AdminSecret

I have a question for everyone and anyone who can answer this.....WHAT IS A WRITING SAMPLE? In my employment search I saw two open positions that requested a writing sample and I have no clue as to what that is!! I would love someone to help me out in this just in case I am ever asked to do this again. In those two positions that I submitted to I just kind of bluffed my way thru those requests and wrote anything that came to mind but I honestly would like to know the real answer if/when this should ever come up!! It would be nice to land a job soon so that the answer to this question doesnt even matter but just in case I would like to know....SOMEONE PLEASE HELP!!!!

If just asked for a writing sample, I would be sure to have a business letter and perhaps a meeting agenda with follow-up in the portfolio of representative work that I took with me to the interview.  You want to make sure the company has no reservations about your ability to do the work. If you do not have writing samples that you actually did for a previous job, I would suggest drafting a business letter that may be in response to a customer service type question relevant to the industry/company to which you are applying.  My portfolio of work includes two business letters, one that is telling someone something positive, and one in which I have to convey unpleasant news.  I also include minutes typed from an agenda that includes follow-up tasks and time frames; a PowerPoint presentation that I have done, and a background memo written to provide information to a supervisor that shows that I can research a company, determine what the most significant information at the time is, and present it in an organized fashion.  I keep these in a "basic, generic" format and then customize them to the company/industry for the interview.  If the company doesn't ask for them, I make sure to present them during the part of the interview where I get to ask questions.  Be sure not to reveal any propriety data (you can change the names, etc).  In today's times, it is necessary to treat "getting a job" like it is a job and do research and other work to make yourself stand out at the interview.