the chunking technique, you’re able to set realistic and achievable goals with the resources you have without exhausting yourself. To practice chunking, group similar activities and information into bite-sized pieces. Chunking is one of the best ways to plan your day – you’ll notice everything from planning your work day to enjoying your days off becomes more natural.

How to make a life plan

Creating a life plan is one of the best things you can do to identify the things you most want in your life and develop the strategy to make them happen. Here are the steps to help you create a life plan:

1. Create a vision

Allow yourself to dream big. Imagine what an average day in your ideal life looks like. Imagine where you work, what kind of work you do and the income you earn. Imagine your relationships with friends and family. Maybe your ideal life means gaining new skills to find a more fulfilling job. Maybe it is honing your skills to increase your marketability and find a higher paying job. Maybe it’s working from home to spend more time with your family.

Imagine the kind of person you want to be and how you want others to perceive you. For example, you may want your colleagues to know that you are reliable in delivering your work. You may want your manager to respect you as someone punctual in meeting deadlines and accountable for your quality of work.

Think about the things you want to improve in your life. This can include different areas in life, such as finances, career or health. It may entail some weaknesses you want to overcome. Consider how you will measure your improvement and define success. Clearly define what success means to you.

2. Perform a self-assessment

To perform a thorough life assessment, you need to be honest with yourself and what you want. A life assessment includes considering factors like the roles you have in life, your satisfaction with different areas of your life and your various strengths and weaknesses. Reviewing your life from different perspectives allows you to develop a holistic evaluation. Practice self-reflection to clarify your roles and satisfaction in different areas of life. If you struggle with assessing your strengths and weaknesses, ask several people close to you who will give you an objective opinion.

Everyone fills different roles in life. Brainstorm a list of the different roles you play. Examples of roles include student, coworker, employee, manager, entrepreneur, volunteer, spouse, parent and sibling. In the next step, you’ll prioritize these roles and identify the values you want to bring to each one.

Consider different areas of your life such as career, finances, personal development, community, health, relationships and faith. Look at each area of your life and rank your satisfaction in that area on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being ‘needs a lot of work’ and 10 being ‘best’.

Identify your strengths and weaknesses. These can be either technical skills or soft skills. Understanding your strengths and weaknesses allows you to decide where to focus your energy—which weaknesses to improve or which strengths to highlight.

3. Prioritize your life

Review your list of roles and reorder them according to what is most important in your life. For example, your role as a parent or a manager may be more important to you than your role as an employee or student.

Also, prioritize the areas of your life to identify what is most important to you. For example, your health and family may be more important than your work or hobbies. When prioritizing areas of life, it’s also important to consider how different areas are related. For example, you may prioritize family over finances, but some financial goals are necessary to care for your family. Establishing that one is more important to you does not decrease the value of another; it simply indicates the areas you want to focus more attention on.

Prioritizing your roles and the areas you want to focus on will help you identify your values and non-negotiables when it comes to your career. For example, if your family is among your top priorities, you may prefer a career with a good work/life balance that requires little or no travel for an organization that is close to home and respects employees’ non-working hours.

4. Identify your values

Comparing how your life is now and what you want your life to be will help you identify your values. Allowing yourself to feel and analyze the difference clarifies your core values. The person you imagine yourself to be—with the life you imagine—lives by these values. They represent who you are as a person even if you’re still working to realize them.

When you identify your values and what is important in your life, they become a measuring tool for every decision. Decisions become much easier because you can clearly see what does and does not align with your values. For example, you might value work that is gratifying and serves your purpose more than you value the size of your paycheck. Understanding this helps you narrow your job search to opportunities that are more gratifying instead of any position with a higher salary.

5. Establish goals

Now that you have an idea about the life you want and what is important in your life, establish high-level goals for the person you want to be. These goals are the things you want to accomplish over several months or years. They may include things like achieving an executive-level management position or earning a specific annual salary within a certain timeframe. They may also include obtaining a job with income and the freedom to vacation with your family twice a year.

