Using Writing to Get—and Keep—That Job
The following webtexts from Writing Commons are designed to help students use their writing skills to help them find–and get–that perfect internship or job.
Don’t forget Drew’s Career Center, which can provide f2f support, and consider taking the class “Blogs, Tweets, and Social Media,” which is designed to help students develop and manage an powerful social profile!
PREPARING JOB MATERIALS: READING JOB ADS
Megan McIntyre (University of South Florida) and Cassandra Branham, (University of Central Florida) discuss strategies for using reading and writing skills to help you create and improve your job materials. This chapter endeavors to help you set yourself apart – in a positive way – by improving the one part of the job search you can control: your application materials. By connecting information gleaned from job ads and corporate websites to experience you already have, you can position yourself as uniquely qualified for the position you want.
Megan McIntyre (University of South Florida) and Cassandra Branham, (University of Central Florida) discuss ways to write your cover letter to humanize yourself to your reader and provide a sense of who you are and why you’re uniquely qualified for a particular position. While the resume is designed to provide an overview of your relevant skills and qualifications, the cover letter is your opportunity to discuss relevant experiences, connect those experience to qualities and qualifications from the job ad, and to display your personality to your reader.
TAKING CONTROL: MANAGING YOUR ONLINE IDENTITY FOR THE JOB SEARCH
In this web text, Daniel Ruefman (University of Wisconsin-Stout) explains how individuals—especially those on the job market—can carefully explore and reflect on their online ethos; he then provides specific strategies for redesigning one’s online representation through the process of revising social media and personal webpages and influencing which pages search engines display first.
Also of Interest:
AUDIENCE ANALYSIS: PRIMARY, SECONDARY, AND HIDDEN AUDIENCES
A crucial part of achieving a purpose when writing technical documents is to consider the needs and level of knowledge or expertise of your audience. Inaccurately making assumptions regarding audience creates failure in all writing, but may be most crucial in Technical Writing. To successfully craft complex or highly technical messages, it is essential to take the time to analyze the needs and knowledge base of your audience.
EFFECTIVE BUSINESS WRITING
This chapter addresses the written word in a business context. We will also briefly consider the symbols, design, font, timing, and related nonverbal expressions you make when composing a page or document. Our discussions will focus on effective communication of thoughts and ideas through writing that is clear, concise, and efficient.