What exactly is a writing sample a job requests to submit witha resume??

Parents Forum
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<p>Hi, I am currently high school sophmore, and am applying for my first job (which I guess is a bit upper level, but I am going to try anyways). Along with a resume and cover letter addressing why I am interested in a job, it also asks for a writing sample. </p>

<p>Is this writing sample any random writing sample or is it a particular one relating to the job? </p>

<p>I am sorry if this question seems a little wierd, but I am not aware of how this process works. Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated!!!! </p>

<p>Thanks in advance :)</p>

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<p>I have requested writing samples from prospective employees and what I looked for is something similar to what would be needed for the job. So it depends what you are applying for. If it is not clear what writing is needed for the job, a well structured research paper is good, not too long.</p>

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<p>I'd suggest you think about what kind of writing or talking you might do while in that position. You could pick something you've already written, on most any topic, perhaps for a school assignment that you did on your own time. It should show that you can write clear sentences with correct grammar, spelling and punctuation. It should ideally have more than one paragraph, and make a point or come to some conclusion. If you happen to have an essay or report for a History or English class, that is fine. If it has the teacher's grade, B or higher, on the top, even better. </p>

<p>Later when you get towards college applications, you'll see they sometimes ask for graded work, so this is one way to handle this request. Choose a paper of 1-3 pages you've already written, as long as the teacher gave it a grade of B or better. You can even hand over the teacher-graded work (or a xerox copy since you likely won't ever see it again, if you care). If, however, the teacher-graded paper is riddled through with corrections every 2 or 3 lines, don't use it because they'll focus on how many times you had to be corrected. A few rare corrections or teacher suggestions in the margins are fine, as long as the comments are mostly very positive. </p>

<p>A different approach: write a sample business letter. Just make it up. Imagine you are writing to a company whose product you purchased, explain something that is improper or broken, and politely ask for it to be replaced.
This shows you can communicate well for memos, letters, phone conversations and so on that the company might have you perform.</p>

<p>If you are more comfortable, just write a news story about a ball game that you saw on TV, as a sportswriter would.</p>

<p>Don't submit poetry, creative writing, or a fantasy sci-fi story unless you happen to be working for a magazine that publishes such material.</p>

<p>In other words, go for non-fiction and a business type communication. Pick a topic where you are very comfortable and familiar (sports, computers, animals, tools..whatever you know) and write AS IF you are buying, selling, returning, or inquiring about a product. It can be a one-page letter with 3 paragraphs, including the usual formats for writing a business letter (salutation, signature, etc.) </p>

<p>Absolutely don't use any text message abbreviations anywhere.</p>

<p>Best wishes.</p>

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<p>I agree with P3T. When I collected writing samples from students, I was happy with almost any 1-3 page paper written for school. The purpose of the writing sample was to check the applicant's ability to write clearly and concisely, without spelling and grammar errors. The content did not need to relate to the job, but I preferred not see a paper with politically sensitive or shocking content. Probably 10% of new hires seemed to use this approach, probably in a misguided attempt to get noticed. I also preferred a paper from an economics or history class over a creative writing submission for an English class. I was looking for the ability to write straightforward sentences, using simple easy to understand vocabulary.</p>

<p>Because the field I was hiring for required the ability to write publishable reports on a weekly basis, we sometimes asked job applicants to write a brief paragraph while in the interview. Just like essays for college, writing samples unfortunately often turned out to not be a reliable indicator of the applicant's ability to write under pressure. (Sadly, a degree in English from a well respected liberal arts college also was no guaranty that the applicant possessed the kind of writing skills we needed. Some people could write three pages of dribble with nary a point in sight.)</p>

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<p>I'm thinking an employer of a h.s. sophomore is interesting in knowing if potential employees can put together cohesive sentences that convey cohesive thoughts, with some command of the language. Obviously spelling/grammatical errors would be frowned upon. Doubt if they want much detail. Might be a good idea to ask if they have specific writing requirements. Good luck!</p>

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<p>I'm a writer, so I get asked for writing samples all the time. </p>

<p>If you don't already have a paper written for a class (something analytical rather than creative), then write 3-5 paragraphs that are clear and direct. In other words, about one page. Most people are not going to read long papers, they are looking to confirm that your spelling and grammar are fine, and that you are not totally incoherent.</p>

<p>Topic should be non-controversial, and something you comfortable writing about. Think professional! </p>

<p>And don't be afraid to ask someone to proofread it for you. Even though I'm a professional writer, I still find it very helpful to have others proofread my work. Mistakes do creep in, and someone else can help you find them.</p>