Professional Writing Samples

[fabrisse]

Can someone give me an idea how to produce a couple of these? More and more of the jobs I'm looking at require them, but a) I don't have any prepared and b) I'm not entirely certain what they're looking for

Comments

[innerslytherin]

I wish I could tell you, but this is a question I've been asking myself as well. I know I'm a good writer, and I'm fantastic at business communications, but what's the best way to demonstrate that to potential employers? :/

[fabrisse]

You write a mean blog post...

Good luck to you in your search, too.

[daylyn]

Well, I know for my job that I used some orders I had drafted for the court (with all the party identifying information redacted), but I'm in a very specific job in a very specific field that is looking for very specific requirements.

I would imagine that professional writing samples would include reports, manuals, contracts, summaries, projects, business plans, etc. -- probably a few pages in length (usually not more than 10, I would imagine). I would also think that you would have to redact specific company information (I ended up putting in pseudonyms for names and other identifying information).

Are there any types of reports/correspondence that you create on a regular basis? Even anything you through working on the city council? You might want a few different types of samples of different documents you create to show prospective employers your capabilities in different areas.

That said, the above is really just a guess on my part. Although fanfic would probably be much more interesting!

Good luck!

[fabrisse]

Fanfic would be more fun!

The testimonies I've written and/or a couple of blog posts might work.

[daylyn]

I would suggest doing a cover sheet for the writing sample with a brief synopsis describing what you're submitting. I usually do a header that matches my resume, a heading that says "Writing Sample," and a brief paragraph explaining what the sample is and what purposed it served.

Also, I would definitely suggest that the sample be no longer than 10 pages.

Good luck!

[fabrisse]

Thank you. It will probably be 5 or fewer pages, but the cover sheet is brilliant. I really appreciate the help.

[moria923]

I usually use two: one I wrote for Theatre@First and one I wrote for NBP's newsletter. I'm not sure what I'd do if I had to produce a writing sample from scratch, without a specific context.

Perhaps you could write an essay about something you care about, such as a short written version of your "Liking Cities" presentation. I'd love to beta it for you!

[fabrisse]

That's an excellent idea. I've also had public testimony that I've written and I might be able to use it.

Thank you.

[wadjet_theperv]

Whatever you're doing, you'll be marvellous :o) I'm sure you'll find a way to communicate to a prospective employer just how brilliant you are and you'll get out of that job soon. It's great to see you feeling a bit brighter *hug*

[fabrisse]

*hugs*

Thank you so much.