How to Prepare a Writing Sample
This article was co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD. Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014.
This article has been viewed 79,267 times.
Writing skills are an essential part of many jobs. Across a wide variety of professions, up to 20 percent of a new employee's duties may involve writing. Because of this, many employers require applicants to prepare a writing sample regardless of the position they are applying for. By choosing the best writing sample and submitting it the proper way, you can make sure your writing sample will strengthen any application you submit.
Method 1 of 3:
Choosing from Your Existing Work

- A good plan would be to save any examples of good writing in a folder on your computer and label it “Writing Samples.”
- Choose samples of your writing that showcase a broad range of skills, including summarizing and conveying complex ideas, presenting original research, or writing persuasive materials.

- For example, for a technical writer position, sample topics from a help file or procedure manual would be appropriate. For a marketing position, advertising sample copy would be a good choice.
- If you have several prospective samples to choose from, choose the most recent sample unless an older sample better showcases your capabilities with respect to the position.
- In some cases, you may want to send more than one writing sample, notably if the position calls for the ability to write various types of pieces and you want to showcase your abilities in all the areas listed.
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- Often, a job posting will include the prescribed length of the requested sample. Never submit something longer than the requested length. Edit the content of your piece to fit the sample requirements, whether that be a page count or a word count.
- In some cases, the type of writing will dictate the length of the sample. For example, blogs and press releases typically run from 300 to 500 words, while legal memoranda should run 5 to 10 pages.
- You can take an excerpt from a larger piece of writing, but if you do, include a note that explains this and summarizes the parts that were omitted and why you omitted them.

- Only provide a writing sample if specifically asked for one. Even if the position you're applying for requires a great deal of writing, you may not be asked to provide a sample right away. Providing a sample too early in the interview process may torpedo your chances of getting the job if it isn't a good sample.
- If you fail to correctly follow the application instructions when submitting your writing sample, this may lead reviewers to reject your application outright if the position is highly competitive.

- For example, if you wrote an opinion piece for a civics class on whether or not abortion should be legal, you should probably think twice about using it as your writing sample, since this is a particularly controversial topic in the United States.
- In no case should you send a sample that puts down any individual or groups of people.
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Method 2 of 3:
Writing a Sample from Scratch
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- For example, if you’re writing a sample as part of a graduate school application, consider writing an essay that demonstrates your ability to use and cite evidence to support an academic argument. [6] X Research source
- For media-related jobs, consider writing a journalistic piece or a faux press release. For a marketing position, you might write an analysis of the use of social media to promote products.
- If you’re unsure of what sort of sample would be most relevant to the position you’re applying for, consider simply writing a clear, descriptive article on a topic that isn’t controversial.

- For example, if you’re writing a research paper on a historical topic, consider using an analytical framework that other historians haven’t used to examine the topic before.
- Your writing sample, like your application overall, should partially be an effort on your part to emphasize what you want reviewers to remember about you.

- For example, if writers at the institution you’re applying to tend to use formal and professional language in their writing, writing your sample in a snarky and informal tone will make reviewers think you don’t belong at their institution.
- The nature of the company or institution you’re applying to will also determine your use of particular writing techniques. For instance, if you’re applying for a job with a marketing firm, you may want to incorporate strong imagery in your writing that will appeal to readers’ senses.

Include an introductory paragraph on the nature of your sample. You’ll want your reviewer to know the reasoning behind the type of sample you wrote and what you were hoping to achieve by writing it (e.g., demonstrate your research skills to a professor). Add an introductory paragraph that explains the purpose of your sample and why you chose to include it in your application. [9] X Research source

- You don’t want your writing sample to directly be about you as a person. That is a personal essay, which is a different genre than a writing sample. Instead, it should be a reflection of your skills as a writer and/or researcher.

- Note that you should only do this if there are no guidelines on the application for what to use as a writing sample. If there are writing sample guidelines that you ignore or don’t notice, asking what you should write about will reflect poorly on you as a candidate.

Revise and polish your first draft. Once you’ve finished the first draft of your writing sample, read through it again and revise it as necessary. Fix any grammar or spelling errors, tighten up awkward or verbose writing, and add or delete writing as necessary. Remember, you want your writing sample to be as strong as possible.
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Method 3 of 3:
Formatting Your Sample for Submission

- Unless other instructions are included on the application, consider simply labeling the document that contains your sample as “Writing Sample” or “[Your Name] Writing Sample.”
- You may want to also include a running header of "[Last Name] Writing Sample," on each page so that all your pages can be kept together if printed and distributed.
- If your writing sample contains information from previous assignments or jobs, make sure to rewrite it in a new document so that this information doesn’t carry over to your application.

