communication essay

The Dream Job Interview: Writing Prompt 1

Chapters 2 and 3

Assignment Directions

You have made it through three rounds of interviews at a company you have wanted to work at for years. The

interview process has been grueling, and you have had to answer a lot of questions about your previous work

experience and what you would do in specific situations. Your final interview is with the president of the

company. She is an interesting woman and has taken many unconventional paths in order to start the company

and make it successful. Much to your surprise, the president is most interested in you and what you think about

yourself. She already knows that you are qualified for the job. She firmly believes that the right person for the

job is a person with a definitive self-concept and wants to know more about you as a person, not just a potential

employee. The president hands you a pen and paper and tells you to explain what your dream job looks like

within the company and the aspects of your self-concept that make you a great candidate for that job.

Step One: Consider what your dream job would be and describe that job in one to two paragraphs providing

enough detail that your instructor will understand what you would do as part of that dream job. Then name at

least 10 items that you would consider as part of your “self-concept characteristics.” The 10 items can be

written in list format. Then, in your paper, using complete sentences, describe how these 10 characteristics

represent your self-concept. Also define self-concept either by quoting or paraphrasing the textbook. Include a

brief explanation of each one of the items, including how it would be relevant to your dream job.

Self-Concept, Job Description, and 10 items Unmet (0%) Needs Improvement (50-69%) Fair (70-79%) Good (80-89%) Excellent (90-100%) The student does not include a

job description, list of 10 items

or address self-concept.

The student includes only

one or two of the three: a job

description, list of 10 items

or addresses self-concept OR

the student does each of the

three in a way that is not

complete.

The student addresses each of

the three: a job description,

list of 10 items or addresses

self-concept in a shallow way

OR the student completes two

of the three in a way that is

quite thorough but forgot to

address the third.

The student provides a

complete job description, a

definition for self-concept,

and a list of 10 items.

Each item is addressed in

some way. All

expectations are

accomplished in an

acceptable manner.

The student skillfully described

the dream job, clearly and

completely explains self-concept

and relates the idea to the list of 10

items. Each item is explained and

context is provided as to how it

came to be on the list. Significant

evidence and specific examples

are included to support the

student's ideas.

Points Earned: _________ / 12 Points Possible

Step Two: In paragraph format, analyze how three of those items came to be part of your self-concept, one for

each way that self-concept develops. Categorize the contents into three ways in which our self-concept

develops, culture, reflected appraisal, and social comparison. For example, if artist is one you select, then you

may begin like this: “I believe I am an artist partially because I won an art competition in high school.” You

would also want to be sure to discuss that this falls into the category of social comparison. Note that culture is

explained in Chapter 2 while reflected appraisal and social comparison are explained in Chapter 3.

Be sure to include at least one self-concept characteristic that fits into each of the categories, thereby

representing all categories of development. In addition, define each idea, culture, reflected appraisal and social

comparison. Each item’s description, example and explanation will encompass a hefty paragraph or two.

Defend each of your explanations or examples with detail and specific examples. Within this analysis of your

specific items, be sure to address how these items shaped your self-concept through the development of culture

and the processes of reflected appraisal and social comparison.

Culture Unmet (0%) Needs Improvement (50-69%) Fair (70-79%) Good (80-89%) Excellent (90-100%) Culture is not addressed in the

paper. The area of the paper

addresses at least one of the

items in the list and the student

attempts to explain Culture

AND at least one specific

example from the list is

described AND/OR the example is either

not applied to Culture or the

explanation is not correctly applied to Culture.

The area of the paper

addresses at least one

specific item and example

from the list and the student

competently explains

Culture.

The area of the paper

addresses at least one item

from the list and the student

explains Culture clearly and

completely AND at least one

specific example from the

list is explained and the

example shows a correct

understanding of Culture.

The area of the paper addresses at

least one item from the list and the

student explains Culture clearly and

completely AND at least one

specific example from the list is

explained and the examples show a

correct understanding of Culture

AND the examples are applied to

Culture and the links are carefully

explained in great detail AND

evidence is skillfully incorporated to

support the application of the

concept to the example.

Points Earned: _________ / 12 Points Possible

Reflected Appraisal Unmet (0%) Needs Improvement (50-69%) Fair (70-79%) Good (80-89%) Excellent (90-100%) Reflected Appraisal is not

addressed in the paper. The area of the paper

addresses at least one of the

items in the list and the student

attempts to explain reflected

appraisal AND at least one

specific example from the list

is explained AND/OR the

example is either not applied

to reflected appraisal or the

explanation is not correctly

applied to reflected appraisal.

The area of the paper

addresses at least one

specific item and example

from the list and the student

competently explains

reflected appraisal.

