Send me an email and a Gantt chart . Do that before you go on with this lesson. You were also to make an entry on 320web.blogspot about chapters 1&2 of Lambrecht's book.
In this lesson I want to introduce you to the first major project for the course, the applying for a job packet. Then I want to spend more time focusing on correspondence. As you read the assignments out of The Handbook for Technical Writing, you probably noticed that some words in the text are underlined. These underlines are like hypertext links: they indicate that there is an entry in the book with that title. Therefore, the book invites you to jump to various entries that are not actually assigned. I would encourage you to explore some of those entries.
The applying for the job packet, which is due 4.2, consists of
(1) a copy
of the job announcement you are responding to
(2) an informal memo report
a.) analyzing the job description and duties of that position,
b.) analyzing
thecompany being applied to, and
c.) analyzing your own strengths,
and
(3) letter of application
and resume
We will look at letters and resumes in a later lesson, but you need to do some research so that you can write the informal report.
To be effective in your job searches, you need to know the responsibilities of the job you are applying for, something about the company or, if possible, the work team you are applying to be part of, and your own qualifications for the job. Although you would not normally write a report about these things in the job search process, you would still do the research. I want you to do the research and write the report to me so that I can see your application materials in the context of the job you're applying for.
To do that research, you should find job announcements for a position similar to the one you want to hold after graduation. You might be able to find some job descriptions for similar jobs on the WWW. Initial web research is a good way to get an idea of what the job might entail.
Then you should try to contact someone who has such a position and ask permission to interview him or her. Once you have a contact, make the appointment and go with questions about the work the person does and skills, habits, attitudes, and knowledge a person needs to do the job well. Be sure to thank the person when you leave and to send a thankyou note to him or her. You never know when that person may be able to do something for you in the future: perhaps you will have another reason to interview that person, or perhaps you'll find yourself applying to that company in the future. How you conduct yourself now may make a big difference later on. Summarize the interview as soon as possible after conducting it.
To write the report, you should make it a memo report, something like the investigative report on page 298 of HTW. In fact, your report is an investigative report in which you check out the job you are applying for. Notice that the example on page 298 starts with a clear purpose statement after the memo heading. That first small paragraph is followed by a summary of the findings. Then the writer uses headings to divide the body of the memo into areas that reflect the major findings of the investigation. You will have to think about what you have learned from your web research and from the interview. The report, along with your letter of application and resume isn't due until 4.2.
Go to my lecture notes on correspondence. Read those notes and the linked documents. Don't let this tiny line fool you. There's plenty to read inside the link. Also read Kinser on Gendered Performances in Employment Interviews.