- Edit your sample even if it got a good grade from a teacher or professor. Just because you earned a good grade for it doesn’t necessarily mean your writing sample is error-free.
- If you’re submitting a paper you wrote for a class, make sure the version you submit doesn’t have any markings from your professor on it.

- You can often remove confidential information by simply rewriting parts of your sample. For instance, instead of writing “When I worked at Ray’s Hardware in Conway,” simply say “When I worked in a small-town hardware store.”

- If you’re sending a printed sample, print it on clean, high-grade paper.

- This is especially important if you choose to submit an excerpt from a longer piece, as it will be particularly difficult to understand the excerpt if you don’t explain what the longer piece is about.
- It will definitely be necessary to explain why you chose the sample you did if it doesn’t immediately appear relevant. For example, if you’re applying for a job at a fashion magazine and submit a writing sample from your biology class, you’ll need to explain your reasoning.

- Even if the application didn’t require a writing sample, consider bringing one to the interview anyway. It may become relevant at some point during the conversation.
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Community Q&A
Can I send a psycho-social assessment as a writing sample for a case manager position?
Samuel C. King
Community Answer
This will depend mostly on the actual position you're applying for and what sort of skills the employer is looking for, but generally speaking, yes, a psychosocial assessment would seem relevant to the position of a case manager.
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I am applying for an admin asssistant position. My interviewer asked me to submit a writing sample. What do I write about? They have asked for 1-2 pages. I have never written anything.
Community Answer
You could start by looking through old papers and writing assignments from the last grade you finished (things like essays, or critical analyses). Find a few sections that you’re proud of, and use the best parts in your writing sample. For additional material, try writing a review of something you enjoyed recently— a book, a film, a restaurant, whatever you’re interested in. As an alternative to writing a review/recommendation, try writing a passage reflecting on a moment of time— say, a beautiful day out in nature, or a heartwarming interaction with a kind stranger. If you make a point to enjoy the writing process, you will feel less stressed out about it!
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It's a good idea to set aside a folder on your computer for writing samples you'll use most frequently.
It's also a good idea to compile a list of writing you've previously published. You can use this list as a supplement to your resume or review it to help you decide which writing samples are most appropriate for the position to which you're applying.
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References
- ↑https://careers.umbc.edu/students/documents/writing-sample/
- ↑https://www.thebalancecareers.com/writing-samples-for-job-applications-and-interviews-2061594
- ↑https://careers.umbc.edu/students/documents/writing-sample/
- ↑https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/career-transitions/200906/the-dreaded-writing-sample
- ↑https://careers.umbc.edu/students/documents/writing-sample/
- ↑https://www.gc.cuny.edu/CUNY_GC/media/CUNY-Graduate-Center/PDF/MALS/Guidelines-for-the-Writing-Sample.pdf
- ↑https://www.themuse.com/advice/5-steps-to-submitting-a-writing-sample-that-will-blow-hiring-managers-away
- ↑https://www.themuse.com/advice/5-steps-to-submitting-a-writing-sample-that-will-blow-hiring-managers-away
- ↑https://www.themuse.com/advice/5-steps-to-submitting-a-writing-sample-that-will-blow-hiring-managers-away
- ↑https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/career-transitions/200906/the-dreaded-writing-sample
- ↑https://www.thebalancecareers.com/writing-samples-for-job-applications-and-interviews-2061594
- ↑https://icc.ucdavis.edu/materials/writing-samples.htm
- ↑https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/career-transitions/200906/the-dreaded-writing-sample
- ↑https://careers.umbc.edu/students/documents/writing-sample/
- ↑https://www.themuse.com/advice/5-steps-to-submitting-a-writing-sample-that-will-blow-hiring-managers-away
- ↑https://www.thebalancecareers.com/writing-samples-for-job-applications-and-interviews-2061594
About this article
Co-authored by:
English Professor
This article was co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD. Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. This article has been viewed 79,267 times.
16 votes - 64%
Co-authors: 7
Updated: August 4, 2021
Views: 79,267
Since writing skills are an essential part of so many jobs, many employers require applicants to prepare a writing sample no matter what position they’re applying for. To prepare a writing sample, start by looking over your old work and seeing if you have anything that’s appropriate for the position you’re applying to. If there’s no guideline on length, then pick something that’s between 1 and 4 pages long. You can also take an excerpt from a longer piece, but make sure to include a note that explains this and summarizes the parts that you omit. While it’s best to use something you’ve already written, you can write a sample from scratch if you don’t have anything else. In this case, write something that demonstrates the types of skills you’ll need for the position you’re applying for. Pick a topic that you’re interested in but that isn’t too controversial since you don’t want to alienate your reader. To learn how to format your writing sample for submission, keep reading!