Instructions
1
Table of Contents
Assignment 2: Professional Profile and Thank You Letter…………………....2 – 6
Rubric………………………………………………………………………………………7
Assignment Example…..………………………………………………………………..8
Checklist - Assignment 2……………………………………………………………….11
2
Assignment 2: Professional Profile and Thank You Letter
Choose Your Interview Subject
In order to create an 800 – 1000-word profile on the professional of your choice,
as well as research into his or her company and/or job, you need to reach out to
this individual as soon as our course starts and make an appointment to do your
interview. See the syllabus calendar for details.
If possible, obtain a good digital photo of the individual to include with your
profile. You can sometimes get this directly from the company website – but you
will need permission to use it. Otherwise, consider taking a digital photo if you
have a camera to do so.
This assignment includes
•
•
•
•
Your interview questions & follow-up questions (if any), although these are
NOT included in your actual report. You simply prepare them, so you can
conduct an effective interview.
An Professional Profile that showcases the individual that you interviewed,
as well as his or her views on professional life, ethics, teamwork, etc. (100
points).
A formal thank you letter directed to the professional after the interview is
completed - (50 points).
Peer Review (per the sheet I have provided in the Instructions and Peer
Review tab) = 50 points
Why Conduct a personal interview?
Having you interview a professional (of your choice) will facilitate an opportunity
for each one of you to meet with an individual who is doing the sort of work you
envision for yourself once you have finished your education. The idea is to
choose someone doing work you would like to be doing within three to five years
of graduation.
The interview itself should be no more than 30 minutes long. If you go longer,
make sure that you check with the individual that he or she is not pressed for
time. The individual professional you interview will likely have a busy schedule.
You will want to arrive fully prepared to conduct the interview within the allotted
period. You will need to take accurate notes of what the professional says, his or
her demeanor, what you notice about his surroundings, etc. You can conduct
the interview using a small tape recorder if you like. Other options include
submitting the questions ahead of time as a letter or an email and getting written
responses back from the interviewee.
Whom should you interview?
Depending on your area of interest, you could choose a financial planner, an
arts manager, a newspaper writer or editor, a research technician, a business
3
analyst, an accountant, a sales representative, a publisher, a high school
teacher or a professor as your interview subject.
What sort of work do you dream of doing after you finish college? Is there
someone in the Phoenix area doing that kind of work? If not, where would you
look for them?
Brainstorm for ideas about where this professional might be. Ask your friends and
your professors. Does anyone in your family know someone doing the sort of
work you want to pursue?
Preparing for the Interview
By creating a set of questions about job responsibilities, typical work day, the
types of writing regularly done, and any other pertinent details and facts, you will
begin to get a clear idea of what your expectations of that particular job should
be.
Because we are focused on ethics this semester, one standard question I want
everyone to include is:
•
Do you (or does your business) have a set of guidelines regarding ethical
business practices? (If not, why not?) If so, what made you choose them
as a foundation?
Examples of the sort of questions you might ask are
• What about your job is most enjoyable?
• What is most challenging?
• How much writing do you do in a typical work week? What sort of writing
is it?
• Why did you choose this profession?
• What sort of hours do you work?
• Do you travel?
• If you had to do it all again, would you make the same choices?
• What sort of education or training did you need to obtain your current
position?
• Do you feel the position allows for a good work/life balance or do you
work too much?
• Is this profession family-friendly?
• Do you consider your current position your “calling” or is it “just a job?”
• What advice in terms of school and work experience would you suggest
for me?
Other things to consider: Do you want to submit your questions in advance to the
interviewee? Do you want to create a questionnaire or a pre-interview via
email?
After you have conducted your interview, transcribe your notes and your
interview impressions immediately if at all possible. You want to make sure
everything will still be fresh in your mind.
4
Write a personal thank you letter to the professional.
Examples and advice on thank-you letters can be found here.
This letter should contain a minimum of three short paragraphs.
• The opening paragraph contains information reflecting your gratitude for
the interviewee’s time and insight.
