Avoid
Avoid an over-dependency on enumerating your steps. Use your transition words wisely.
Avoid spending too much time on minor steps.
Avoid overlooking or omitting a necessary step.
The Assignment
TOPIC
Your topic must relate to your anticipated career path. (dental hygiene)
Think about the various procedures in the career that you are
pursuing. Choose one of those procedures and explain how it is
done.
One way to generate a topic idea is to contact someone already
working your career path and discuss topic ideas with them. (If
you use any information in your essay, other than deciding a topic,
from that conversation, be sure to create a works cited citation for
that source.)
Another way to generate a topic idea is to do an internet query on
issues or problems in your anticipated career path. Remember, you
are writing a process, so provide the process for a solution. For
instance, if I searched for “problems in higher education,” cost
would probably be in the top five concerns. I would then focus my
essay on “how to lower the cost of higher education.” Several
ideas come to mind, but I must also keep in mind the word
limitation. It is better to explain how to implement one or two
solutions than superficially address three or four solutions.
If you cannot think of a procedure, anticipate what is going to be
the most challenging part in your job and come up with a
suggestion to make that process easier. Think about non-tangible
topics that relate to soft skills. (ie. How to get along with
coworkers. How to recruit quality applicants. How to secure new
clients. How to improve customer service.)
You must choose a procedure that is NOT tangible. (You must
choose a topic that does not require your hands to complete.) It
takes a deeper, more mature level of thinking to explain how to do
something that is abstract. Since the task is not tangible, you will
not need to include a list of supplies
Formatting
Standard MLA formatting with a four-line heading, a centered title, and a header.
Times New Roman
Size 12
Consistently double spaced
Point of View
You may use second person (you) in this paper since you are explaining the process to
readers who will perform the task. You may also use third person. You may not use first
person (I, me, we, our) in this paper, unless it is within a quote.
Audience
Your audience are people in your anticipated career path.
Word Count
Remain within the 800-1000 word count. (Your heading, header, and works cited information
are excluded from your word count, according to the grading rubric.)
Thesis
Your thesis must begin with a gerund.
Content
Your essay must have at least three steps and at least two warnings.
Your readers need assurance that they are progressing correctly and/or understand the
consequences of not following your directions.
Anticipate trouble spots and offer solutions.
Sources
This assignment does require research; therefore, you must have in-text citations and a
works cited page in your essay.
1. You must utilize and correctly cite information from one personal interview
2. You must utilize and correctly cite information from one print source
3. You must utilize and correctly cite information from any other source your choice
Since you must use at least three sources, you should have at least three sources listed
alphabetically on your works cited page and you should have at least three different in-text
citations in your essay. Remember the in-text citation for print sources include page
number(s).