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1. Cover Letter

To whom it may concern,

I write to you today in response to the recent job posting for an Acme Publications staff writer. The job description and qualifications match my background well. My diverse professional experiences in both the humanities and the sciences make me comfortable writing about a wide variety of topics. I possess technological skills honed in both the workplace and the classroom. The wide breath of my interests and knowledge base align with Acme’s cutting-edge perspective on current events and global trends.

There is a growing worldwide emphasis on the importance of science and technology, especially within health and business. I acquired skills useful in a multitude of situations while earning a bachelor’s degree in molecular biology with a minor in professional writing. Completion of numerous laboratory courses, most of which required ample written reports, left me well versed in the priorities and objectives of scientific communication.

Juggling the demands of a technical degree trained my work style in such a way that I manage and even enjoy an intense schedule. Meeting deadlines for class work amidst the demands of two jobs acclimated me to pressures much like those of the newsroom. I better understand the journalistic process after going through the rigors of a University of California course in journalism.

Spending four months analyzing published news reports as well as writing my own stories grounded me within the communicative interplay between journalistic mediums. I chose unique and sometimes controversial subjects for my stories, which spanned topics from innovative bioprinting technology to a UC Merced campus tragedy.

Perhaps most insightful was the heavy emphasis on group work and interpersonal communication in the journalism class. This focus prepared me for the challenges and benefits of workplace group dynamics, necessary for making the most of peer review and editing on the fly in the newsroom. Managing eclectic personalities while adhering to a stringent schedule can only be practiced in real time.

Another course in science writing reinforced the technical style acquired from my chosen major while also serving as practice in blog production. The concise, almost colloquial tone of blog writing reformatted my technical reports into a more easily digestible form. The busy schedules of many readers now require a higher degree of brevity. I appreciate this need after working erratic hours with the UC Merced I.T. department, where I learned about the many different needs of the modern consumer.

I am an avid reader of your publication, and appreciate your consideration in this matter. You can contact me at any time via telephone at 209-846-4082. I also have an active LinkedIn page at http://www.linkedin.com/pub/ashley-graham/22/474/a21.

Sincerely,

Ashley Graham