To: Professor Priscilla Sneff

From: Bridget Corey

Subject: Analysis of Cover Letters and Rsums
Date: March 3, 2016
The purpose of this memo is to communicate the rhetorical context of two internship positions I
have applied for at Turner Construction and Accenture Consulting for Summer 2016. I have
summarized the factors I considered in developing the two cover letters and rsums, which
include the respective audiences, and the individual job descriptions. The memo is organized
into three parts Job Descriptions, Audience Analysis, and Rhetorical Analysis. The Job
Descriptions section explains the specific positions being applied to. The Audience Analysis
examines the specific organizations that have posted the job ads and the individuals within these
companies likely to read the rsums and cover letters. Lastly, the Rhetorical Analysis section
discusses how I designed the application documents based on the individual audiences and
particular job descriptions to enhance the impressions they make on their readers.

Job Descriptions
Turner Construction Company, Engineering Intern
Turners primary business includes providing construction management services for a wide
range of markets globally, such as healthcare, aviation, sports, commercial, retail, and education
building to name a few. Turner has 43 offices in North America and operates internationally in
Europe, India, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean. Some of
the most notable structures of the 20th century have been built by Turner: Madison Square
Garden, OHare International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, and many more. This kind of largescale work requires a team of professionals from a wide range of fields. Thus, Turner
Construction hires numerous civil engineers to construct and assist on their projects.
The internship position I am applying for at Turner involves working directly under one of these
civil engineers, also known as project engineers in the construction industry. The main duties
and responsibilities noted in the ad are acquiring, evaluating, coordinating, and distributing
information such as shop drawings, submittals and contracts, as well as preparing estimates for
changes in the work done by subcontractors. The job ad also states that the candidate must be
enrolled in a four-year college degree program in engineering or architecture.
The ad also specifies that in addition to the main duties of the job, there will be frequent
construction site visits that will have various safety hazards like moving mechanical parts,
fumes, and risk of electric shock. I will want to highlight that I have experience in this kind of
work environment from my previous internship, and that I have even operated some machines
common in the construction industry.

Accenture Consulting Company, Consulting Analyst Intern

Accenture is one of the worlds leading global professional services companies and includes
various specializations in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. Accenture
Consulting, launched in June 2015, focuses on technology, management, and business
consulting, but the division also has expertise in more than 40 industries. With this broad range
of consulting capabilities, Accenture Consulting requires a diverse group of employees. Thus,
Accenture hires many engineers because of their inherent complex problem solving skills and
deeply analytical mindsets.
I am applying for a position as a consulting analyst intern, which requires the abilities described
above. The main role of a consulting analyst intern is to work with clients to help their
businesses grow and improve. In more specific terms, this would involve first understanding and
establishing the clients business objectives, identifying business processes and organizational
problems, and then developing approaches to remedy these issues and reform the clients overall
business infrastructures.
The ad notes that the position requires that the applicant be enrolled in a bachelors or masters
degree program in any major. Furthermore, it is preferable that the candidate is a well-rounded,
consistently high-achieving student, and would offer excellent critical thinking, analytical and
problem solving skills to the job. The job ad does not specify any particular required courses or
any detailed knowledge of any sort relating to consulting, so it will be critical for me to
demonstrate that I embody the type of person they are looking for beyond just my technical
background.

Audience Analysis
Turner Construction Company
Turner Construction Company is a construction management firm based in New York City, New
York, and is a subsidiary of the German construction company, Hochtief. Turner employs 5,200
personnel who work on more than 1,500 projects every year. While Turner is known for its
large-scale projects like the UN headquarters, Yankee Stadium, and the San Francisco 49ers
stadium, it also provides services for smaller projects, and interior construction and renovations
as well. Turner declares on its website that it offers clients the accessibility and support of a
local firm with the stability and resources of a multi-national organization.
Turners official vision statement indicates that it aims to to be the highest value provider of
global construction services and technical expertise. Turner also fosters innovation, and
embraces emerging technologies. As a result, they have started to implement Building
Information Modeling (BIM) in their projects, which consists of constructing 3D digital models
in concurrence with or before building in the field. BIM is a very effective tool because it allows
all project team members to be able to view every aspect of the project before it is even built.
Turner has roughly $30 billion in BIM projects, thus this is becoming a large part of the
companys approach to building. Since Turner is a relatively large company, it is unclear who
would be reading rsums and cover letters, but in my case, it is most likely that a project
engineer would read my application. Accordingly, I believe it would be important to include my

experience with AutoCAD because BIM and AutoCAD are both tools within the Autodesk
software corporation, which develops programs for the construction industry.

