TO: Professor Anne Walker
FROM: John A. Franklin
DATE: March 20th 2015
SUBJECT: Business Writing
The COMMA/ENGLA108W: Professional Writing course requires a final product of 12
polished pages of professional writing. My goal is to publish precise business writing
themed projects that will creatively display my professionalism. Completing this task will
result in two polished university application essays, my resume, a letter of
recommendation, and a letter of resignation.
Resume
I am reapplying to enroll at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California. If
I am accepted to this university I will need to find a job to cover my tuition costs.
Creating a new resume is important because Red Boy Pizza is my first job and having
concise references will allow me to earn a job in Los Angeles.
My job resume will be a minimum of three pages total, including a letter of
recommendation from my general manager.
Formal Letter of Resignation
If I am accepted to Loyola Marymount University I will be moving back to Southern
California and resigning from Red Boy. I plan to write a letter of resignation to my
general manager prior to leaving Oakland.
Letter of Recommendation
I am employed as the lead server, and my manager has asked me to compose a letter of
recommendation for her as she searches for new employment opportunities. I plan to
compose a professional Letter of Recommendation describing my business experiences
with her.
College Application Essays for Loyola Marymount University
Applying to Loyola Marymount University required two response essays and I have
included these essays in my portfolio. These essays compose the bulk of my final
portfolio.
I have divided the 12 pages as mentioned above and will use this opportunity to compose
documents and use them as tools in the outside world. A professional resume will indeed
better my chances of employment, and my application essays will hopefully lead to my
acceptance at Loyola Marymount University.
Loyola Marymount University Application Personal Statement
The unexpected loss of my father was undoubtedly the pivotal turning point in my
journey to determine which university I would attend following the end of my senior year
of high school. After careful consideration, I chose to attend the University of Hawaii at
Manoa. I felt this admittance would aid me through my grieving process, and I was
hoping that returning to the island that provided me with my most cherished childhood
memories with my father would comfort me throughout college.
Shortly after the beginning of my first semester in Hawaii, I began to feel that
there was an overall lack of opportunities available for me to take advantage of at the
university; my main concern was my inability to enroll in required core classes due to the
impacted student population. After careful consideration of my future, I made the painful
decision to leave Hawaii and soon after applied to Holy Names University in California.
Not long after beginning classes there in Spring 2014, it became clear to me that I was
destined to earn my degree in the communications field of study. Despite my previous
uncertainty about what career path I wished to follow, I felt with great confidence that I
had discovered a major in which I not only would be able apply my talents and passions,
but also reach the level of success that I strive for.
I have made it my main goal to be a part of the Communication Studies program
at Loyola Marymount University. After thoroughly researching similar programs at
different universities I believe that the communications program offered at LMU is the
perfect place for me to be able to express myself. My personality and skill set will
undoubtedly allow me to contribute to the hard working, positive, and innovative student
body at Loyola Marymount. I know that I not only possess the academic drive to prosper
in the Communications Program, but I also am equipped with the confidence and
motivation to devotedly work towards the future success this program will guide me to.
I will feel profound happiness after receiving my degree, but success means more
to me than receiving a certificate of completion. Being truly successful is more than
earning my degree, and gaining material wealth. Success to me will be the
acknowledgement that I worked to my full potential and strived to do everything possible
to give myself, and take advantage of, the best opportunities in life. The most important
goal I have set for myself is to be able to one day reflect on my college years and be
confidently proud of the man I’ve become. I am positive that continuing my path of
education at Loyola Marymount will lead me to achieve my goals and assist me in
earning a greater sense of true fulfillment.
I am prepared to work countless hours to educate and prepare myself for the
chapter of my life following college. I am more than ready to prove to my family,
professors, peers, and most importantly myself that I truly have what it takes to attain my
goals and make an impact on the world, and I know that Loyola Marymount University is
the perfect place for me to continue my journey towards success.
April 29th 2015
[To Whom It May Concern]
[General Manager]
[Future Establishment
Dear [Recipient]:
I am excited to be applying for the position of bartender within your establishment
after seeing this opportunity.
I feel that I would be a great asset to your team for the following reasons:
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I have an extensive background in food handling and in the good industry
I am very comfortable communicating with customers and ensuring their
comfort.
I work well with others and have excellent people skills.
I am a reliable, punctual, focused, and confident individual.
The experience I have gained in the restaurant industry and my desire to excel in
this field of work makes me an excellent fit for this position. Please contact me at
(000) 999-8888 to set up an interview.
Sincerely,
John Franklin
John Franklin
| C: (949) 726- 2267 l franklin.john26@gmail.com
SUMMARY
Experienced server in both relaxed and fine dining situations with impeccable
communication skills.
HIGHLIGHTS
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California Food Handler’s Card
Experienced food and beverage handler
Punctual and Responsible
Work well under pressure
Effective problem solver
Safety conscious
EXPERIENCE
Red Boy Pizza: Lead Server | Oakland, CA | 01/19/2015-5/13/2015
 Full time lead server
 Access to registers
 Money handling and cashbox access
 Opened/closed restaurant
 Worked front of the house individually
 Simultaneously handled phone calls, dine in, carry out, and to-go orders
individually
Contact: Jillian Boland, General Manager, (714) 754-0300
EDUCATION
2009-2013 Woodbridge High School: Irvine, CA, United States | High School
Diploma
 Four years of cross country & track team leadership
 Involved in student leadership
2014- 2015 Holy Names University, Oakland, CA
 Major: Communications
 Completed three semesters
April 20th 2015
Jillian Boland, Alyssa Magana
General Managers
Red Boy Pizza
4100 Mountain Boulevard
Oakland, CA 94619
Dear Red Boy Management,
Please accept this letter of resignation from my position of lead
server, effective two weeks from today. My last day at Red Boy will
be Monday May 4th 2015.