Schedule Your Tasks

Setting a deadline for your goal is a must; it prevents you from delaying the start of your action plan. The key, however, is to be realistic. It’s highly unlikely, for example, that you’ll lose 20 pounds within two weeks. It’s even less likely that you’ll keep it off.

What’s more, you should also assign tasks a start and end date for each action step you’ve created, as well as a timeline for when you’ll complete specific tasks. Adding them to your schedule ensures that you stay focused on these tasks when they need to happen, not letting anything else distract you.

Beware the temptation to double-book yourself—some activities truly can be combined, like a run while talking to a friend, but some can’t. Don’t trick yourself into thinking you can both write and catch up on Netflix simultaneously.

While you can use a paper calendar or planner, an online calendar may be a better option. You can use it to set due dates or reminders for when each step needs to be taken, and it can be shared with other people who need to be in the know (like your running buddy or your mentor).

References:

https://www.tonyrobbins.com/importance-time-management/how-to-plan-your-day/
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-make-a-life-plan
https://www.teamgantt.com/project-management-guide/how-to-plan-a-project
https://www.lifehack.org/844018/action-plan

Essay Writing: Transcending Barriers through Translation

Having a topic about translation may have some heads scratching. What does this even mean? Where do you start? How can you elaborate on a specific subject?

All these things might lead you to cram. But remember that understanding translation and culture can help you know your focus. You would want to avoid overlapping ideas as they can turn into a mess. You start to think, do you need help from a research paper writer?

Why It’s Okay to Hire a Research Paper Writer

There are better approaches to writing a paper on translation and we’re here to help you out. Below are some tips on how you can start writing a clear and concise essay or research paper.

Get the confusion out of the way and start constructing your paper the way that you want it to be.

The Essentials to Becoming a Good Research Paper Writer

When dealing with essays or research papers, make sure your readers understand your intention. State what you want to get from the paper and how you will be getting your answers.

This is important because your readers will want to know what they are reading. As a writer, you need to sound convincing. You also need to be knowledgeable about the topic you’re writing on.

  • Start Off with a Strong Introduction

Essay and research papers also have introductions. Many types of papers have their own formats. But what is most common is having an introduction, body, and conclusion. This can depend on the essay or research paper type that you’re following.

Make sure that you mention what translation is and what it means in general. You could also add your main argument or opinion on your introductory statement. This will carry your voice throughout the paper.

Readers will take cue based on your introduction. How you state your introductory statement will impact how readers approach your paper.

  • Explaining the Relation of Translation and Culture

This in-depth analysis of translation will fall into the body of the paper. This is where you discuss more what translation is. You can also mention how it carries around the text in different languages.

Tell readers about how translation acts as a vessel in carrying one culture to another. Once a piece goes under translation, it opens more doors for other people to understand it. Thus translation lets others understand the lives of other people.

Not everyone has the time and effort in learning new languages. This is why translations exist. The act of translating one language to another is also like exchanging culture.

  • Why Translation Is Far from Being Perfect

There is no exact translation from one language to another. This is why you can’t expect a translated work to be on point. The meaning has to go from one culture to another in order for it to go under local transformation.

The translation is also an engagement wherein people show respect to other cultures. It is also a way of showing appreciation of language and cultural differences. You can highlight these points in your paper. Look for the right data to support what you think is the intention of the translation.

You can also add that translation is a way to understand others. It is never a way to change the original language. Now all you need is an academic source to back up your argument.

Overwhelming but Not Impossible to Do

Essay and research papers will always pose a challenge. But with the help of the right references and authoritative sources, you can do it. You can always ask for help from a research paper writer when you want to have your drafts checked.

Having drafts and a structure for your paper is vital. This makes your paper more engaging and well-put. Drafting also helps distribute ideas to make readers interested in what you present.

Understanding Your Topic

Most students struggle with their topics because of a lack of understanding. Before you take on any topic, be sure that you have the right mind-set. Yes, you might be doing it for the grade, but you have to learn from it too.

Part of the reason why students are being tasked to write papers is for them to learn. Treat your essays or research as a learning curve both for your topic and for your writing.

