James Wissing

(602)-xxx-xxxx
555 E. Street St. 85212 Tempe AZ
November 4, 2019
500 S Mill Ave #858 Tempe AZ 85280
Dear Hiring Professionals:
I am currently a student at Arizona State University double majoring in Creative Writing
and Philosophy. I found the job application for a Web Content Writer/ Press Release Writer on
Indeed.com and believe I would be a strong candidate based on my experience with both creative
and formal writing, as well as my experience with copy editing. I also have experience working
with a variety of customers at my current job (a swim instructor for children at Hubbard Family
Swim School) and have a great ability to self-manage my time.
My past experience with creative writing has been vast. I started writing with my first
National Novel Writing Month (NANOWRIMO) when I was in the fifth grade, but was unable
to finish the fifty-thousand-word goal in the month and instead made thirty thousand words. That
first novel has since been scrapped, but the passion certainly never followed. I believe that for a
marketing company, having the ability to write creatively is essential to show clients that Web
Traffic Gurus is the company to choose for their marketing needs.
This being said, I do have experience with formal writing as well. While my second
major incorporates quite a bit of formal writing, this has also started since long before college. In
high school, I completed a four-thousand-word research essay on state statutes and specific court
cases that used these statutes. While this is not my field, I was still able to adapt to the specific
vocabulary needed in relation to legal issues. I know that this is a crucial skill for Web Traffic
Gurus since the company is dealing with a wide variety of clients and their fields.
My experience with copy editing is more than the average person’s daily editing.
Throughout high school and college, I have volunteered to edit my peers’ essays and have found
myself enjoying doing so far more than any of them could understand. I believe, however, that
while grammar is important, it is not as important as being understandable and relatable to the
audience. I think that there are often times that formal copy editors put more emphasis on perfect
grammar even when this means making a sentence seem awkward to read. This is one of the
strong reasons I am good as a copy editor: I understand the line between perfect grammar and
readability. There is never a case when a company would want to ostracize a client with such
careful grammar, and the opposite is said to be true as well. I believe I have found this balance
through my experience in writing and editing.
My current job has also helped me develop my skills of how to change my vocabulary
and demeanor depending on client base. From teaching two-year olds to twelve-year olds and
interacting with their adult parents, I have learned to seamlessly switch how I address different
clients. Working with clients in different fields, this is especially important.
As mentioned, I also have a great ability to self-manage my time. I took an independent-
study class as early as high school and was still able to maintain the high score of a six on my IB
exam for that class. I have taken online courses that I must keep myself disciplined for, as well as
managing the time I have within my schedule. For most of my college career, I have been
working around twenty hours a week while taking anywhere from seventeen to nineteen credit
hours. Between essays, exams, and work, I have had to manage my time efficiently to ensure I
was able to be fully present mentally in both work and class, while also having had enough sleep
and recreation time.
I am looking forward to discussing the position currently open at Web Traffic Gurus, as I
think I would be a wonderful fit for the position. My skills in writing, verbal communication,
intrapersonal communication, and time management make me a strong candidate for this
position. I will be emailing within the week and if you would like to get in touch with me, you
can either at (602)-xxx-xxxx or xxxxx@gmail.com. Thank you for your time and consideration.