Required Reading:
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
“Argument” Chapter; College Writing Skills by John Langan
They Say I Say
____________________________________________________________
In this essay, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following Student Learning Outcomes:
Annotate and summarize a multi-page nonfiction text, as well as paraphrase excerpts from that text.
Engage in a process of writing that includes brainstorming, drafting, incorporating feedback, editing, and proofreading
Produce multi-page essays in response to a single text using analysis, comparison/contrast, interpretation and/or argument
Write using complex sentence structure without a pattern of errors
A cover letter is a letter that job seekers send or post along with their resumes to introduce themselves to prospective employers. While the resume lists work and educational experience, the cover letter can often be even more important to hiring decision-makers than the resume. Your letter tells the employer who you are, how you think, how well you communicate your ideas, what is important to you, and why they should consider you as a worthy candidate for the job. It is persuasive writing at its best.
Your Assignment :
Look on one of the many online job-finding websites (or on a corporate job opening page) and select a job posting that interests you. This job posting could be for a position you could apply for right now OR for a position you might be interested in once you graduate from CCP or your next institution of higher learning.
Take a screenshot of this job posting! You will need to annotate it and submit it.
Here are a few well-known job search websites, but you may also use the job opening page of a specific company:
https://www.indeed.com/Links to an external site.
https://www.pacareerlink.pa.gov/jponline/JobSeeker/SearchJobsLinks to an external site.
https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Links to an external site.
https://www.careerbuilder.com/Links to an external site.
Go to the company’s website and find the company’s “About Us” statement and their “Mission Statement”. Screenshot both of these pages. Annotate these pages and submit them with this assignment. Look for the things that impress you most about the company. Look for the ways that their mission matches your own. If they say anything you don’t understand or use any vocabulary that is new to you, LOOK IT UP and write it down. (NOTE: You have already found a corporate mission statement for your Journal assignment. You can use the same statement if you have also found a job posting in your field.) You should also search the website to find out about the company’s history and do a quick Google News search to see if there is any recent and relevant information that might inform your assignment.
About the Annotations: You will be submitting the annotated job listing, mission statement, and “About Us” or history page. ( If you cannot find any one of these on the corporate website, you may substitute it for a news article about the company. The goal is to show that you have researched the company and understand what it does, what it wants to do, the principles by which it operates, and what it needs. Remember, a big part of being persuasive is understanding the entity you are attempting to persuade. LEARN WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY NEED SO YOU CAN GIVE IT TO THEM IN YOUR LETTER.
Some ideas for annotating & submitting the website pages:
Use any app on your device, or download a free one, that allows you to annotate legibly onto a photo or document. Save your annotated photo as a document or screenshot it. Upload it along with your letter.
Copy all of the words on the relevant site pages and paste them onto a Word document. Use the MS Word Comments or Annotation features. ( IF you choose to annotate on a separate document like this, you must still include the photo in your submission.) Upload these along with your letter.
Screenshot the relevant pages and print them out. (If you do not have a printer at home, you can print on campus for free). This way, you can use pens and highlighters (which is easier and probably more effective). Then, take a photo of your annotated pages and upload them along with your letter.
ONLY WORD DOCS, PDFs, AND JPEG FILES WILL BE ACCEPTED.
DO WHAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU!!! YOU MUST INCLUDE THESE ANNOTATED PAGES WITH YOUR ESSAY. YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE ANY CREDIT WITHOUT THEM.
Based on the information you find, write a four-paragraph cover letter PERSUADING this company to hire you, to interview you, OR to give you an internship. ( Choose only one. It is important to decide what you are asking for before you start writing.) Use a professional letter format: typed 12 pt Times New Roman or Calibri font, double-spaced. (NOTE: In real life, most hiring professionals prefer a one-page, single-spaced cover letter; however, since you MUST double space for your assignment, your letter will take up two pages.)
DO NOT WRITE LESS THAN 4 PARAGRAPHS. DO NOT WRITE MORE THAN FIVE.
COVER LETTER ASSIGNMENT
SPECIFIC DIRECTIONS
Find out the name and title/position of the person in charge of hiring for this job, or the name of the supervisor over this position, and write to that person directly. (NOTE: Use the hiring supervisor’s full name in the heading and their last name ONLY in the greeting. NEVER assume it is acceptable to address a hiring manager or supervisor by their first name. People are much more likely to be interested in letters that are addressed to them directly. If this information is not publicly available, you may use “To Whom It May Concern”. )
In the first paragraph, tell them who you are and what you want. (NOTE: This is your thesis statement!! The whole point of this letter is to let them know that you want to be considered for an interview, a job, an internship, etc.) Use your research and knowledge of the company to explain why you are interested in working there.
In the second paragraph, tell them about your education, skills, and work or volunteer experience. BE specific.
Don’t just say: “I attended college.” Instead, say: ” I graduated from the Community College of Philadelphia with a BS in Nursing.”
Don’t just say: “I have experience with web design.” Instead, say: “I have designed several e-commerce websites for small businesses and community service organizations such as Amberrad.com and Yousurebro.com, all of which include a live client service/ interface. and are optimized for search engines and use on mobile devices.”
