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Job Application Paper

Essay Instructions:
Purpose

Describe each position you are applying for and analyze the two audiences that you have chosen. Include a rhetorical analysis highlighting how you specifically adapted your résumés and cover letters to the different positions. Since writing the memo will help you in designing the résumés and cover letters, you may want to work on it first. But you should review it carefully after you have completed the other documents, to be certain that it reflects your rhetorical decisions.

Job Description

You may base your job descriptions on listings that you find in professional or trade journals, in newspapers, or on the Internet. The positions should be different enough that you will have to emphasize different parts of your experience to qualify for the positions. You should specify any particular qualities or experiences that the company may be looking for in candidates for the position. For example, a small company may be looking for an accountant who can work on a variety of projects, while another may be looking specifically for someone with experience in tax accounting. If you use language such as the mission statement of an organization in your description, make sure you cite it properly.

Audience Analysis

Investigate the particular companies to which you are applying. Information on many companies is available from the library, the Internet, and Penn State Career Services < http://www(dot)sa(dot)psu(dot)edu/career/ >. You may also contact the personnel office of the company directly. Describe the company and its values: When was the company founded? Where is it located? What does the organization do? How many employees does it have? What character traits does it look for in its workers?

This is also the place to describe anything you know about the particular personyou are writing to. Is it someone who already knows you or who is familiar with Penn State? Is it someone without much knowledge of you or your educational background and work experience?

Résumé Content

Purpose

Each résumé should describe your qualifications for a specific type of position. The résumés may overlap in content somewhat, but they should differ substantially from one another in terms of their order of presentation, their content, or their emphasis.

Content

Your résumés should include contact information and relevant details about your education, professional training, special accomplishments, and skills. A résumé is not a life history, but rather an argument that you are qualified for a particular position and that you would be a capable, responsible employee who communicates effectively. You will not have space to discuss everything you’ve ever done; instead, select only those details that will appeal most to your chosen employers.

When readers skim résumés, their eyes typically move to the top middle third of the page. Fold your résumé into thirds—"wide-wise," like you would a letter. Open it and circle along the top crease. That’s the place on your résumé that makes the most impact. At that spot, you should have something “meaty” to say about yourself, whether that be your fine GPA or great work experience. Don’t put the best information at the end of your résumé.

Format

Your format may be traditional or innovative, as long as the information is highly accessible and highlights the most important items from the employer’sperspective. Limit the length to one page.

Style

Your style should be fairly formal. You need not use complete sentences, but you should use active voice and pay particular attention to parallel structure.

Cover Letter Content

Many folks will tell you that cover letters are a thing of the past, and in fact, many online services do not ask for a cover letter anymore. Nonetheless, it is not a bad skill to know how to write a cover letter, in case you are asked to provide one, because a good cover letter can serve as a writing sample.

Purpose

The purpose of the cover letter is to persuade that employer to grant you an interview. Tailor your choice of details and explanations to the employer’s values and interests. Avoid generic or vague phrases like “I believe that I have the proven skills that you are seeking.” Instead, try “My experiences interning at Amazon’s distribution center along with my supply chain responsibilities at my current employer Acme, Corp. have given me an understanding of the complexities in maintaining consistent, reliable distribution networks for a variety of different products and vendors.”

Content and Organization

The opening of your letter should establish who you are, what position you are applying for, how you learned of the position, and why you would like to work for that particular company. Your goal is to show the reader both that you know what the specific company needs and that you have the qualifications. Conclude your introduction with a brief sentence that forecasts the points you’ll discuss in your body paragraph(s).

Begin the body of the letter by stating your major qualifications for the position. Make sure that this qualification statement is specific and unique. Most applicants will likely have the education and experience to make them appropriate candidates; what do you, individually, have to offer? The body of the letter should develop each assertion with specific, illustrative evidence. You may organize this section in various ways: around your training and experience or around what the position or the company requires.

The letter should close by inviting a response and making it easy to arrange an interview. Provide your own contact information and thank the employer for considering your application.

Style

While cover letters should be polite and fairly formal, they also should sound individualized and reflect your personality. Otherwise, how will your application stand out from the others? Why should you be chosen over everyone else? The best policy is to talk to your reader as directly and naturally as possible, avoiding bombastic, hyper-elevated vocabulary.

Format

Use conventional business letter format. Keep the length of your letter to one page.