Brainstorming and Research

Research isn’t complete without researching. Conduct preliminary research before writing. You can do this by browsing online for information. This is to gain a basic understanding of your topic.

Once you’ve gathered your initial sources, it’s time to brainstorm. This is where you get to choose an angle, a subject, or an argument to discuss.

This stage can both be fun and a bit of a challenge. Always think about your goal and target for your paper. If you have a deadline, then set times where you can write your essays or research well.

Remember that you are working with drafts. This means you need to have enough time to have your paper checked and rewritten. When you know that you’re done, you can submit your paper ahead of time.

 

How to Be Successful in the Translation World

The translation world is somewhat a different world and avenue from other worlds. It recognizes that people come from different parts of the world and that these people do not speak the same languages. For this reason, translation services come across as important services in communication as well as dissemination of information globally.

Given the continuous movement of people and goods at an exponential rate in the world, translation services are going nowhere.  In this sense, therefore, there is more business to be done in this field.

Master One Pair of Languages to Translate

Becoming successful in the translation world requires you to master one pair of languages that will form a baseline for your translation skills and efforts. This way, it is easier to scale and diversify to other pairs, as you have a base that you can rely on for lessons and skills on translation.

Further, when you master translation in one pair, it becomes easier to know where to go next, since you have tools of the trade, the expertise, and the knowledge allowing you to look for areas with greener pastures.

Set Clear Goals

Just like in any other endeavor, you need to set clear and elaborate goals. When you set goals, you work on them day in day out. In the process, you improve your skills and enhance your translation abilities. This is how you will break barriers and push forward.

The goals and objectives you set will depend on your capabilities as well as what you intend to achieve in the short term as well as the long run. Setting clear goals will make you have a purpose as far as your translation career goes, and will make you have something to look forward day in day out.

Coordinate with Other Translators

The upside and beauty of working with other translators is the fact that you get to learn from them and their expertise. Some translators have been in the field for quite some time, and spending some time with them can prove helpful and resourceful.

This is so because these people could have tips that you could not be aware of that could help to bolster your translation skills and advance your career as well. Further, coordinating with other translators also opens up opportunities for more work and more industry linkages. You can also share industry information like translation prices, terms and conditions of work, among other vital information.

Keep Learning

No form of blowback or disappointment will come your way as a result of increasing your stock of knowledge when you learn. Learning helps to refine your skills. Further, when you keep learning, you get to know new information that you did not know before that could help improve your translation skills.

Just like in other fields, people have advanced and become better at what they do due to continuous learning. The case is the same, even for the translation business. You have to keep learning if you aim to achieve new heights.

Maintain Good Relationships with Clients

You cannot have a successful translation career if you do not treat your clients with decorum. You need to ensure that you treat your clients well and meet their needs whenever they task you. The upside of working according to the demands and clients’ requirements is that there is a potential to get more work through leads and references.

Just like workmates maintain healthy and warm relationships, in the same vein, you need to maintain healthy and beneficial relationships with your clients to ensure that you do not lose them to other translation services.

In summary, a successful translation career is not a result of a consistent action but rather a result of consistent efforts that allow you to progress individually, meet your goals, improve your skill, and bag new business. These actions will help you to stay in the game the longest, and in the process, cement your reputation and allow you to meet your goals and objectives.

Write My Paper for Me Super-Fast

Are you looking forward to completing your first college assignment fast? If so, then you need to consult an expert to write your paper for you. Remember, the professionals provide value for cash by producing articles super fast.

Additionally, the gurus meet all the quality checks as required by the institutions of higher learning. But what tricks do these agencies use, tips you can use to your advantage? Read on to better your understanding. The best consultants

  • Help write my paper for me Super-Fast by Finding the Right Topic

Top-rated content mills develop the topic first before putting pen to paper. But headline development takes a lot of time and energy. You must, therefore, jot down the few titles that come to mind and pick the best on the list.

Alternatively, you can work with friends and family to get the job done. Anyhow, make sure the storyline you choose is vivid and exciting enough to read. After all, you would not want to bore the reader to death.

