Professional Documents

Cover Letter

To Whom It May Concern,

I learned about the summer internship in your Business Development Department through a Proposal Coordinator at BerryDunn, who shared this information with the Duquesne English Department. This internship interests me because I would like to gain experience in professional and business writing. My background in English and my previous positions in writing-related fields would fit well with your company’s objectives.

I bring an affinity for organization, writing, and analysis, as well as recent experience as an intern with BerryDunn. During Summer 2022, I was responsible for assisting with the new employee onboarding process, drafting reports, editing employee resumes, and developing reference materials. With the skills developed in this internship, I am able to collaborate well with others in a professional environment and ensure that projects are completed in a timely manner.

I am also currently enrolled in the University Honors College at Duquesne and am pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with an emphasis on writing as my content area. During the past year, I was an intern staff writer for Duquesne’s scientific journal, the DU Quark. I held responsibilities that included peer-reviewing student publications, writing science articles, and revising a scientific review. As an English major who has also interned with a science publication, I am capable with a variety of genres and writing conventions, and I am capable of recognizing the needs of different readers. Additionally, I am proficient in proofreading work, composing reports, and simplifying complex information for general audiences.

With these skills and experiences, I am confident that I meet the qualifications as listed in the job description for this position. I have attached my resume, academic transcripts, and a writing sample for your review.

I would be happy to discuss my interest and look forward to an interview with you at your earliest convenience. Please contact me at 304-604-2111 or email me at rosej6@duq.edu. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

John Rose

Activity Report for Fall 2022 Internship

My internship with the DU Quark has progressed well and is following the outline that was set in my proposal. I have been logging an average of six hours per week that involve reading articles, peer-reviewing, annotating primary research, and drafting my own primary research.

Work Completed

As of October 20, I have completed three peer-reviews and submitted one secondary review. The peer-reviews were titled Stem-Cells vs. Chemotherapy for Leukemia Treatment, The Future of Microbiome Research, and Nicotine Vaping. Each article took around six hours to thoroughly read, review, and offer suggestions for improvement or indicate areas that were well-written. These were all student-authored articles that are actively being considered for publication in the DU Quark pending successful peer-review and revisions Though I have been reviewing these articles for mostly formatting, grammar, and clarity, I have had the ability to learn much about scientific convention, research methods, and citation styles while reading each article.

My main responsibilities for the DU Quark mostly involve peer-review, but I have also expanded into writing my own articles. I had planned with Dr. Klucevsek to write three articles during my internship. As of October, I have completed one secondary review article titled Analysis of Graphene Production, Use, and Effectiveness in Solar Cells and Batteries. It is currently undergoing peer-review and should be successfully completed within the next semester.

Work Scheduled

I am currently scheduled to finish drafting an article on vertical farming methods, hydroponics, and aquaponics by October 31. Many of my recent internship hours have been concerned with research and reading primary research articles on soilless farming advantages, disadvantages, and field experiments. Once completed, this article will also undergo peer-review and hopefully be published as a staff piece by the next semester.

Subsequent projects include another article of which I have yet to decide a topic. I have been exploring aquaculture, climate change, and conventional farming alternatives. My planning for this article is still in the early stages as of this activity report.

Self-Evaluation

My internship has been very interesting thus far and has allowed me to explore additional genres of writing. Throughout the semester, I have adhered to the proposed work outline that was set in September. My work with the DU Quark has influenced my final project for another class, Theories of Composition, where I will examine the differences in collaborative approaches in the sciences and humanities. As I continue to participate in my internship, I am excited to learn more about interdisciplinary methods of composition.