One of the most difficult things for an applicant to do in order to prove his or her writing ability is to provide a writing sample. It is extremely difficult to find the right words to describe how frustrating this can be for the applicants. One of the biggest issues is that there is not one correct answer for this question.
You will often encounter different types of prompts and you will not know how to approach them. Should you write a short story based on an event that took place in your life or is a prompt asking you to write a description of a restaurant dinner suitable for a blog post?
These are the kinds of questions that you will encounter when you are asked to write your sample. While you can approach each one using your creative juices to come up with an original solution, the fact remains that you will not know what is wanted until you are told. Not having any previous knowledge about the topic will only make it harder for you to come up with a good solution.
Choose Suitable Topics
You must ensure that you choose topics that are relevant to your application. If a hiring manager is looking for a quick witty entry that makes them laugh but does not provide any useful information, you have probably picked the wrong topic. On the other side, if the topic is of interest to you and you believe that you can write about it in a way that will interest the reader, go for it!
However, as a general rule, pick topics that you are passionate about. This will naturally translate to more effective and persuasive writing samples. If you are passionate about travel, you will be able to produce a much better piece of content on the subject than someone who has not experienced much travel. The same goes for a lot of other topics. Choose your topics carefully and make sure that you are able to present your argument effectively.
Research The Topic Well
If you are submitting your application for a content strategist role, you must ensure that you have done your homework on the topic. You should have an idea of what the hiring manager is looking for before you start your research. In some instances, the content strategist will be asked to write content for the web. In this case, you must ensure that your research is up to date and that you have used appropriate sources.
Even if you have done your homework and still do not know what is wanted until you are told, there are ways for you to make the process easier. One of the best things that you can do for yourself is to form a thesis statement for your paper. A thesis statement is a claim or a suggestion that you make about the topic of your paper. When you have written your thesis statement, you will have a clearer idea of what you need to study and how to study it. You can also use the thesis statement as a template for your outline. Thesis statements are extremely useful for writing papers as they clearly define what is to be contained within the paper. If you find that you have difficulty formulating a good thesis statement, you can always ask someone for help or search for some good examples on the internet.
Format Your Paper Correctly
There are several different types of papers that you can write for the application. The most common are narrative papers and argumentative papers. A narrative paper is simply a story that you tell about a particular topic. A good narrative paper should be able to hold your interest and keep the reader interested throughout. A proper paper of this type should be no more than 7-8 pages long.
An argumentative paper is where you take a particular stance on an issue and argue for or against something. You will need to have a good grasp of the facts as well as be able to develop a well-thought out argumentative statement. The length of an argumentative paper should be around 15-20 pages. The more you practice, the easier it will get.
Provide A Little More Than That
Do not just write about what is given to you. Even if you have formulated a brilliant thesis statement and put in the necessary amount of hours required to completely understand the topic, you must always ensure that you provide a little more. If the hiring manager is not interested in what you have, he/she will instantly lose interest in what you have to say. Make sure that you always have an angle, a twist, or a unique perspective that will make your writing interesting.
As previously stated, there is no one correct answer for the question of what to include in a writing sample. Each application will be evaluated on its own merits and no one aspect, such as the topic, will be held against you.