  • Develop an Outline

You need to submit a highly organized piece in the end. But that starts with the outline you choose. A superb format has a catchy introduction, body, and mouthwatering conclusion.

And there is more. You must also break the body into smaller consumable segments when you write my paper to promote comprehension. Above all, you should include bulleted lists to make your work presentable.

  • Brainstorm Before Writing

Writing an essay requires a lot of time and dedication. And that is why the people you hire to write my paper for me use a significant of time brainstorming a topic. They then spend the rest of the time researching and gathering information before putting pen to paper.

  • Do write my paper for me Like Their Lives Are On the Line

The best consultants in the business handle bulk orders fast because they commit to the task. Recall, the gurus work in secluded spaces to boost productivity. They even avoid phones and other devices that connect them with the world to avoid getting distracted.

In short, the best writers in the world dedicate everything to success, your success. Above all, they spare their most productive hours to writing. You must, therefore, follow suit for you to produce killer content.

  • Edit The Report Before Submission

What happens when you hire a writing agency? One, the experts build an idea from scratch and detail it out into a well-researched report. But there is more.

The professionals also refine the work into a pulp. They do so to make the content ready for public consumption. And fortunately, they have all the latest tools to get the job done.

In brief, the people you hire to write my paper for me are not after money. Instead, they concentrate on value addition. You must, therefore, use their tricks to your advantage to make your content rank better.

Conclusion

College students cannot escape from writing term papers, essays, theses, or dissertations. After all, the education system got built for them. And since they want to produce output that converts, they turn to content mills for help.

Is that a bad thing? Hell no. In actuality, working with industry experts helps. Students even pick up a few tricks along the way, tips they use to boost their test scores.

You must, therefore, use the hacks listed above. They will help your work rank better and sound better. More so, you will be able to convince the examiner that you are qualified to advance to the next level. So stop sitting on your back and get the job done!

Tools and Tips that You Need to Know about Songwriting Localization

Do you love to write songs? When was the last time you wrote a really good song that was loved by almost everyone? Would you like to learn some tips that would make you a better songwriter?

When you type “songwriting tips” on Google, you’ll probably get thousands of results in less than 2 seconds. But, you know what? Most of them may not work.

Not to scare you, far from it! Songwriting can be fun, but sometimes, it can be really challenging. There are times you stay up all night wondering when you’re ever going to write something that won’t end up in the trash can.

But you shouldn’t be discouraged; you’re not alone, even world-class songwriters and artists go through what is known as ‘writer’s block’ at some point.

It doesn’t matter the genre of songs you intend to write. It may be R&B, rock, jazz, or maybe you’re looking to write a song that is more particular or localized to your community. This guide will be of great help to you.

Now let us take a look at some great tools you can use to make sure you’re not stuck on your songwriting journey.

1. Melody Miner

With this amazing tool, you can transform a simple melody into a full song in a few seconds. All you need to do is to sing a simple melody into this great tool, and it will bring out a lot of variations of songs with different tempos, chords, and style. You can always tweak the style to your desires, and you can also try out other melodies. Melody miner is very easy to use.

2. 4 Chord Songs (Windows)

This is a really wonderful tool, even though it’s been around for a while, it is still very much relevant for songwriting, and it’s very easy to use. To use this tool, just select a progression of 4 chords, then choose a genre or style of music you desire (there are over 50 styles available), and then hit the play button. 4 Chord Songs will start playing music with full instruments based on the initial chord progressions you chose.

3. Road writer (Android)

If you desire to maintain your creative edge on the go, then you need to get in on this premier songwriting app. Roadwriter is an android app that you can easily install on your mobile phone; you’ll get access to some wonderful features that can make the songwriting process easier for you. It has a tool that can help you fine-tune your lyrics, and it also has a music playback tool for your writing inspiration.

4. Songwriter 101 (Website)

If you are looking for a songwriting website that can help you on your journey, then check out Songwriter101. You’ll learn a ton of things related to songwriting.

5. Rhyme Zone

Rhyme Zone is a music dictionary where you can find words that are similar. You’ll find antonyms and synonyms as well as words and phrases that have similar sounds, similar syllable count, and similar rhyme pattern.  It’s perfect for re-writing a lyric or finding that perfect alternative word to complete your lyrics.

