Assignment: Turn in a 3-4 page, double-spaced letter that describes completed and remaining coursework and activities within or closely related to your degree program at SJSU.
Intended audience: A recruiter or interviewer from a company to which you have already submitted an application and from which you have received a request for more information about the courses that are listed on your transcript.
Goal: To explain how specific courses have helped train you for this job or for technically-skilled employment in general. Some recruitment personnel request such documentation for several reasons. Course content and teaching methods vary among universities, and students frequently have personal experiences (that may not be reflected on a one-page transcript) that complement their formal academic training. Frequently, the non-academic training may serve as an "attention-getter" that will set you apart from the rest of the applicant pool!
Instructions/suggestions: Begin with an introduction based on the following template:
Conclude the introductory paragraph with an appropriate 1- or 2-sentence transition from the body of the paper.
In the body of the paper, highlight what you have or will have learned, experienced, or accomplished in these courses. Do not quote or paraphrase course catalogs or green sheets. Add any ancillary information that is pertinent (i.e., previous work in a related field).
Assume that the reader is experienced in your discipline and thus does not require a remedial explanation of geologic concepts. Remember that content will not be assessed!
You may want to emphasize aspects of the courses that particularly prepared
for this job or other technical employment (i.e., field, lab, computer
work, completed research papers, etc.).
Your grade will be based on:
Grammar (spelling, punctuation, usage, etc): roughly 40%
Syntax (how sentences are constructed): roughly 40%
Organization (paragraph construction and order): roughly 20%
This paper is due on February 8, 1999!