Grammatical Correctness

Employers impose a strict standard of correctness on application letters and résumés, often “throwing out” applications for even minor errors. Because these documents involve such high stakes in the “real world,” I will hold them to a similarly high standard.

Essay Sample Content Preview:
Job application
Name
Course
Instructor
Date
MEMO
TO:FROM:DATE:July 25, 2014SUBJECT:DETAILS AND INFORMATION FOR JOB APPLICATION PACKAGE
I am writing this memo with the aim of providing background information on resumes and cover letters that I used as part of the application package. I am an Economics major, and interested in working in the financial services sector as illustrated by the two job applications. I am set to graduate in May 2015, and my cumulative G.P.A at the moment is 3.62/ 4. The application packages present relevant information of the two companies as well as give a brief description about them. The memo will also highlight on rhetorical analysis, with this aimed to inform you how each application is well adapted for the each of the jobs.
Audience analysis: World Trade Securities PTG
Even though, the parent company mainly has operations in Canada, the subsidiary company World Trade Securities PTG is dealer and proprietary trader. The company allows US members access to capital and offers education and training. As an operating unit of the World Trade Financial Group of Montreal, Canada, the company has its main offices in New York and is active in Wall Street circles through proprietary trade. As the company highlights on training and education as being vital to the success of the company, employees are geared towards learning and adding value to clients
Job description: Equity trader
An equity trader is one who deals with the sale and purchase of equities especially stocks. One needs to be a good sales person as well as have knowledge on the stock market while also utilizing analytical skills to choose the best performing equities that are suitable for client’s needs. Building relations with clients is essential for one to succeed as an equity trader. A background in quantitative and business related fields is preferred for the position.
Audience analysis: Raymond James & Associates Inc
Raymond James & Associates Inc was started in 1962 with headquarters in St Petersburg, Florida. The company provided investment and financial services to clients including asset management, financial planning, banking and trust services to municipalities, corporations and investors. The company also has alternative investments like PASSPORT investment account that enables clients to trade in mutual funds, bonds, and equities. There is also an online platform for online trading alternatives, and the company is a Raymond James Financial Inc. The company sensitizes employees to offer unbiased opinion without too much focus on sales quota, and this has enabled employees to work more independently. This illustrates that the corporate culture takes into account the employees’ experience at the company.
Job description: Investment Banking Analyst
Investment Banking Analyst will continue to be in demand as there are new business models been adopted over time. Increase and diversification of global investments will likely have a positive impact on the job. People with a background in finance and quantitative fields are in demand as information modeling plays a vital role in the career. An Investment Banking Analyst should have good analytical skills. Besides tracking financial trends an Investment Banking Analyst will typically focus on specific industries and highlight on pros and cons of investing in particular companies and industries.
Rhetorical analysis
Both resumes are prepared in view of the job descriptions emphasizing on relevant skills for working as an equity trader and investment banking analyst. Furthermore, the resume on World Trade Securities PTG, emphasizes on my experience as a finance committee member of the Penn State University Economics Association, where building relations and liaising with diverse people is important like in equity trading.
Résumé 1: Equity trader
The resume highlights on my skills, competencies and experiences that are complementary to equity trading as well as experiences as a member of the Penn State Economics Students association. These details are relevant to equity trading where analytical skills are vital to the success of an equity trader.
Résumé 2: Investment Banking Analyst
The second resume highlights on my previous internships as this is related to investment banking analysis and related jobs in the financial services sector equity research and wealth management are complementary to investment banking analysis. Furthermore, proficiency in statistical packages highlights on the importance of quantitative analysis.
Cover letter for World Trade Securities PTG
My cover letter for position of an equity trader in the company, emphasized on my previous experience as a trainee equity analyst, and highlighted on relevant skills. Having already dealt with fixed income securities, it would be easier to fit in with the company, as equity traders are more independent. The cover letter also touched on my application of skills to bring in more clients to the company.
Cover letter for Raymond James & Associates Inc
This cover letter first highlights on my background in economics and finance as well as earlier experience in Raymond James & Associates Inc. This helps to draw attention to my suitability to the position which requires good analytical skills, and the document also touches on my experience at TIAA-CREF where I interned in wealth advisory department. Overall, the cover letter touches on my ability to add value the company and suitability.
Cover letter 1
World Trade Securities PTG
WTS Proprietary Group, LLC
100 F...
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