This thing will be especially useful if you want your lyrics to sound over the music with a very clear rhythm, for example, created using a drum set. Thus, the words and beating of the drums will sound even clearer and create the perfect unison.

6. Hum

Hum is an Android app that you can use to take notes and melodies that you do not want to forget. You can use Hum to record your lyrics as well as any melody or tune associated with it.

Now you know some amazing tools you can use to ensure that you do not get stuck on your way. Let us take a look at some tips you can use to ensure that your next song is memorable.

1. Start Simple & Develop it

It is easier to build on your songs if they started as a simple idea or melody. Most complex song you hear today started from just a simple tune. When you make things complicated from the beginning, it becomes very difficult to build, and you might get lost in the process. The idea is to have the foundation of your song in its simplest form.

2. Take Breaks

Sometimes your mind gets a bit clouded and shields the inspiration from flowing; that may be a good time for you to take a short break. The break will help ease your mind from the mental pressure, and your inspiration and ideas will begin to flow again. You shouldn’t write your songs in a hurry, it might take two hours, or two months, at the end of the day, the most important thing is the quality of your final product.

3. Don’t Overthink It

Most times, artists and songwriters are their own worst critics. You might think it’s a good thing to be critical of your work, but the truth is, if you’re too hard on yourself and too critical, you might not get things done. Just keep an open mind and allow things to flow naturally, stop worrying, or overthinking the whole process; it’s not rocket science. You can always go back and tweak the song as you desire.

4. Record Any Inspiration On The Spot

Are there times when you had this beautiful melody in your mind only to completely forget it two hours later? Trust me, for a songwriter; there is nothing worse than that. Luckily, we’ve discussed a lot of tools and mobile apps you can use to record any inspiration, melody, or lyric on the fly. You’ll feel much better, and you’ll be glad you had something to remind you of that spur of the moment idea or melody.

5. Write From Experience

We all have experiences in life, be it good or bad. You can use your experience to create great and memorable songs. Some of the best songs today are songs written from personal experiences of people in our society. You can write songs about happenings in your locality, and with the help of online localization platforms, you can get your songs translated into your local language.

6. Collaborate With Other Musicians

Just like I said earlier in this post, even the best artists and songwriters suffer from writer’s block. When this happens, it might be a good time to collaborate with other musicians so you can get a new perspective on your song and break new grounds. Let them see what you’ve done so far, and listen to any idea that they may have.

7. Ask For Feedback

Getting a second eye to critique your work might be a great idea. You might not realize the flaws because you’ve spent so much time creating and tweaking your song. Look for someone who would give you an honest opinion even if that opinion would hurt you. Do not look for a ‘yes man’ who is afraid to hurt your feelings.

8. Don’t Be Afraid To Fail

You need a lot of positive energy to write great songs, so don’t be afraid that your songs may not come out so great. Use each setback as a stepping stone and build on your failures.

In Closing

I understand that writing songs can be tough; however, if you are able to apply some of the ideas in this post, you might be able to break free from the slump and kick start your inspiration.

Fortunately, there are great songwriting tools you can use to give yourself a fresh perspective every time and keep your ideas flowing. It’s time you start thinking outside the box and get a hold of these tools, so you do not sink into a writer’s slump.

And if you have already recorded your song(s), then check out this site so you can start earning royalties from your songs.

 

4 Questions to Ask Translators before Hiring Them

If you’re in need of a translator for your business, you should probably take the time you need to make sure that you are hiring the best professional for the job. There are many things that you should take into consideration before taking the final decision and actually hiring the person, but if you’re new in this you might not know what you should look out for.

When you are interviewing a potential employee for a translation position, there are some things that you can ask them which will help you decide if they are the right choice for your company. Here are a few questions you should always ask a translator before hiring them.

  1. What is your native language?

While this might be one of the things that many people consider something that is essential for every translator, you won’t easily find translators who are native in more than one language. This happens because many professional translators have learnt their second language either while they were in school or during their university years.

