First Meeting Preparation (February 20-March 5)

Come prepared to discuss your work, your company, and its industry. If you have some writing samples, please bring them. But it is also essential that you find and read at least one article about your company or industry before we meet and that you bring what you found to our meeting.

To that end, find and read at least one article about your organization OR about its industry (see complete instructions below). Use the resources of the Rutgers Libraries to help you, especially those resources listed in one of the library's subject research guides to Business, Newspapers, and Business News. Or begin your research on the web with Google. Likely your supervisor or others at your organization can suggest a recent article, but you would definitely benefit from finding materials yourself since it will give you a chance to choose from several available.

The purpose of our meeting will be to help you develop a project for the semester leading to the final paper. By developing the project idea early in the term, you will have time to gather information and evidence to help you develop your ideas.

Second Meeting Preparation (April 1-20)

Reading: Read sample papers from previous semesters which you will be given during our fist meeting and any other readings we decide upon. Write a draft of your final paper based on your experience and your research, using previous student work as a model.

Draft: Meet with Michael Goeller before April 20 to discuss the draft of your final paper. Contact Aaron Igel for an appointment after February 1 at 732-932-1149.

Draft due by our meeting. Write at least 5 pages toward your final paper, typed, to discuss during our meeting. Be sure to refer to at least one reading from the term and to discuss some of your experiences. If possible, please send this draft in advance of our actual meeting so I can have detailed feedback ready for you.

Your final paper is due on the last day of classes.
Please submit it in one of the following ways:

• By e-mail in Word or Rich Text format
• Put a copy in my box in Murray Hall 101 or my office at Murray 307.
• Submit it in person to me in Loree 006 or Murray 307.

I would actually prefer an electronic submission by e-mail so that I have a copy of your paper on disk for future reference.

Final Paper Assignment:

Remember that the final paper is a chance to reflect critically upon your internship experience and to make it meaningful for yourself and others. Though you have probably been learning a lot about workplace writing during this semester, the final paper asks you to return to the "liberal arts" essay format that you learned in school and to reflect on what you have learned in a critical and focused way. Think of it, though, as a chance to make some sense of your experience, so that when you go on the job market and someone asks you "What did you learn from that internship?" you will have a very cogent and intelligent answer.

What have you learned? What have you learned about writing at work? Or what have you learned about the specific industry in which you worked? Or what have you learned about yourself and about the skills you will need to develop in order to succeed in future jobs?

Since every internship experience is different, every final paper will have its own unique focus. What issue stood out most prominently for you? Or what insight seemed most important? We will talk individually about your topic, but use this forum posting to think through your basic idea as you begin to write your draft. Try most of all to find a focus that you can sustain for the whole essay.

Papers must be from 8 to 12 pages (double spaced), they should make reference to at least one of the readings (to help you establish a frame for discussion), and they should discuss at least one specific case of workplace writing that you either participated in or observed (to help illustrate your theme). Be as specific as possible in your examples, and be sure to analyze and not just narrate your experience.

All interns should be assured that your paper will never be read by anyone other than your teacher without your specific permission. In order to help future interns in crafting their final papers, I may ask if I can share your final paper with them. You have every right to decline or to put restrictions (such as anonymity) on the way the paper is presented.