Urban Planning 213
Fall 2009
Greg Newmark
Assignment #1 - Job Application Letter
Overview and purpose
For this assignment you will prepare a one-page job application letter in response to an
advertisement for a planning-related internship or job. In Part I of the assignment, you will
prepare a draft for Greg to review. In Part II, you will revise the draft and circulate it for
feedback from other students. For Part III, you will prepare the final letter and write a brief
memo commenting on what you learned from the feedback processes.
This assignment is designed to provide you with an opportunity to practice five skills:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Writing in order to persuade a reader to do something (i.e., interview you)
Describing complex material succinctly
Managing feedback sessions
Revising drafts
Giving feedback to others on their writing
Due dates



August 31: Draft #1
September 14: Draft #2
September 21: Final Letter and Reflective Memo
Preliminary Tasks
First, select an advertisement to respond to. I recommend that you visit the department
repository at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SJSU_MURPs/. Join the list (so that we can make
sure you get the updated announcements when you really want them), sign yourself in, and then
search under the keyword "job." Read the job description very carefully, several times, and
highlight in yellow the two, three, or four qualifications the employer seeks that you think are the
most important and/or which you are best able to show you fit. (It is OK to use an outdated
announcement for this assignment.) Please bring your highlighted advertisement to each class
meeting. This will not be graded, but is important for assessing your letter.
Second, write up a resume of no more than two pages. Please bring your resume to each class
meeting. This will not be graded, but is important for assessing your letter.
This work is adapted from materials originally prepared by Asha W. Agrawal
Urban Planning 213
Fall 2009
Greg Newmark
Main Tasks
1. Draft #1 for Greg’s review
Prepare a draft job application letter of one page or less in response to your selected
advertisement. Design your letter to show how you meet the requirements that you highlighted.
Many employers list dozens of attributes they are looking for, but remember that in a one page
letter you can only demonstrate your qualifications in a few areas. Two to four topics is the
maximum you can reasonably cover.
Product to be brought to Individual Meeting with Instructor
1. One copy of the job advertisement with the qualifications highlighted
2. One copy of your resume
3. Two copies of your draft (#1) letter
2. Draft #2 for peer review
Based on the feedback you received in your meeting with Greg, revise the letter. Groups will
discuss the revised letters in class.
Product to be brought to Class
1. One copy of the job advertisement with the qualifications highlighted
2. One copy of your resume
3. Four copies of your revised draft (#2) letter
3. Final letter and reflective memo
Using the feedback from your group members, as well as anyone else you'd like to ask for help,
revise your letter a final time.
In addition, write a reflective memo of one-half to one page that explains:
1. The three most useful things you learned from both feedback processes.
2. How you revised your letter in response to the feedback.
3. Three writing or revision strategies you learned from the assignment that you will use the
next time you write something important for your studies or professional work. (Note:
comment on writing strategies that you could use for preparing any document, not lessons
you learned that are specific to writing job letters.)
You may write this memo in either paragraph or bullet form.
Product to be brought to Class
1. One copy of the job advertisement with the qualifications highlighted
This work is adapted from materials originally prepared by Asha W. Agrawal
Urban Planning 213
Fall 2009
Greg Newmark
2. One copy of your resume
3. One copy of your final letter
4. One copy of your reflective memo
Tips for Writing a Persuasive Job Application Letter
This list offers strategies to help you write a job application letter that will persuade readers to
interview you.
(You’ll find additional advice on writing job application letters at the SJSU Career Center’s
website, http://www.careercenter.sjsu.edu/jobsearchtips/coverletters/coverletters.html.)
Address your letter to a particular person if at all possible. If necessary, do some research to
find out who should receive the letter.
Clearly state exactly what job you are applying for – don’t make the reader guess. Remember
that the employer may have multiple job openings at any time.
Show how your skills and background match those the employer seeks. Customize your
letter for each job by identifying a few key requirements described in the job description and
showing how you meet them.