The ones who are native are less likely to seek independent work and usually prefer to join various translation companies as they believe that without a degree, their skills will be put to better use there. In any case, it would still be best for you to work with a bilingual native speaker as they will be able to translate all the native phrases and words in order for them to make perfect sense to the native speakers.

  1. What language do you think in?

While a translator might be perfectly fluent in one language, they will definitely have a mother language in which they will be most likely be thinking in. While that is perfectly normal and understandable, this might not benefit your blog or your creative articles in the long run.

A person who thinks in their mother tongue will find it a lot more difficult to stick to translating native words and phrases accurately and they might make simple mistakes which will be noticeable by the natives. It would be best if your translator thinks in the language they are trying to translate in as they will make the least amount of mistakes.

  1. Have you worked in this industry before?

If your company is running a blog for a particular niche and you wish to find a translator who will be able to keep up with difficult types of texts and technical terms such as medical terms and vocabulary, you should probably not forget to check if your potential employee has worked in this field before.

Even though the translator might be an experienced one, you should make sure that they have experience in your particular field as this will not only help them produce good quality translations but they will also be able to get the job done a lot quicker and more efficiently.

  1. Would you be able to start working right away?

This is a question that can truly help you see in a translator is actually experienced and knows what he’s doing. The only answer you should be expecting at this point is for them to want to take a look at the proposed text and let you know.

A translator who is experienced will know that there are quite a few things to take into consideration before accepting a job, like the complexity of the text and the amount of technical terms in it. You would be better off working with a person who knows what they should look into before accepting a job.

Finding the right professional for your business

Hiring a translator can be difficult if you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for. If your business is still new and you’re still experimenting with promoting your content to other markets abroad, you won’t have to be looking for strict professionals and you could definitely start working with a translator with a lower rate who probably has less experience.

The more expanded your business is and the more difficult the niche, you will have to keep in mind that working with a professional translator will not only help you make the content that you translate more appealing to the local markets, but you will also be able to keep your content looking professional, free of simple mistakes and as appealing to your customers as possible. The questions mentioned in this article will help you get a better sense of the person you are intending to hire and help you make that final decision.

The file to be translated

  • Send the final version of a text

Make every effort to ensure that the text you send for translation is the final, revised version. If that’s not possible, the least you can do is to highlight any last-minute changes or make them visible by using a word processor tool that tracks changes made. Expect to be charged accordingly and, depending on how much of the text has been altered, to renegotiate the deadline.

What you definitely should avoid is an endless back-and-forth of emails with various versions of the same text, especially after the translator has started his/her job—this is the perfect recipe for wasting time and, most likely, wasting money.

  • Send editable files

Translators translate. Simple, right? Yet, some people think they can send a translator an image and have it back with everything exactly the same, except for the language. Well, it’s totally feasible, but this is another service your translator can offer you—and not all translators do. Some of us love desktop publishing and have a great time formatting texts, making charts, preparing tables, creating images… whereas others aren’t very good at it, don’t like it, or simply think it’s not worth the time it takes them. They’d rather focus on what they do best: translations.

Most translators will ask you for an editable file. That said, editable PDFs are OK but not ideal. Sometimes it’s also possible to copy the content from a given file and paste it into a word-processor file, but some of the formatting might be lost. This happens especially when the document has other than plain text.

The best file format can not only be edited, but is also supported by the computer-assisted translation tools (CAT tools) that your service provider uses. Now a brief parenthesis is crucial here: CAT tools and, more specifically, translation memory software, are NOT the same as machine translation tools (more on these two subjects in the future). In a nutshell, a translation memory is a file that stores the sentences/segments translated by the user. So if your translator comes across the same or similar content, the software offers a prompt of whatever s/he has written in previous texts, helping to maintain consistency. One of the advantages of such tools is that the formatting is usually left untouched.

In cases when you don’t have an editable file, reactions will vary from translator to translator. You might be asked to send the material to a professional who can transform it into an editable text before the translator does his/her job. The translator might choose to type the translated text into a word-processor file, and you’ll be responsible for the final formatting. Alternatively, the translator might offer to do the formatting for you (and charge accordingly) or refer you to a colleague who can do this task.

