This is from the exercise we did in class on thinking about the language of job ads…

Imagine that you are applying for a job that lists all of the qualities below as requirements for the position. Take a few moments to brainstorm specific experience and skills from your own background that you could use in a cover letter for this position.

1. strong communication skills

co-workers — planning/collaborating for action
helps organize
change is hard — revising a process or procedure
sports — strategizing and executing plays
2. team player

entrepreneurship
planning activities that will benefit everyone
mutual decision making
coordination through tasks
thinking ahead to help others in unexpected ways/ doing stuff that’s not nec “your job”
sharing responsibilities

3. strong work ethic

staying late to work through a problem
desire to get er done — commitment to seeing a project through
example where you’ve called out to complete a task because of a work ethic

4. ability to multi-task

Balancing commitments to multiple spaces/places/people
Various actions that are completely different
Tools — calendar/email/reminders/lists

5. attentive to detail

showing up early
specific tasks — coding, carrying the zero,
document/web design

6. problem solver

reason why you’re in the profession
given a set of constraints, tell the story of how you made something with/in them
due diligence