• Paragraph two should detail exactly what has most impacted you from
the interview. BE SPECIFIC.
• Paragraph three contains another expression of gratitude and contact
information that leaves the door open for the interviewee to contact you
about possible jobs or internships.
I recommend that you workshop (peer review/edit) the thank you letter PRIOR to
sending it off to the interviewee. Bad impressions are hard to overcome. If you
send a letter that is not perfect in terms of language, name, address and title, it
will work against you. Make sure it is PERFECT.
See the Assignment 1 area for advice on writing effective letters as well as my
mark-up/corrections of a letter. Other helpful information on letters can be
found in the links I provided for Assignment 1.
Creating a Professional Profile which summarizes the Interview Process
Consider asking your interviewee for advice on how to best attain the sort of
position they have or if they have a favorite quote that they live by and use to
inspire and motivate their success.
Once you finish the interview, read your notes and impressions, and then
synthesize them into a cohesive, reflective, polished blog post. Readers should
get a real ‘sense’ of the professional from your profile. Don’t forget to weave in
information about ETHICS. It is a requirement.
I will ask you to complete a metacognitive shortly after we finish this assignment.
In it, I want you to take time to reflect on what you learned. What most
impressed you about the professional? Is the job you are interested in more or
less captivating now? What insights did you gain? What surprised you? (The
questions are posted with the instructions for the metacognitive.)
Please review the sample I’ve posted of profiles I’ve written to get an idea of
how you might approach your profile. Formatting is important, as is clear, clean,
concise, insightful and CORRECT writing. Grammatical errors are not
acceptable. They will affect your grade. Typos and spelling errors should also be
avoided.
Please Note: You need to approach this assignment as one done in warm,
professional language that is relatively formal in tone. Many companies have
newsletters, blogs, and social media pages that feature this sort of writing. You
can really increase your marketability by becoming good at writing for a variety
of professional platforms.
See the calendar in BB for the final due date(s) of this project.
5
My pet peeves (things to avoid)
A few things to watch out for if you want to get a decent grade:
•
•
•
•
•
use of repetitive language (starting every sentence in your profile or thank
you letter with I, for example)
overuse of 'very, really, great, always' - which add nothing to your
materials
use of hifalutin language or academic language. These profiles and
letters should be written in conversational tone using language you could
say out loud and sound natural saying them.
DO NOT DOUBLE SPACE YOUR WORK
DO NOT set your profile up as a memo. See the visual example and do
exactly the same thing.
Formats I accept for work in this course:
•
•
Rich Text Format, PDF, doc, and docx. Nothing else. No pages or zip files
or anything else.
Do not submit anything in formats other than ones that work in Blackboard
(listed above).
If you don't have Microsoft Word, it is available to you FOR FREE via ASU apps.
See the main page of My ASU, left side of the screen.)
Students receive Microsoft Office Suite for FREE. Download it and use it.
Finally, please note:
Our work in this course should be SINGLE-SPACED.
Businesses don't waste paper, so neither should you.
Single-spacing is NO SPACING, not NORMAL SPACING. Check to see that you set
it up correctly.
6
RUBRIC
STUDENT NAME: ________________________
ENGLISH 302 – Assignment 2 Interview with a Professional
1. Complete Packet (including all elements, profile and thank you letter) that has
considered the advice of your peers and implemented good revision ideas. (See
examples in classroom.)
2. Perfect, clean copy in terms of grammar, punctuation, spelling, diction. There
should be NO spelling or diction errors at all in an "A" packet. Tenses should be
correct and consistent throughout. Parallel form used on the profile and letter.
3. Consistent Formatting including font, font sizes, the overall "look" of your
assignment. Headings should be consistent in terms of size, font, etc. One-inch
margins, single-spacing, no indent (block format) is required.
4. The profile should be professional, clear, and concise it its use of language
(appropriate for a report to a job supervisor). Transitions between paragraphs
should be smooth, and there should be a "flow" to the whole document.
