Major Assignment Descriptions for
English 303 Job
Application Packet (due Tuesday, Sept
14)
see Appendex C, Project 1 (p. 617)
Your job application packet should include the
following (in a manila envelope)
Resume
The first draft you brought to class on Tuesday, Sept 2
At least one subsequent draft, with changes highlighted
Final Version (Remember that if you don't include a list
of references in your resume, you must present
them on
a separate sheet you could give to a prospective
employer)
Resume
Checklist-a guide for planning, drafting, and
evaluating your resume
Letter
The first draft you brought to class on Thursday, Sept 9
At least one subsequent draft, with changes highlighted
Final Draft (Remember that your letter must persuade your
reader that you have specific knowledge of his or her
company on a topic related to the kind of job you
want)
Job
Application Letter Checklist-a guide for planning,
drafting, and evaluating your cover letter
Useful links for the job seeker:
Company
Job Listings-an index of corporate sites for job
seekers, compiled by Yahoo!
Chicago
Tribune CareerPath-the Trib's classified job ads
Internships-an
index of internship sites, compiled by Yahoo!
Instructions Project (due Tuesday, Oct 14)
Summary
For this assignment you will write instructions for users
of a traditional spring-loaded mousetrap. You will be
working in small teams (3-4) throughout this project. The
documents you will produce are: 1) a project planning
memo, 2) a user testing report, and 3) the mousetrap
instructions.
Project Scenario
Your technical communication consulting firm, Dipsy
Doodles, Inc., has just been contracted to write new sets
of instructions for an international pest control
company. The company, SMASHEM!, is based in Britain and
produces a variety of pest control devices. One of their
most popular is a standard mousetrap, but currently no
written instructions exist for the traps. In addition,
the pest control company is concerned that their entrance
into the international market (in this case, the U.S. and
Canada) will heighten the need for clear instructions.
They also are concerned that the traps meet safety
standards because of potential liability issues.
Document Requirements
for the SMASHEM! Spring Loaded Mousetrap
The instructional document and the
process for creating it must meet the following
requirements:
• The text must be clearly
written and accurate
• A clearly labeled visual depiction of the trap
must be part of the instructions
• The text must be reproducible in black and white
print
• The document can be folded, but must fit into the
trap’s cellophane packaging
• Adequate warning and safety information must be
included
• The instructions must be user tested, complete
with a documented record of the testing procedures and
results of the tests
Overview of the
Instruction Writing Process and Report
1. Analyze the project requirements
and produce a project plan memo (email)
2. Conduct a task analysis
3. Prepare a document mock-up
4. Design and conduct a user test
5. Complete the instructions and write a user test report
Planning Guide for Instructions
Planning Guide for User Tests
Checklist for Instructions
Unsolicited Recommendation (due Tuesday, Oct 28)
See Appendix C, Project 4
(pp. 619-620)
Client Project Assignment (due periodically, see course syllabus for project deadlines)
Your major project in English 303 will
consist of several documents (including a project plan,
report with attachments, memo of transmittal, and oral
presentation) focuses on a research task you will perform
for a specified client organization. The project will be
based on a real problem or need in an organization about
which you have personal knowledge and experience.
Some of the documents that you prepare for this project
will be individual tasks, but the project itself will be
the responsibility of a project team.
Your team will play the role of
research consultants, collecting and analyzing
information about the client's problem or need, and
presenting a recommendation based on your findings. The
person who proposed the topic will function as the
"client liaison," gathering internal
information relevant to the project. However, the client
liaison should not take on the role of project leader;
all team members share equal responsibility for the
planning and completion of research and writing tasks. As
instructor, I will act as supervisor and advisor to your
project team.
The report that will result from this
project will be a team-authored document of 10-12 pages,
with additional pages of visuals, tables, graphs, and
other attachments (see Appendix C, Project 10, pages
623-624).
The team will also present the proposal
in a 10-15 minute in-class oral presentation. The
audience for this presentation will be the same as the
report.
Portions of this site are borrowed
or adapted from Paul Anderson's web syllabus, by
permission of the author.
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