Accenture Consulting Company

Accenture is an international management consulting, technology services and outsourcing
company headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, that has continued to evolve into a renowned
authority of the professional world since the 1950s. The firm has been ranked in Fortunes
Worlds Most Admired Companies for 14 consecutive years as a result. Accenture works with
clients in all businesses and industries to help them become superior in their fields. Accentures
slogan High performance. Delivered. aims to reflect their core values, which are stewardship,
best people, client value creation, one global network, respect for the individual and integrity.
Accenture looks for high achieving individuals who are talented collaborators, and who succeed
when confronted with challenges, as well as people who have unique and global insights to the
complex problems their clients face. Because Accenture hires a lot of recent college graduates, a
recruiter would most likely read my application. Therefore, given that the job is not technical,
the audience will most likely not have a technical background, and they will probably look for
more generalized behavioral strengths in the application. Their advertisement for the consulting
analyst internship even states that Accenture interns are well-rounded with a consistent track
record of outstanding academic performance and high learning agility. We are looking to build
our teams with individuals who are open, entrepreneurial and collaborative. Furthermore, it will
be important to mention specific details from my experiences with working on a team, and
solving complex problems.

Rhetorical Analysis
The two internships that I chose to apply for are part of differing industries, thus the necessary
qualifications for the jobs vary, too. In order to successfully market myself for each of the
positions, I believe that it is necessary to tailor each of my applications specifically to their
respective audiences. For instance, I will have to focus on my technical engineering background
and work experience for one, and my collaborative and problem-solving skills for the other.

Turner Construction Company

For the cover letter to Turner, I aimed to show my engineering background and my extensive
work with AutoCAD throughout my courses. My introductory paragraph inquires about my
interest in applying for the internship position. Subsequently, the second paragraph states the
relevant engineering courses I have taken as well as specific AutoCAD projects I have done in
these classes. The third paragraph includes more information about my work experience as an
engineering intern at a restoration company and some of the tasks I carried out during my time
there. Lastly, the fourth paragraph serves as my conclusion, in which my interest is reestablished
and it includes my contact information and a request for an interview.
In my rsum, I chose to design it as a skills rsum as opposed to a chronological rsum. I
preferred this format because I have a limited amount of relevant work experience, and I wanted

to showcase my academic success at the top of the page where it would be read first. The
education section immediately follows the purpose statement and includes my cumulative GPA,
then my deans list history and after that my capstone design course. I chose to include all of
these because they show my strong academic record, and how my technical area of study in
residential development particularly qualifies me for the position.
Next, I noted my work experience and I decided to place my engineering internship first because
it best relates to the position I am applying for in construction. I also noted several specific tasks
I performed at my internship because many of them resemble the tasks included in Turners job
advertisement. For instance, Turner specified that duties would involve assisting in the
preparation of contract documents and authorizations, as well as preparing cost estimates and
that the job would entail regularly working at the construction work sites. To show my
qualification, I included in my engineering intern work experience that I revised condition
appraisals, asset management plans and proposals, and that I conducted cost estimates for several
projects in addition to traveling to sites and performing surveys and tests, too. Lastly, I chose to
put my computer skills directly after because the job ads qualifications indicate that strong
computer skills and a familiarity with Microsoft office suite of programs are preferred.

Accenture Consulting Company

In my cover letter to Accenture, I decided to concentrate on my experiences with working on a
team for my advanced engineering class and my relevant work background as an engineering
intern this past summer. I found that Accenture recruiters are just as interested in the structure of
job applications as they are in the content of the documents, so I also paid careful attention to the
overall structure and quality of my writing. The introductory paragraph broaches the subject of
my intent to apply for the internship position, and lays out the content of the remainder of the
letter. The second paragraph describes my education and aims to convey how my engineering
coursework has fostered my collaborative and analytical abilities. The third paragraph presents
the details of my time as an engineering intern in Summer 2015, and mentions various tasks I
carried out as well as how my work there improved my communication skills and professional
identity. In the final paragraph, I reference my rsum and share my contact information to
further relay my interest and create an opportunity for future communication.
In my rsum, I again arranged it as a skills rsum because I have only a limited amount of
professional work experience. The education section comes directly after the objective statement
and focuses on my high cumulative GPA and my deans list history, which highlight my overall
academic success at Penn State. Below the education section is the work experience section, and
it begins with my engineering internship because it best equates with the job in which I am
applying for and it shows that I have experience with working in a professional environment.
Next, in the activities section, I listed several clubs and societies I am involved in to establish
that I have an active and multifaceted persona outside of my studies. Lastly, I decided to include
my computer skills because they reflect a few of the technical skills I have learned throughout
my academic career, and also because Accenture is a very technologically innovative compan

