Did our discussion on finding (or creating) careers that build upon a professional writing degree inspire you to start looking for a job? Or maybe give you a little confidence boost about your job prospects? I really hope so. I genuinely believe that your PW background positions you well for many different types of careers — it all comes down to what you want to do when you leave Virginia Tech. If you want to talk through your options at any point during the semester, please come see me during office hours (T 2–5, W 9–12).

If you haven’t finalized your artifacts and reflection essays for the Core Matrix, you’re falling behind schedule, and you’ll need to catch up quickly. Please put some time into those tasks this weekend.

By the time we meet next, you should finalize your artifacts and write the accompanying reflections for the Professional Writing Matrix. Make sure all of these documents are clearly labeled and uploaded to your shared Google Drive folder before you come to class. (Remember: each week’s checkpoint assignment is worth 10 points. They’re easy points, but you have to do the assignment!)

During class, we’ll talk about writing personal statements and cover letters. Before you come to class, you should read the Purdue OWL’s guide to writing personal statements, “10 tips for writing a grad school personal statement,” by Billie Streufert, and “How to Write a Cover Letter,” by Allison Doyle.

If you have any questions about these plans, please email me this weekend.