(NOTE: Since this assignment gives you the option to write to a company that you might want to work for in the future, AFTER you graduate, you can detail your education and experience AS IF you already have it FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT ONLY. These details might be fictional right now, but they will be your truth soon enough. In a real-life cover letter, NEVER LIE about your education or work experience!! One lie about who you are could cost you this job and many others, as word of dishonesty always travels fast and far. It is better to tell the truth about your experience and use a persuasive strategy (like making a concession) to show why you are still a great candidate for the job.
In the third paragraph, tell them why YOU are the best candidate for THIS job. Here, discuss how the company’s mission, goals, and needs match who you are (both personally and professionally), and what you have to offer them.
In the fourth paragraph, write a closing paragraph that sums it all up. Restate your thesis in a different way. Be sure to include an emotional component. Facts and figures don’t win fights. You want your reader to FEEL something. (NOTE: Pity is not a compelling argument for employment. Don’t try telling them that you need the money for your sick puppy or seventeen adopted children. Everybody needs money. Try to connect with what is important to your reader. You will know what is important to them by their mission and “About Us” statements.)
End your letter with a professional sign-off.
YOUR JOB IS TO PERSUADE THEM THAT YOU ARE A GREAT CANDIDATE FOR THE JOB AND TO BRING YOU IN FOR AN INTERVIEW. However, hiring professionals and managers do not want to read long letters, so be polite and informative but also be direct and concise.
Introduce yourself and tell them why you are writing
Tell them why THEY are great
Tell them why YOU are great
Tell them why you would be great TOGETHER
Summarize your main points
Sign Off
Below are some basic cover letter sentence-starter ideas. HOWEVER, you will use your new skills of persuasion to create a cover letter that is BETTER THAN BASIC, and one that stands out above the rest. If you do this properly, it will be a format that you can use in real-life job seeking.
UPLOAD YOUR ANNOTATION PHOTOS ALONG WITH YOUR FINAL POLISHED COPY.
An Important Note about Chat GPT and Others:
It may be tempting to use an Artificial Intelligence site to write your cover letter. Don’t do it! Most writing done by AI is grammatically sound, but it is also boring, impersonal, and lazy. Not to mention, the quotes are unrelated and cited incorrectly, and the examples are fictional and generic. Most teachers can detect AI written material. As for employers, they will only notice that your letter is “well organized but nothing special”. This is NOT a good first impression.
If you would like help from the robots, use a grammar checker site like Grammarly to help with corrections AFTER you have written the letter in your own words. Your annotated pages, along with the detailed directions here, will make it difficult for an AI site to complete this assignment correctly, but YOU can do it easily.
BELOW ARE SOME HELPFUL SENTENCE STARTERS IN CASE YOU GET STUCK!! These are just ideas. Make them your own.
Cover Letter Sentence Starters
Sometimes, it can be difficult to know how to begin. Below are some sentence-starter suggestions to help get you started if you need a hand. USE THESE SENTENCE STARTER SUGGESTIONS SPARINGLY AND MAKE THEM YOUR OWN. Put these suggestions into your own words and complete them with your own ideas and experiences. ( These are separate sentence starter ideas that are not meant to be used together to make paragraphs. DO NOT USE THIS AS A TEMPLATE FOR YOUR LETTER!)
INTRODUCTION
It is with great interest that I am applying for the position of______.
As a recent graduate of ________ with a degree in _______ I believe I am ____________________
The (mission; history; work) of NAME OF ORGANIZATION align with my ____________________
I am eager to apply for the position of ________ because ________________________
NAME OF ORGANIZATION impresses me because its ______________________________
BODY
My experience as a ______ will help me to contribute _______.
Throughout my _________ years of undergraduate studies, I have demonstrated _____________.
I can contribute to your organization’s effectiveness by __________.
My previous success in _______ has proven my ability to ________.
To highlight some of my accomplishments, I have _________.
I have strong skills in ________________________
While I do not have the preferred __________, I do have____________________.
In my time away from the traditional workforce, I (learned, built, started, traveled, etc.) _____________.
In this position, I was responsible for___________________________
Working with _______ has strengthened and improved my_________________________ skills.
I am confident that I can be a valuable asset to your organization because _________.
CLOSING
I am eager to learn more about _____ and would like to discuss my qualifications and interests with you.
I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss _______
I feel that my ______ and ______ make me a strong candidate for this ___________________
It is my hope that ________________
My personal mission is. _____________________
My career goal is to ______.
I welcome the opportunity to ________________.
The ______ position described in _____ sounds exactly like the opportunity I’m looking for.
A BUNCH OF WAYS TO SAY “I DID THAT” ON YOUR COVER LETTER
Administered
Built
Chaired
Coordinated
Created
Developed
Devised
Founded
Established
Executed
Formalized
Formulated
Headed
Handled
Implemented
Initiated
Introduced
Led
Managed
Oversaw
Organized
Planned
Pioneered
Spearheaded
Achieved
Analyzed
Learned
Applied
Synthesized
Supervised
Provided
Built
Created
Designed
Drafted
Facilitated
Generated
Implemented
Launched
Planned
Programmed
Taught
Organized
Researched
Solved
Wrote
Compiled
Completed
(and the job is dental hygiene)
