When you’re applying for a job, one of the things that you’ll be asked to do is write a short sample of your work. Usually, they want something that is between 150-300 words, but it really depends on the field that you’re applying for. For technical writing, it’s usually 300 words or less. For editorial work, it’s often closer to 150 words. The idea is to give the person reading your application a taste of your work so that they have a sense of what you’re capable of. Below, we’ll discuss what length of sample you should write and why.
Should You Write a Little Sample Or a Full Paper?
When you first start applying for jobs, they’ll ask you to send a little sample of your work. In most cases, this will be either a short story or an article, which you can probably find online for free. You don’t have to have an elaborate story to write; all they want is for you to show that you can write well enough to understand the topic that they’re teaching you about. As you get more experienced, you can start to think about submitting a full paper instead of a little sample. When writing a full paper, make sure to include everything in your skill set – from the abstract to the references to the tables and figures. You can’t go wrong with a longer paper.
The Difference In Length
When it comes to applying for jobs, you’ll often be asked to write a short sample of your work. As we mentioned above, the typical word count for these is between 150-300 words. Once you’ve written your sample, you’ll likely be asked to proofread it. This is where most writers become frustrated, because even though they’ve written what they think is a great piece, when it comes down to reviewing it, they find a lot of grammatical errors that they didn’t catch during the original writing stage. Be sure to take your time with the proofreading phase and make sure that your piece is impeccable before you send it in.
Why Are Writing Samples Important?
One of the things that make up a successful application for any job is experience. The better your experience, the better your chances of landing the job. When it comes to applying for jobs, the most important quality that you can possess is experience. When a company is deciding which applicant to choose for a certain job, they’ll typically look at your resume first and then follow up with a phone call or an interview. Having a sample of your writing on hand makes you look more experienced to the person on the other end of the phone or the computer.
What If You Don’t Have Any Published Work?
If you don’t have any published work, then you’ll have to rely on your sample. The only way to get experience is by writing and publishing, so consider this option carefully before making a decision. You can’t write your paper for someone else; you’ll have to do it for yourself. Luckily, with a bit of practice, you’ll be able to polish your paper into something great that will make your application stand out.
When Is The Best Time To Submit Your Writing Sample?
As we’ve established above, writing samples are important for applications. When you first start applying for jobs, it’s best to go with the short sample option – at least, for the first round. This means that you’ll need to find a job before you can start writing your paper. Once you land your first job, then you can start thinking about submitting your paper. As you get more confident, start to think about submitting your longer paper – somewhere between 500-1000 words.
Even though you might be tempted to wait until you’ve written the perfect paper before submitting it, take our word for it and don’t. One of the worst things that you can do is show up to your interview only to find that your paper isn’t done yet. It’ll immediately throw off any sense of professionalism that you might have been able to create.