If you’re applying for a job in the field of communication, you’ll need to show the employer that you are capable of writing compelling messages for different audiences and on various subjects. A good sample of your writing should reflect this versatility. Your application might also be rejected if it doesn’t show the employer that you’re a safe bet for the job. Below, we’ve compiled a list of the different kinds of samples you’ll need to submit to get this qualification.
News Articles
If you’re applying for a job in the area of journalism, you’ll need to show that you know how to write compelling pieces for different audiences on diverse subjects. A news article is a great place to start. However, make sure that you don’t just write about the latest news stories; you need to be able to show that you can write about topics that are important to your community. If you don’t have any compelling stories about your local area, consider doing some investigative writing for students to find material to publish!
You might want to look into submitting your work to various news publications in order to gain experience and improve your writing skills. If you do end up getting hired and have to write for a living, this experience will definitely be valuable. Remember to make sure that you submit your work before the publication date; news stories usually need to be published quickly so as to be relevant to the target audience (i.e. people interested in the subject matter of the article).
Feature Stories
Similar to the above, a feature story is a story that is published in a magazine or journal aimed at a more general audience. The content is usually more in-depth than that of a news article and may cover a range of subjects or focus on a single topic. Your feature story must demonstrate that you’re capable of investigating and reporting on various subjects while also displaying a nuanced understanding of your subject matter.
Some examples of feature stories that are commonly accepted by employers include:
- A profile of a prominent person
- An in-depth look at a specific technology
- A fashion piece that focuses on the design elements of a specific outfit
- A review of a restaurant
- A travel piece that explores a destination or tells the story of a person traveling somewhere
- A piece that shares the designer’s perspective on a given collection
As you may imagine, the above list is not exhaustive and you may be able to come up with countless examples of feature stories that you could write about. Remember to focus on stories that are relevant to your community; you’ll want to tailor your writing to address the needs and wants of your audience. If you don’t have any compelling stories about your local area, consider doing some investigative work for students to find material to publish!
Creative Writing
Similar to the above, creative writing is basically free-style writing that doesn’t necessarily relate to a particular topic or follows a rigidly defined structure. Although creative writing can take many different forms, it almost always includes some form of narrative. What this means is that you’re writing a story and you’ll be given some kind of framework (characters, setting, etc.) to work within. Creative writing is a great way for potential employees to display their writing skills and it can often be more satisfying to produce something that is entirely original and does not follow a prescribed structure compared to writing an article that is copied from another source.
Some examples of creative writing that are commonly accepted by employers include:
- A poem
- A short story
- A play
- A non-fiction book proposal
- An anthology of short stories
- An autobiography
As you may imagine, the above list is not exhaustive and you may be able to come up with countless examples of creative writing that you could submit for a job. Remember to focus on stories that are relevant to your community; you’ll want to tailor your writing to address the needs and wants of your audience. If you don’t have any compelling stories about your local area, consider doing some investigative work for students to find material to publish!
Copywriting
Last but not least, we have copywriting. This is basically the writing that goes into advertising or marketing pieces. Your copywriter should be able to string a winning marketing pitch together for various products or services; he or she should also be able to create compelling messaging for an entire webpage or social media campaign. As the name would suggest, your copywriter will be responsible for crafting textual content for various media platforms (e.g. websites, social media accounts, emails, online ads, etc.).
If you’re applying for a job in the area of marketing, you’ll need to show that you’re capable of writing compelling pitches for various products or services. For instance, you might be asked to write a pitch for a clothing brand. You’ll need to show that you can appeal to the retail fashion industry (i.e. the people interested in purchasing clothing) with your writing. Ideally, your copy should be both interesting and informative while being concise and to the point.
Some examples of copywriting that are commonly accepted by employers include:
- A product review that is published in a top tier online magazine
- A short story that is published in a top tier magazine
- A blog post that promotes a given product
- A short story that is published in a top tier magazine
- A digital marketing plan aimed at attracting new customers to a given business
- A lead capture form for a business
As you may imagine, the above list is not exhaustive and you may be able to come up with countless examples of copywriting that you could submit for a job. Remember to focus on stories that are relevant to your community; you’ll want to tailor your writing to address the needs and wants of your audience. If you don’t have any compelling stories about your local area, consider doing some investigative work for students to find material to publish!
When writing your cover letter, be sure to tailor it to the specific job you’re applying for. If you’re applying for a position at a business magazine, for example, be sure to highlight any experience you have with corporate finance. If you’re applying for a position at a literary publication, make sure to highlight your short stories and feature articles.