Job Packet Assignment #2: A research report in memo form

Length and genre: 3-4 page report in memo form.

Due date: A complete draft (at least 3 full pages) is due in class on February 11, 2002. Final job packet is due in class on February 18, 2003

Your second assignment for this unit is to write a research report describing your investigation of a potential employer or a graduate school. You'll need to determine where you would realistically be interested in applying. Some hints:

• decide where you are applying (and for what)
• glean all the information about the audience you can from the help-wanted ad, internet source, college catalogue, or internship application, etc. Then,
• call the place you are applying and ask for information
• if your informational interview was at the same place of employment, feel free to use that information as appropriate in this report.

The more you know about your target business the more successful your report will be, but moreover, the more successful your job packet will be.

Purpose: This report will serve two purposes:

• it informs me about the company and (in best circumstances) the individual to whom you are addressing your resume and letter of application. It will make me aware of the audience you're responding to with your other documents, and help me to understand some of the rhetorical choices you've made.
• it helps you collect and organize as much information as possible about the company to which you are choosing to apply, making you better able to write a strong letter of application, and far better able to interview. (Be sure to save this information in a file for future applications or interviews.)

Audience: The report should be presented in memo form, addressed to me.

Planning and Drafting: As you begin writing, remember the things we've been discussing in class. Although you do not need to limit your research to these topics, at the very minimum, you’ll want to learn and report on:

• Name, title (correct spelling) of a person to whom you are applying
• History of the organization
• Background or history of the community
• Competition for the position you seek
• Size of organization, position to others in field, potential for growth (new products, services)
• Line of products or services, number of plants, stores, outlets, and employees
• Organizational structure, promotional path, age and background of top management, typical career path in your field

Evaluation Criteria: Report

• care to using memo format
• attractive, readable page design (single-spaced, block paragraphs, headers, bulleted lists)
• clear, well organized prose that employs forecasting, transitions, clear relationships between sentences
• appropriate level of diction, consistent point of view, careful word choice
• careful editing and correct grammar

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