116 Locust Lane

Media, PA 19063
March 3, 2016

Turner Construction
375 Hudson Street
6th Floor
New York, NY 10014

To Whom It May Concern:

I would like to apply for the engineering intern position in the construction division of your New York
City office for Summer 2016. I learned from your career page on your website that this position is
available, and I know that my education and work experience qualify me for this job.
At the Pennsylvania State University, I have taken a vast number of civil engineering courses as well as
additional general engineering classes and a few valuable general education courses. I have gained a
significant amount of knowledge about the construction industry through my Professionalism,
Economics, and Construction Project Delivery course, in which we learned about engineering ethics,
professionalism relating to licensure, and the engineering economy. For this course we focused on
project development, and the design and construction of the delivery process. Because your ad indicates
that the position entails handling a substantial amount of contract documents and authorizations, I
believe my work in this engineering course would be of particular worth. In a few of my other civil
engineering courses, I have worked in depth with AutoCAD and AutoCAD Civil 3D. In my Surveying
course, I performed GPS and GIS mapping, circular and parabolic curve drawings, and earthwork
drawings, and in my Highway Engineering lab course, I created plans, profiles, and cross sections for
road alignments. I trust that this experience with digital design has prepared me well for the internships
potential dealings with processing shop drawings, and computer work in general.
This past summer, I worked as an engineering intern with Walker Restoration Consultants, a consulting
and engineering company that specializes in the restoration and preservation of their clients built assets.
I accompanied three project engineers on several restoration projects specifically dealing with building
facades and parking garages throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. As the Philadelphia offices sole
intern, I gained special guidance from not only my three superiors, but also the rest of the office
including the new design sector of the company. Overall, this position gave me a thorough
understanding of the construction process in addition to new knowledge of the durability and properties
of widely-used building materials, such as concrete and wood.
The enclosed rsum contains further information regarding my qualifications for the engineering intern
position. I would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you at your convenience to discuss my
application. You can contact me any time at (610) 416-5007, or you can email me at bcc5159@psu.edu.
Sincerely,
Bridget C. Corey
Enclosure

BRIDGET C. COREY
116 Locust Lane ~ Media, PA 19063 ~ 610-416-5007
bcc5159@psu.edu

OBJECTIVE
To obtain an internship position in construction at Turner, beginning in Summer 2016

EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering
The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
o Cumulative GPA: 3.84/4.00
o Deans List: 6 out of 7 semesters
o Capstone Design Course: Sustainable Residential Subdivision Design
o Expected Graduation: December 2016

WORK EXPERIENCE
Engineering Intern, Walker Restoration Consultants, Wayne, PA
(Summer 2015)
o Traveled to sites and performed surveys of parking garages and building facades by marking deteriorations
and cracking of concrete on printed floor plans and elevations
o Conducted cost estimates for projects using Excel based on site visits and previous surveys
o Tested for chlorides in concrete of parking garage floors through gradient depth sampling, which required
manually drilling into the floor of each level at several depths on site
o Revised condition appraisals, asset management plans and proposals for grammar and wording for
restoration projects of various sizes
o Aided in writing and assembling proposals for clients under supervision of the project manager
o Assisted in data collection for case studies associated with parking lot occupancy based on time of day and
transaction rates for vehicles entering parking garages
o Organized an electronic library of past restoration project documents
Cashier and Salad-maker, Sunshine Farms Inc., Swarthmore, PA
(April 2013-August 2014)
o Handled all store-front operations as cashier and reported directly to managers; also assisted customers by
addressing complaints and concerns directly
o Processed exchanges and refunds as well as all credit card and check payments
o Maintained cash drawer accurately, was responsible for accounting and prepared cash deposits
o Trained several new employees as cashier and salad-maker and supervised them as they adjusted to their jobs
o Worked in a crowded kitchen as a salad-maker; excelled at generating consistent and well-made products;
learned how to work in a busy, fast-paced environment
o Overall, developed constructive relationships with staff members and customers, and learned many new
skills including leadership, communication, and customer service

COMPUTER SKILLS
Microsoft Office: Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Publisher; SolidWorks, AutoCAD, AutoCAD Civil 3D
Programming: C++, MATLAB, R

