This examination will give you practice applying all the writing skills you’ve learned in the first four study units by developing two separate paragraphs of 8–12 sentences each.
Paragraph 1
Background
You’ve applied for a specific job in your field of study. The Human
Resources Department arranges an interview and tells you to bring with you a polished piece of writing for them to evaluate your writing skills.
The paragraph must describe one particular experience you’ve had that inspired you or guided you to choose the type of position for which you applied. Your audience is your potential employer and your purpose is to show you have thought carefully about what and/or who has motivated you toward this career choice and why. In addition, you want to convey your enthusiasm for this position as it relates to your inspiring experience.
Take time to think about what your audience wants to know and strive to reach a balance between informal and formal business writing.
Process
1. Prewrite about your field of study and create a specific job for which you might want to apply at a particular business or organization in your area. Outline what that position would look like.
Brainstorm details, names, titles, and facts to provide depth to your paragraph and enable you to write a polished paragraph.
2. Freewrite about the different experiences you’ve had that motivated you to choose your area of study. Pick one on which to focus—one that triggers sparks of enthusiasm. Review your prewriting and choose what’s most pertinent to the experience and position.
Decide on an organizational pattern, such as a chronological outline, and arrange those details into a logical, coherent flow.