Nathan Bowers Dr. KurlinkusJob Ad 12/11/15

Junior Writer/Editor for Stratfor

Stratfor is a “geopolitical forecasting firm,” which not only describes the company but it is the first instance of jargon I found in the advertisement. I believe it translates as a company which specializes in international news. They are looking to fill an entry level writer's position. The job would entail: “the publishing of round-the-clock bulletins on breaking news, geopolitical events, security threats, military incidents and other emergent developments.” Successful candidates will work with Stratfor's (incoming: jargon #2) “actionable intelligence team.” I believe this translates to a group of people who fluff up a continuing stream of news snippets to make it comprehensible and possibly interesting. I tried to read a few of their articles, but their website requires that you sign up for a membership and I do not want to do that. If I were to actually apply for this job, I would commit to doing the research but this is the best writing job posting for which I could qualify and I would like to end my slow descent into depression as I look through these job ads.

They require their action news squad to be skilled writers familiar with AP style guidelines. They require a keen interest in international affairs and prefer candidates with a degree in international politics or journalism. In order to get this job, it sounds like the tone of my cover letter should play up my Hispanic background and demonstrate my ability to complicate straightforward diction with discordant syntax and strings of puzzling adjectives. Bonus jargon #3: “proprietary intelligence flow,” which could mean news relating to property, patents, or news that is owned exclusively by a private company.

Cover Letter

To Whom It May Concern,

I am an active follower of international news and politics, and I grew interested in your geopolitical intelligence firm after reading high praises from CNN and BBC. After exploring your Career Opportunities, I became aware that I can be useful to you as a Junior Writer and Editor. As an English Writing major at the University of Oklahoma, I am comfortable testifying to my command of the English language as well to my strength as a critical researcher. I am also a proud member of the Hispanic community with a semester’s experience immersed in another continent, and I will be excited to add my unique perspective to your multi-cultural environment.

To showcase my ability to adapt to a multi-lingual environment, I point to the four months I spent studying in Spain during the spring of 2015. While developing fluency in the Spanish language at la Universidad de Alcalá near Madrid, I developed a taste for international politics during my coursework in modern Spanish history and politics. I attended the massive ‘Podemos’ rally held in Spain’s capital on January 31st, and covered the event in my Spanish Technical Writing Course.

My education experience as an English major has improved my ability to read, research, and write critically as well as given me a fluency in AP, MLA, and Chicago style formatting. To improve upon my education, I spent three months during the summer of 2014 as an assistant to Myra Kirkland, the Manager of the Court Investigator’s office for Dallas County. She delegated research and legal writing tasks to me, including but not limited to: constructing legal drafts for probate cases, researching previous rulings and information in the interest of ongoing court cases, and managing the communication network maintained between the Court Investigators, County Clerks, Dallas Police, and clients in a fast-paced, office environment.

For additional details of my writing and communication experience, please refer to the enclosed resumé. I look forward to hearing from you through any of the forms of contact which I have included below.

Sincerely,

Nathan Bowers

nbowers12@gmail.com

682-521-9004

NHAN BOWERS 1216 Mermaids Cove| Austin, TX 78734 | 682-521-9004 | nbowers12@gmail.com

EDUCATIONBachelor of Arts and Sciences, expected December 2015University of Oklahoma, Norman OKCumulative GPA: 3.60

Major: English Writing

Minor: Spanish Language

Member of the University of Oklahoma Honors College, 2011 to present

On track to graduate magna cum laude December 2015.

EXPERIENCE AND EXTRACURRICULARSOU Henderson Scholars

Recipient of the Henderson Scholarship, which is given to outstanding, community-service minded minorities.

We attend annual charity events as a group (such as OU’s university-wide charity day The Big Event and a Christmas dinner program for underprivileged families). In addition, we individually accrue volunteering hours which we report and celebrate at the end of the year.

Employee, Summers of 2011-Present

Teesquare/Fizzbox Studios

Responsibilities included T-shirt design as well as product packaging, communicating with customers, managing payments and directing employees for an online business.

Member, Fall 2011-Fall 2015

OU Honors College

Attended advanced classes with more rigorous coursework and standards for research and writing in order to graduate with Honors distinction.

Developed an extensive, independent research paper under guidance of an OU professor

1 Community of Gamers

Responsible for club finances as well as budgeting for events.

Responsible for communication to all 100+ members about upcoming meetings, planning special events, and organizing both meetings and events.

I customized my cover letter to the job advertisement by addressing my confidence in my writing and researching abilities, and trying to bring to light that I am Mexican. In the advertisement, they specifically requested that applicants be able to work in a “multi-lingual” and “multi-cultural” environment, so I felt that the information would be useful. In order to add concrete experience to my education as an English major, I brought in my time as an assistant to a Dallas lawyer.

I customized my resumé to expand a little bit on my cover letter. I really do not know how to write a resumé or what really my qualifying experience would be so I’m not very confident in how I did. I am not really confident in the cover letter either. I felt like I ran out of relevant experience and so I threw in the club thing at the end.