ACTIVITIES
Member, Bridges to Prosperity - Penn State University Chapter
Member, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Member, Society of Women Engineers - National and PSU (SWE)
Member, National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS)

116 Locust Lane

Media, PA 19063
March 3, 2016
Accenture Consulting Company
2005 Market Street
One Commerce Square, 15th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing in response to information I came across on Pennsylvanias State Universitys online job
search system, eCareer, regarding a consulting analyst internship at your Philadelphia office. Given the
requirements listed in the job ad, I am confident that I qualify for this position with my education and
work experiences.
At the Pennsylvania State University, my civil engineering curriculum involves a wide range of
engineering and general education classes, which have, as a result, developed me into a very wellrounded student. In particular, my engineering courses have nurtured my analytical and collaborative
skills. For instance, in my Professionalism, Economics and Construction Project Delivery course, I
worked with four of my peers on three major engineering projects. For one of our projects, we analyzed
the costs and incomes associated with the construction of a 23.5-acre corporate park in Scranton, PA.
We devised a detailed economic plan for the project after estimating the potential costs and incomes for
the development of the site. This included items such as loan annuities to fund the project, existing site
demolition fees, operation and maintenance costs and many more. We also took into account the risks
related to the project, such as the sites location, regional weather conditions, and financing methods. I
believe that my experience with projects like this, which require strong critical thinking and analytical
abilities as well as solid communication and collaborative skills, make me a particularly valuable
candidate for the internship.
Furthermore, I already have background in professional consulting and engineering practices. This past
summer, I worked for Walker Restoration Consultants, a firm specializing in the restoration and
preservation of their clients built assets, as an engineering intern. The internship introduced me to the
field of consulting combined with engineering and specifically allowed me to improve my
communication skills with clients and my superiors. I worked under three project engineers on several
projects, typically restoring parking garages and building facades. I spent a significant amount of time
revising and editing project documents, and traveled to many sites throughout the Mid-Atlantic region at
least once weekly during my 3-month period at the firm. This experience would be very beneficial in
allowing me to learn quickly and use my background in the consulting analyst internship position at
Accenture.
The enclosed rsum provides an overview of my education and work experiences. You may contact
me any time at (610) 416-5007, or you can email me at bcc5159@psu.edu. Thank you for considering
me for the position.
Sincerely,
Bridget C. Corey

Enclosure

BRIDGET C. COREY
116 Locust Lane ~ Media, PA 19063 ~ 610-416-5007
bcc5159@psu.edu

OBJECTIVE
To obtain an internship position as an Accenture Consulting Analyst, beginning in Summer 2016

EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering
The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
o Cumulative GPA: 3.84/4.00
o Deans List: 6 out of 7 semesters
o Expected Graduation: December 2016

WORK EXPERIENCE
Engineering Intern, Walker Restoration Consultants, Wayne, PA
(Summer 2015)
o Revised condition appraisals, asset management plans and proposals for grammar and wording
for restoration projects of various sizes
o Organized an electronic library of past restoration project documents
o Traveled to sites and performed surveys of parking garages and building facades
o Tested for chlorides in concrete of parking garage floors through gradient depth sampling
o Conducted material and repair cost estimates for several projects
o Aided in writing and assembling proposals for clients under supervision of the project manager
o Assisted superiors in data collection for case studies associated with parking lot occupancy
based on time of day and transaction rates for vehicles entering parking garages
Cashier and Salad-maker, Sunshine Farms Inc., Swarthmore, PA
(April 2013-August 2014)
o Handled all store-front operations as cashier and reported directly to managers; also assisted
customers by addressing complaints and concerns directly
o Processed exchanges and refunds as well as all credit card and check payments
o Maintained cash drawer accurately, was responsible for accounting and prepared cash deposits
o Trained several new employees as cashier and salad-maker and supervised them as they adjusted
to their jobs
o Worked in a crowded kitchen as a salad-maker; excelled at generating consistent and well-made
products; learned how to work in a busy, fast-paced environment
o Overall, developed constructive relationships with staff members and customers, and learned
many new skills including leadership, communication, and customer service

ACTIVITIES
Member, Bridges to Prosperity - Penn State University Chapter
Member, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Member, Society of Women Engineers - National and PSU (SWE)
Member, National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS)

COMPUTER SKILLS
Microsoft Office: Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Publisher; SolidWorks, AutoCAD
Programming: C++, MATLAB, R