6911 Number 3 Rd
Richmond, BC V6Y 2C1
September 17, 2020
Course colleagues
2329 West Mall
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4
Greetings course colleagues,
My name is Richard Chen, I am writing to establish myself as a potential candidate for your professional writing team this semester. Beginning with my background, I am a graduate of the University of Alberta with a Bachelors of Commerce (Accounting). Subsequent to my graduation in 2018, I went on to work for two professional firms, Parlee McLaws LLP and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. In early 2020, I was accepted into the Bachelors of Computer Science program at the University of British Columbia, where I aim to graduate into a software engineering position in the technology industry.
I am a promising choice for your writing team because of the following three reasons:
1. I have extensive experience writing in the legal and accounting industry with respected professionals as my audience.
2. I am used to working within a team to meet deadlines under pressure.
3. I am experienced in reviewing work and providing feedback for junior and senior colleagues.
During my time at Parlee McLaws, I was entrusted with conducting case law research and writing concise briefs as a result of my research to inform my supervising lawyer and associated firm partners. At PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, I underwent formal training to write professional analyses of accounting issues in accordance with the standards set by various accounting governing bodies. These professional briefs and analyses have been incorporated into the end product of court trials, and audit opinions issued by the respective professional firms.
At PwC, many stages of work go into delivering a product to the client. Having been part of teams ranging from two to twenty, each person is responsible for delivering a part of the deliverable that goes to the client. In many circumstances, one individual’s work will become the basis for another colleague’s work. During my time at PwC, I have consistently delivered my work on time, and assisted my colleagues wherever I could. As a testament to my reliability, in the reference letters required for admission to the Bachelor of Computer Science program, one of my managers has been quoted to say that I have a “positive attitude and natural inclination to teamwork … result[ing] in strong team cohesion and synergies”. I can assure you that as part of a team, I will commit to completing my deliverables on time and communicate effectively with my team around any issues that may arise.
As part of the teamwork mentioned, I am also experienced in providing feedback tailored to the individuals I am working with. In providing feedback, I take into account the experience level of the individual I am reviewing related to the task at hand, and try to incorporate two positives and a specific, actionable piece of advice the individual can use in the future. In receiving feedback, I keep an open mind of what I can change. I believe that regardless of who is offering the critique, there is always something to be learned. With respect to writing, I recognize that I tend to use a passive voice rather than an active one, and I am striving to be more conscious of self-improvement in that regard.
In closing, I would like to thank you for your consideration, and I hope to find teammates with diverse experience that can help each other grow as professional writers. If you would like to reach out to me, please feel free to contact me by email: rchen2@student.ubc.ca.
Warm regards,
Richard Chen