Organizational Communication
Order Description
Choose a company that you may like to work for, either as a post-graduation job or as an internship. Create the following job application materials.
Company Research
For the company you’ve chosen, prepare a short (one-page) “fact sheet” detailing information about that company. This information should include that which you believe will help you target your résumé and cover letter to that company. Use this list to help you decide what information to include.
* name, location, size of company, and type of industry
• the quality of the organization and its public image
• the type of people currently employed (Conservative? Liberal? Creative?)
• conditions under which you might work (What’s the typical work week like?)
• nature of the training program (What will you learn? From whom?)
• opportunities for education and advancement (What are the promotion policies? Will they reimburse you for an advanced degree such as an MBA?)
• the fiscal history and employment stability record of the company (What’s the employee turnover rate and prognosis of permanence? Are they downsizing?)
• whether travel or relocation is required (If travel is required, how much travel?)
• nature of the community in which the company is located or where you will be working (Is it a big city or a small town? What’s the cost of living? Are there cultural opportunities? Are there recreational opportunities? What’s the climate like?)
• employee compensation and benefits (Generally you don’t ask these questions until the second interview or until you are offered a position, but you can usually find out this information—to a limited degree—from research.)
The “fact sheet” may be composed in paragraph form or as a bulleted list.
Cover Letter
Write a cover letter to the company. Address it to a specific person in the company—preferably the one who does the hiring! Make sure your tone is professional and that you highlight and augment the information in your résumé.
Résumé
Write a professional and accurate résumé tailored to the company you’ve selected.
Thank-You Note
Assume that you were interviewed by the company. Write a thank-you note to your interviewer. Be sure to use a standard letter template and to emphasize your benefit to the company.