I have made the decision to return to Southern California and will be
unable to continue working for Red Boy. I have thoroughly enjoyed
working at Red Boy and will miss my colleagues indefinitely.
During the next two weeks, I am willing to help you in any way to
make the transition as smooth as possible. This includes assisting in
recruiting and training my replacement. Please let me know if there is
anything specific that you would like me to do assist you during this
time period.
Again, it has been a pleasure working as a part of your company, and
I thank you for the amazing experience and memories.
Best regards,
John A. Franklin
Loyola Marymount University Application Prompt Response
It has never been easier to access social media and instant communication than it
is in our society today. Always at our fingertips via mobile phones that now support all
platforms of social media, a vast majority of college students take advantage of this
convenience and spend an excessive amount of time online. Our world today has never
been more connected through social media, but it is important to question the authenticity
of this type of connection. Social media and instant communication have created a
delusion among college students and are both actively preventing the occurrence of deep
reflection and serious thinking in general. Young adults are beginning to take information
they are exposed to at “face value” and lack the drive to further question and research this
information. Social Media and instant communication undeniably pose as blatant
obstacles to reflection and serious thinking.
Social media plays a major role in limiting self-reflection and serious thinking
because most college students currently use social media for the sole purpose of
entertainment and do not utilize the internet to educate themselves beyond the classroom.
After a long day of class, students turn to social media to link up with their friends and
spend countless hours scrolling through timelines of other’s personal posts. Among these
timelines, it appears that every few weeks there stands a new prominent trending topic.
Last month, thousands of teens recently participated in the “ALS Ice Bucket Challenge,”
an activity involving an individual video taping themselves dumping ice water on their
head and then posting the video on social media to raise awareness for Lou Gehrig's
disease. The idea of the challenge was both entertaining and educational, but it soon
became clear that after watching these short hilarious videos not many students went
further to donate to ALS research organizations or even educated themselves on the
disease. The entire concept began a type of bandwagon and soon enough many of the
young adults creating these videos ceased to even mention why they were pouring ice
water one their heads; they just simply were acting out the challenge solely for
entertainment. It’s shocking to realize that a movement with such potential had been
ruined and turned into a spoof of a serious effort to raise awareness for a worldwide
issue. Young adults unintentionally turned the “ALS Ice Bucket Challenge” into
complete foolishness because instead of deep thinking of what the challenge actually
stood for, many proved to care more about gaining “Likes” and “Comments.” Social
media is ruining deep thinking and self-reflection because college students shut their
brains off and post in order to gain popularity online. For some reason, our generation has
developed a notion that online popularity holds some real relevance. Instead of educating
and thinking deeply about world issues like ALS, students believe that clicking a “Like”
button and posting a funny video will suffice. Social media is an important part in
learning about others and the world around us when used properly.
Despite the obstacles towards deeper thinking created by social media, it is
completely possible for college students to use these platforms as a tool in the process of
self-reflection. Social media undeniably plays a crucial role in modern day society when
used responsibly. After students take time to think about what they post and how long
they spend on social media, it will no longer present obstacles towards deep thinking. In
order to practice serious self-reflection without being derailed by social media, college
students must simply limit their time spent online. Today for example, it seems rare for
students to enjoy a beautiful sunset without having the urge to whip out their phones to
take a photo to share online. It’s a common occurrence to not only spend time taking
multiple photos to ensure the perfect shot has been captured, but to also take time
editing the photo’s before posting. Meanwhile the sun continues to set and instead of
experiencing and reflecting on such a precious moment, it has become the new norm to
focus more on staring at a photo and sharing this online. This example of actually fully
paying full attention to a setting sun is a metaphor that stands for the answer to the
problem of the lack of deep thinking in our society today. If college students distance
themselves from technology time to time and actually take in their surroundings, they
will reach the level of self-reflection and realization that social media is distracting them
from reaching. Putting down the phone and taking in the world around us without
feeling the need to excessively post will lead to self-reflection. One who focuses more
on an actual situation will be encouraged to think deeply compared to one who is
caught up in capturing a moment that they aren’t even fully processing or paying
attention to. Spending more time away from technology and spending free time
enjoying the company of friends and family in person instead of chatting with them
online leads to personal growth and improves communication skills.
Social media has become a danger to critical thinking because college students
not only spend an excessive amount of time online, but waste this time on unnecessary
topics. Limiting the amount of time we spend online and also utilizing online platforms
of social media wisely will surely lead our generation to more time spent on deeper selfreflection.
To Whom It May Concern:
I strongly recommend my former general manager Jillian Boland for
employment. I’m honored to have worked under the direction of Jillian at Red Boy
Pizza for five months. Throughout this time Jillian was responsible, trustworthy,
thoughtful, and also displayed an amazing work ethic. Jillian can be best described
as a manger who takes an astonishing amount of pride in her own work, and a
crucial asset to any corporation.
I have had the opportunity to work with Jillian in both professional and
interpersonal circumstances. Jillian is a gifted problem solver and also skilled
extremely intelligent when it comes to compromising. Throughout my time of
employment at Red Boy Pizza I thoroughly enjoyed both learning and also taking
direction from Jillian because of her kind and clear direction.
Jillian’s fearlessness and drive go unmatched to any other manager I have
worked under. Often being the first employee on location, Jillian would also be the
last to leave because she always was working her best to improve Red Boy Pizza.
I will definitely miss working for Jillian but she has most definitely earned
the right to further her career due to the hard work she has put in on a day to day
basis.
Best,
John A. Franklin