5. Thank you letter should be on letterhead and contain three paragraphs, each
addressing the elements mentioned in the assignment instructions. Copy should
be clean and clear, avoid passive language and include contact information.
6. A photo of the interviewee can be included, but is not required.
You must meet ALL these criteria to receive an "A"
Missing/overlooking 2 - 3 of these individual elements/items, constitutes a "B"
More than four missing/overlooked elements/items constitutes a "C"
7
EXAMPLE
Nostalgia for the Criminal Past:
Poet Kathleen Winter Looks Back
By Shavawn M. Berry
Nostalgia for the Criminal Past is poet
Kathleen Winter’s first book. I contacted
her and asked if she’d be willing to discuss
the ways in which she shaped and
developed the themes and ideas of her
book into an award-winning volume,
especially in terms of memory,
connection, separation, and time.
Kat lives in Northern California with her
husband. She is currently what those of us
in the teaching profession call, ‘a road’s
scholar’ meaning she teaches at two or
more institutions and spends a good deal
of time in her car. (Two hours in traffic to
get to her gig in San Francisco.) Right
now, she teaches literature and
composition at the University of San Francisco and Napa Valley College.
When I open our conversation, she reveals that she worked on the individual
poems in Nostalgia for a number of years prior to starting her MFA at Arizona
State in 2008. She actually had about two-thirds of the manuscript drafted by
the time she arrived.
“Putting it together, the whole time, I re-read and re-wrote the
poems. Constantly. I sent it out steadily prior to its acceptance for publication. I
can’t even remember how many contests I paid for, or how many rejections I
got. I kept track at the time, and when I’d get it back, I’d cross that place off
the list, swap out a few of the weaker poems for newer stuff, and then send it out
again.” This went on for two years.
When she received word the book had been chosen as the winner of the 2011
Elixir Press Antivenom Poetry Prize, she was understandably, “surprised and
excited.”
“Getting the call was really joyful. I remember imagining what it would be like to
get the book accepted. When it finally happened, it was wonderful. The editor,
Dana Curtis called, and told me I’d won. It was morning. I’d been back home
for a couple of weeks after finishing my master’s degree. The editor told me
8
Deborah Bogen selected it as the winning manuscript. I remember I called my
husband to tell him.”
Although many writers think that getting a book published assists one in terms of
landing a coveted teaching gig, Winter found that wasn’t the case. For six
months after she finished her MFA, she worked part-time in a bookstore as well as
in a café as a coffee barista while she tried to find teaching work. Her current
job “fell into [her] lap” through a friend, just prior to the fall semester in
2011. Nostalgia came out a few months later, in March 2012.
In the book, Winter focuses on “silos of time,” and our sense of memory. Still, she
felt wary of her choice of theme. “When I wrote the book, I was just writing
poem by poem. The challenge for me was to turn the poems into a more
cohesive manuscript. So, I tried to find a way in, tinkering and looking for
patterns.” She read her work and noticed to what sorts of things tended to draw
her in. “I am a poem by poem poet. I tend to write based on an image, phrase,
or a snatch of something that occurs to me. As I read my work, I saw interests I
didn’t know I had. My concern for my environment, not necessarily in an ecopolitical way, but instead in a most basic, what’s around me kind of way. I
noticed my surroundings affected me. Interiors (physical or natural surroundings)
were important.
As far as nostalgia as a theme, I was a bit skeptical of it because I was afraid it
might be dismissed as clichéd. Other poets might not like it.” She paused and
laughed, thinking back on it. “[Poets are] smart, impatient critters.” However, she
found herself circling back to the idea. She saw another collection, built around
a sense of ‘anti-nostalgia,’ focusing on the negative side of the notion. “I think I
stood up for nostalgia in the title poem as a reaction to that. When I ended up
wanting to start the book with that poem, I realized that its title worked as a title
to the manuscript as a whole. To me, nostalgia and déjà vu are connected, I
don’t know why. I find both compelling and appealing.”