The area of the paper

addresses at least one item in

the list and the student

explains reflected appraisal

clearly and completely AND

at least one specific example

from the list is explained and

the example shows a correct

understanding of reflected

appraisal.

The area of the paper addresses at

least one item in the list and the

student explains reflected appraisal

clearly and completely AND at least

one specific example from the list is

explained and the examples show a

correct understanding of reflected

appraisal AND the examples are

applied to reflected appraisal and

the links are carefully explained in

great detail AND evidence is

skillfully incorporated to support

the application of the concept to the

example.

Points Earned: _________ / 12 Points Possible

Social Comparison Unmet (0%) Needs Improvement (50-69%) Fair (70-79%) Good (80-89%) Excellent (90-100%) Social Comparison is not

addressed in the paper. The area of the paper

addresses at least one of the

items in the list and the student

attempts to explain Social Comparison AND at

least one specific example

from the list is described AND/OR the example is either

not applied to Social Comparison or the explanation

is not correctly applied to

Social Comparison.

The area of the paper

addresses at least one

specific item and example

from the list and the student

competently explains Social

Comparison.

The area of the paper

addresses at least one item

from the list and the student

explains Social Comparison

clearly and completely AND

at least one specific example

from the list is explained

and the example shows a

correct understanding of

Social Comparison.

The area of the paper addresses at

least one item from the list and the

student explains Social Comparison

clearly and completely AND at least

one specific example from the list is

explained and the examples show a

correct understanding of Social

Comparison AND the examples are

applied to Social Comparison and

the links are carefully explained in

great detail AND evidence is skillfully incorporated to support

the application of the concept to the

example.

Points Earned: _________ / 12 Points Possible

• Your paper should be typed, approximately 3-4 pages long, and double spaced.

• The paper should also be proofread, and mistakes in grammar, spelling, sentence structure, formatting and

other areas of paper mechanics should be kept to a minimum.

• Include a complete introduction to the paper that includes a thesis statement introducing the main ideas of

the paper. Organize the body of the paper into main ideas that fit with your thesis statement. Include a

conclusion to the paper that reviews and summarizes the paper.

• Include proper in-text citations in either APA or MLA format; be certain that you include the textbook

definitions of the concepts you use and that you cite these definitions correctly. A works cited or reference

page should be included at the end of your paper.

Overall Outcomes

Proofreading and Organization Unmet (0%) Needs Improvement (50-69%) Fair (70-79%) Good (80-89%) Excellent (90-100%) There are nine or more

mistakes in proofreading,

grammar, spelling, formatting

or other paper mechanics. The

paper does not follow a

recognizable organizational

structure, such as having main

ideas, an introduction and a

conclusion.

There are seven or more

mistakes in proofreading,

grammar, spelling, formatting

or other paper mechanics. The

paper is organized in a

recognizable way but does not

include an identifiable

introduction and conclusion.

There are five or more

mistakes in proofreading,

grammar, spelling, formatting

or other paper mechanics. The

paper is organized and includes

an identifiable introduction

AND/OR conclusion.

There are three or more

mistakes in proofreading,

grammar, spelling, formatting

or other paper mechanics. The

paper is organized and includes

an identifiable introduction

AND a conclusion.

Mistakes in proofreading,

grammar, spelling, formatting

or other paper mechanics are

limited to two or fewer. The

paper is organized in a clear

way and includes a complete

introduction as well as a

complete conclusion.

Points Earned: _________ / 6 Points Possible

Citation Unmet (0%) Needs Improvement (50-69%) Fair (70-79%) Good (80-89%) Excellent (90-100%) The paper includes no citation

of any sort. There is some attempt at

citation, BUT: the citation is not in a recognizable format,

such as MLA or APA; OR a

significant number of concepts

are not cited; OR there is no in-

text citation; OR paraphrases

are not cited.

Some attempt at citation is

included for most concepts

used in the paper that are

originally explained in a

printed source AND most of

these ideas are cited, whether

they are paraphrased or directly

quoted AND the citation is in a

recognizable style and the style

is used correctly in most cases AND

in-text citation is used but a Works Cited is not included.

In-text citation is included for

most concepts used in the

paper that are originally

explained in a printed source

AND all of these ideas are

cited, whether they are

paraphrased or directly quoted

AND the citation is in MLA or

APA style and the style is used

consistently AND a Works Cited is included at the end of

the paper.

In-text citation is included for

all concepts used in the paper

that are originally explained in

a printed source AND all of

these ideas are cited using

correct in-text citation, whether

they are paraphrased or

directly quoted AND the

citation is in MLA or APA

style and the style is used consistently AND a Works Cited is included at the end of

the paper and the Works Cited

is free of errors.

Points Earned: _________ / 6 Points Possible

Comments Total points possible Earned Points

60