Use specific examples to demonstrate your qualifications. General claims like “I am an
experienced manager” are much less persuasive and memorable than statements like, “In my last
job, I managed a team of six people for three years.” “I produced a newsletter at my last job,” is
ok, but less impressive than “At my last job, I produced 12 issues of a 6-page monthly newsletter
on downtown revitalization projects that was distributed to 300 business owners.”
Describe the results of your skills. When possible, show how you achieved specific results in
your previous jobs. “I work well with other people,” is less convincing than, “During the year
that I assisted residents submitting requests for zoning changes, three people contacted my
supervisor to let her know how pleased they were with my help.”
Briefly explain why you want the particular position you are applying for. Although the
balance of the letter should focus on what you can offer to the employer, you also want the
employer to know that, if offered the job, you are likely to accept it.
Keep asking, “How would an employer react to what I’ve written?” As you draft and then
revise your letter, do careful audience analysis.
Other tips
1. Don’t make a single spelling or other typographical error.
2. Keep the letter to one page that includes plenty of white space. The job letter should
highlight a few key points, not tell your whole life story.
3. Format the letter as you would a business letter. (See the next page for an example.)
4. Print the letter on good-quality paper if you will mail it.
This work is adapted from materials originally prepared by Asha W. Agrawal
Urban Planning 213
Fall 2009
Greg Newmark
Sample Business Letter
Use the following format for your letters.
23 Green Street
San Francisco, CA 94618
January 24, 2008
Geraldine Chan
Hiring Manager
City of Radiant Plans
1111 Big Boulevard, Suite 1
Radiant Plans, CA 94611
Dear Ms. Chan:
Opening paragraph (The 3 “optional” items can be in any order)
- Begin by stating the specific job you are applying for. Add the job ID# and exact title, if you
have them.
- Optional: Explain where you learned about the job.
- Optional: Summarize in a sentence the most important reason or two the employer would want
to hire you (emphasize what you can do for the employer).
- Optional: Briefly explain why you are interested in this job
Body paragraph(s)
- Explain how your experience, skills, and career goals qualify you for the position.
Closing paragraph(s)
- Explain the best way to contact you (e.g., email or phone) and if you plan to follow up on the
letter (e.g., when you will call to check on the status of your application).
- Thank the reader.
Sincerely,
(sign here)
Giselle Planner
Grading
I will grade this assignment primarily on the basis of the final job letter and the reflective memo.
The form below lays out the specific criteria I will focus on in assessing the grade. Note that I
will lower the grade of anyone who does not complete all elements of the assignment.
This work is adapted from materials originally prepared by Asha W. Agrawal
Urban Planning 213
Fall 2009
Greg Newmark
Job Application Letter Assessment Form
Grading criteria
Grade
Persuasiveness: The application letter . . .
- Discusses qualifications directly related to those mentioned in the job ad
- Provides specific examples illustrating your qualifications
- Explains specifically why you are interested in this particular job
Comments:
Clarity, organization, and grammatical correctness of the writing
- The sentences are easy to understand
- The writing is grammatically correct and free of typos
- Each paragraph has a clear core idea and logical organization
Comments:
Attractiveness of the letter as a whole
- The formatting of the letter is attractive and professional
Comments:
Quality of the reflective memo
- The memo covers the required topics
- The content is thoughtful and insightful, and it useful
- The memo is grammatically correct and free of typos
Comments:
Accuracy in completing the assignment
- The work submitted follows the directions for the assignment
Assignment grade: (out of 44)
0
Grades are based on how I would assess this work if I were the employer who received the letter:
Excellent (4 Points):This candidate is an excellent writer, someone I would trust to prepare material for public
distribution without additional assistance.
Satisfactory (3 Points): The candidate is an acceptable writer, but the work s/he produces would likely need some
refinement before public distribution.
Marginal (2 Points): The candidate communicates some useful information, but the work s/he produces would likely
need substantial revisions before public distribution.
Unacceptable (1 Points): I would be unable to publicly distribute anything written by this candidate.
This work is adapted from materials originally prepared by Asha W. Agrawal