Knowing that she lived in Arizona to complete her graduate degree while her
husband and dog returned home (to Northern California) in 2009, I asked if that
separation influenced the book.
“That’s a really good question. I’ve never thought about it, but I’d have to say
looking back, that being away from both my beloveds (my husband, and
Finnegan, her 14-year-old-dog) definitely influenced me.” She noted that in the
20+ years she’s known her husband, she’d never lived apart from him, other than
for one year when she was working in LA and he wasn’t. “Certainly, being
estranged from him [in terms of distance], infused the ideas and themes and
issues, particularly in the final section of the book.”
Winter’s favorite poet is Sylvia Plath. Her favorite collection? “Ariel. She’s just so
powerful to me. The forcefulness of her voice. Her incredible technical skill. The
sounds and rhythms she uses. Her elegant, memorable phrases and surprising
images. Her wit, her humor. She blows me away.”
9
Other collections on her ‘must read’ list? Selected Poems by Thomas Lux. She
admires his technical skill and use of form, calling him, “a bitingly sarcastic
virtuoso.” She also mentions The End of Beauty by Jorie Graham. “I love her
confident tone and seriousness.” She notes that her own work is “more playful”
and she learns from seasoned poets whose approach is different from hers. She
mentions Louise Glück’s collection, Meadowlands. “The book looks back at a
marriage; at its failings, and also wondrous times of closeness.” She laughs and
says, “I suppose I should mention someone contemporary. Alexandra
Teague. Her book, Mortal Geography, came out in 2009. Winter says she
admires its “emotional power and seamless use of form. The first poem is the best
poem about teaching, ever.”
I ask her what advice or encouragement she has for young poets. “I would say,
for me, the best thing to do is read. That’s what I tell my students. Read more.
That’s what inspires me. And always carry paper so you can write that word or
phrase down.” We discuss the frustration of forgetting that elusive, yet perfect
line or phrase.
She continues, “And don’t give up. If you’ve been [writing] for a while and feel
frustrated, remind yourself to keep at it. You’ll get better. Slow, imperceptible
improvement is happening.”
Winter’s second manuscript is written and already circulating in much the same
way that she handled Nostalgia. Besides teaching, that is what she most wants
to see happen in the next year or so. “I’d like to get another book out.”
***
Kathleen Winter’s poems have appeared in AGNI, The New Republic, Field, The
Cincinnati Review and other journals. Her awards include the 2011 Elixir Press
Antivenom Poetry Prize, as well as fellowships from Vermont Studio Center,
Virginia G. Piper Center, and the Prague Summer Program. She is a graduate of
the University of Texas, Austin; Boston College; the University of California, Davis,
School of Law; and the Creative Writing Program at Arizona State University.
Nostalgia for the Criminal Past is for sale on Amazon, Small Press Distribution, and
the Elixir Press website.
10
EXAMPLE – DO NOT COPY THE CONTENTS. THIS SIMPLY SHOWS YOU WHAT TO
INCLUDE AND HOW TO FORMAT YOUR WORK CORRECTLY. EXPECT A FAILING
GRADE IF YOU COPY THE CONTENTS.
Shavawn M. Berry
1234 Main Street, Anytown, AZ 85224 (480) 555-1212 shavawn.berry@asu.edu
September 12, 2018
Jim Bob Jones, Esquire
Jones Typesetting and Publishing
1 Blah Lane
Tempe, AZ 85287
Dear Jim Bob Jones,
Thank you for meeting me yesterday to discuss your professional
accomplishments. I know that your schedule is busy, so fitting me in at the last
minute is appreciated. Your willingness to assist me with my school project taught
me about what it means to be a professional.
What affected me most about our conversation was your ability to bounce back
from adversity and keep rising in the ranks of your company. The sheer tenacity
to continue school, even after losing your scholarship indicates true strength and
character. I thought about the stories my father told me about you and how
much he admired you. Hearing your experience firsthand helped me to
understand what it takes to be a success.