The perfect way to end this part of the discussion is by using an excerpt from the January 2007 section “Business Smarts” of the ATA Chronicle (a journal of the American Translators Association), entitled “Working with PDFs”:

“Some colleagues have established a fixed surcharge for working from hardcopy and PDF documents to compensate for the extra formatting requirements and the difficulty of using computer-assisted translation tools. In many cases, even direct clients will provide an editable copy of documents […] if they are informed that translating a PDF document takes longer and therefore costs more.”

As this article shows, it’s also a matter of reducing the margin for error:

“They [translation buyers] may also be pleased to learn that a translator working from native word-processor files can offer better quality and accuracy, since elements such as tables and lists do not need to be laboriously (and possibly inaccurately) re-typed.”

It should be clear by now that collaborating with your translator is not only about making his/her life easier. Most importantly, it’s about doing what you can to get the best possible end product.

On a lighter note…

By Alejandro Moreno-Ramos

Resources and planning

There’s no doubt that the most interested party in the success of a translation should be the client. However, there are a number of ways in which you might fail to help improve the translation process for lack of information about it. Or, even worse, you might interfere negatively in the outcome.

 

With this in mind, I’ve listed some measures that ideally should be taken by whoever is involved in a translation project, and not only by those specifically assigned as project managers. I emphasized “ideally” because I understand that real-life situations sometimes get out of hand. Let’s just say the following recommendations are the ultimate best-case scenario, in which everybody wins.

There are still many other tips to come, but I hope the few suggestions below are a good starting point.

  • Plan ahead

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of planning ahead and giving translators the time they need to achieve excellence. If you’ve been working with the same translator for a while, you should have an idea of how much time s/he needs to accomplish a given task. Nevertheless, productivity varies from person to person, from text to text, even from day to day. Also, keep in mind that various “obstacles” might get in your translator’s way at any given time: s/he might be booked for another project and juggling with two or more texts, instead of offering you full-time dedication; the content of your text might differ from what s/he is used to, making the translation take longer; s/he might be busy with personal issues or even planning to go on vacation… and so on and so forth.

What I recommend is talking to your translator about upcoming projects as soon as you know about them. If your company deals with routine translation projects, for instance, there’s no reason for not giving timely notices. Of course you can’t effectively book someone until you know more details such as dates, length of the text, contents, etc. An organized translator will be grateful to know something’s around the corner, and will possibly bear it in mind when working on his/her own schedule.

On your end, make sure everyone involved in the production of the original text observes the time frame. The deadlines should consider the translator’s work and a final reading of the translated text by your team. Be careful, though: having your staff “edit” the translation is a double-edged sword and should be done very carefully and responsibly (I’ll come back to this issue in a future post).

Tight turn-around times are usually accompanied by rush fees, and these are expenses you want to avoid. On top of that, keep in mind that hectic schedules might also affect the quality of the final text—this topic will be discussed in more detail soon.

  • Provide reference materials

When talking about ways to avoid mistakes in technical texts, Chris Durban suggests that you “use in-house subject-matter specialists to provide vocabulary and background materials up front.” This advice certainly applies to all types of texts and media. It’s important to make available to translators any sort of material that is somehow related to the text to be translated.

If you have relevant bilingual documents such as previously translated content, don’t even hesitate! Other useful materials include glossaries (monolingual or bilingual), lists of preferred terms, style sheets, lists of acronyms and their meanings written out, etc. Experienced translators are usually trained to spot pertinent terms, expressions, phrases, and other elements of style that are present even in monolingual texts. So go ahead and send out that 2002 report in English, even though you cannot find its Spanish translation. Likewise, any type of relevant text in the target language (i.e. language into which a text is translated) will be highly appreciated.

These supporting materials will help maintain consistency among your company’s texts and assist your translator in providing high-quality services. They might even shorten the turn-around time.

As you can see, we all benefit from these measures. You increase your chances of getting an impeccable final text, and translators appreciate this support and consideration that help them meet their client’s needs faster and more efficiently.