Think of the writing sample as test, or another key element of your application. The employer or university application reviewer will be looking at your writing sample as a way to gauge how you well you might suit the position or the program.
Some employers may not specify what they are looking for in a writing sample. If this is the case, consider the position or program you are applying for and how you can demonstrate your skills through a particular piece of writing.
If you have time, you can also revise the more relevant paper so it is better written and submit it instead. This would show the reviewer you took the time to find an applicable writing sample that also shows off your strong writing skills. You could also create a writing sample for a particular job application or university application. This might be necessary if you have limited work experience and are applying for an entry-level job. For example, if you are applying for a job in sales, you might create a mock proposal for a sale of the company’s product to a client, or create a profile for a client. Or if you applying for a research position, you may submit a school assignment that demonstrates your excellent research and writing skills. School assignments are good writing samples for first time applications, especially if you worked hard on them and if they seem relevant to the position or program you are applying for. [4] X Research source
Always submit recent or current writing over old writing. If you’ve been out of school for several years, your old science term paper may not be the best demonstration of your writing. It will tell the employer or reviewer that you haven’t written in a long period of time and may not showcase your strongest writing.
If you have a long paper that you would like to submit, choose excerpts from the paper that showcase your best writing. One option is the choose a section from the introduction, the body paragraphs, and the conclusion, totalling no more than five pages, so your reader has a sense of the paper as whole. [7] X Research source
One trick is to read your writing sample backwards to look for any misspelled words or grammatical mistakes. You can also ask a peer, friend, or colleague to read over your writing sample for any obvious spelling and grammar errors you may have missed.
If the formatting is not specified, it’s always best to make the sample double spaced so it is easy to read and to include page numbers and your name. If you are submitting an excerpt, you should include a note that informs the reader is is an excerpt from X page to X page, and provide the topic of the paper on the top of the sample.
Another option is to create a fake company name and adjust the location and type of business noted in the sample so you don’t reveal any private details.