Again, I want to express gratitude for your kindness and help. I will send you a
copy of my finalized profile when I finish it. If you think of anything you’d like to
add to your comments, let me know. My contact information is included at the
top of the page. Please stay in touch. I would love to hear about any future
opportunities at Jones Typesetting and Publishing, including summer internships.
Warmly,
Shavawn M. Berry
Shavawn M. Berry
11
Checklist – Assignment 2
BE SURE TO READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS. These are the 'cliff notes' on this assignment.
You should include:
Check off when Completed
•
A three-paragraph thank you letter that addresses all the
elements mentioned in the instructions. TY letter should be on
PERSONAL LETTERHEAD with your contact information and the
contact information for your interview subject included.
(Approximately 350 words. Avoid jargon & repetitive language.]
•
A professional profile (set up per the examples provided) should
be written based on the interview recording or detailed notes
you took during the interview and should include all elements
mentioned in the instructions. [800 – 1000 words.]
•
All documents for this course are single-spaced. This means NO
SPACING in Word (see the pull-down menu under Styles). All
documents should have one-inch margins. See the examples
and match them!
•
Both documents should be visually attractive, free of typos and
free of passive voice. [See information on writing in ACTIVE VOICE
in Launch Pad Solo for Professional Writing if you need help with
this].
•
If you include a photo, get a high-resolution photo, (not a blurry
snapshot. Also, don’t stretch or skew the photo so the person
looks distorted).
•
Remember your audience! Business documents always consider
their audience.
•
The tone/language/approach in both documents should be
casual but professional.
•
Participate in Peer Review by uploading your drafts to the FILE
EXCHANGE in your peer review group. Complete review, then
upload your finished review (the one you wrote) to the link for
graded peer review (turn in peer review here in the course menu)
AND to the FILE EXCHANGE for your classmate. Clearly label it
‘YOUR NAME REVIEWS ASSIGN 2 WRITER’S NAME.’
Then, proofread your work one last time before turning it in.
Reading it aloud is the best way to do this.
•
12
JimBob Jones, Esquire
Jones Typesetting and Publishing
1 Blah Lane
Tempe, Az 85287
Dear JimBob Jones,
Thank you for meeting with me yesterday to discuss your professional accomplishments . I
know that your schedule is busy, so fitting me in at the last minute was appreciated. Your
willingness to help me with my school project won’t be forgotten.
While we talked, what impacted me most is your ability to bounce back from adversity and
keep rising in the ranks of your company. The sheer tenacity to continue school, even after
losing your scholarship indicates what sort of man you are. I couldn’t help but think about
the stories my father told me growing up about how much he admired you. Hearing
firsthand about your experiences helps me to understand what it takes to be a success in
this country.
Shavawn Berry
[Type the closing]
Shavawn Berry
Shavawn M. Berry
480-555-1212 Shavawn.berry@asu.edu
Warmly,
Commented [SB1]: dates should be written out
Deleted: 9/10/2014
Formatted: No Spacing
Deleted: and your career path
Commented [SB3]: too casual in tone
Deleted: brutal
Again, I want to express gratitude for your kindness and help. I will be sure to send you a
copy of my finalized profile when I finish it. If you think of anything you’d like to add to
your comments or anything that I can do for you, let me know. I hope that we stay in touch.
I would love to hear about any future opportunities at Jones Typesetting and Publishing,
including summer internships.
SHAVAWN M. BERRY
9/10/204
1234 West Chandler Road, Chandler, AZ 85224
September 10, 2014
Commented [SB4]: single space APA style documents
Formal Business Letter Formatting
HOW TO WRITE A PROFESSIONAL LETTER.
All work should be single-spaced (no spacing) in 12 point Times
New Roman font. One inch margins. No exceptions.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Please see Business Writing Scenarios for more advice on writing effective
BLOCK FORMATTED STYLE letters. When you write a letter for this course,
please be sure that it contains the following things:
Formatted, professional letterhead with your personal information included
(name, address, email, phone number)
The date, written out: June 1, 2017 (Not: 6/1/17!!)
An appropriate formal greeting/salutation such as Dear Ms. Jones or Dear Mr.
Smith or Dear Jack James.
Block formatting (no indents, one space between each paragraph, line spacing set
at NO SPACING (not NORMAL or DOUBLE spacing EVER!)
A brief, clear, concise message in clear English with no typos, no spelling
errors, no missing punctuation, capitalized letters, etc. A job letter
addresses the job, what you have to offer, and how to reach you for an
interview, for example. A complaint letter addresses the problem and asks
for a response. A thank you letter expresses gratitude, mentions details
regarding why you are writing, asks for a follow-up response by providing
contact information.
A space after the final paragraph (ONE SPACE ONLY)
A complimentary close ("Best" "Regards" "Sincerely")
Three spaces (3) leaving white space where you will sign your name, and
A signature line containing your full name, like this: Shavawn M. Berry
Use this format (single-spaced like this text above) for ALL letters in this course.
English 302
Professor Berry
Peer Review
Assignment #2
Professional Profile/Thank You Letter
You need to complete ONE REVIEW and receive ONE review. In all groups you will round robin
as instructed on the peer review group page people in your group. This is the only review this
person who
For example: In a group with four members, Bob reviews Sandy and Eddie. Sandy reviews Eddie
and Fred. Eddie reviews Fred and Bob. Fred reviews Bob and Sandy.
Name of Reviewer:
Name of Writer:
PROFILE ON WHAT THE WRITER LEARNED
1. First, look at the profile document. Does it look professional? Is it set up well? Does it
have a photo of the interviewee and do you get a ‘sense’ of the person that the writer
profiled? What could be improved? Note all of these things here.
2. See my examples of profiles, and make sure the writer has included the required
elements shown in the samples there. Make at least three suggestions here for
improvement and/or compliment three things that are done well in post. (For example is
the profile well-written? Is it wordy? Does it contain repetitive language? Could it be
edited to sound better and flow more smoothly?)
3. Has the writer clearly reflected on the interview and included insight into the
professional’s work life? Please list three things you took away from reading this profile:
4. The profile should be approximately 800-1000 words (single-spaced) in length. Please
note here whether or not it meets the length requirements. (Block out the whole profile
using your mouse and the cut and paste feature. Look for the Word count in the lower
left corner. Note the length here.)
5. Lastly, check for errors in grammar such as diction problems (the right “sounding” word
that doesn’t mean the right thing), punctuation, and syntax. Make a note of any
sentence (by marking it here) that is awkward or doesn’t make sense or doesn’t flow
smoothly. Read the profile out loud to see if you stumble over anything. If you do, mark
it. That is a place that needs to be reworked.
THANK YOU LETTER
1. First, read through the letter. Do you get a sense of the person interviewed from the
writer’s letter? Has the writer opened strongly with a statement of gratitude? Does the
second paragraph include a detail from the interview that inspired the writer? Does the
writer close strongly, indicating an interest in networking opportunities in the future? Does
the letter include contact information?
2. See the sample letters in your textbook (mentioned in the interview report instructions,
paragraph 1). Has the letter been set up properly in block format with the right heading
(personal letterhead)? Does it include the date (written out), the proper spacing
between paragraphs, an inside address, a proper greeting line, 3 solid paragraphs, a
proper salutation, 3 spaces for the signature, and a signature line?
3. The letter should be approximately one page, single-spaced in length (3 paragraphs of 5
or more sentences each) with an equal amount of white space above the text of the
letter and below it. Please note here whether or not it meets the length requirements.
4. Lastly, check for errors in grammar such as diction problems (the right “sounding” word
that doesn’t mean the right thing), punctuation, and syntax. Make a note of any
sentence (by marking it on the letter using track changes or the comments feature in
Word) that is awkward or doesn’t make sense or doesn’t flow smoothly. Read the letter
out loud to see if you stumble over anything. If you do, mark it. That is a place that needs
to be reworked.
Purchase answer to see full
attachment