Using monster.com, I was able to easily narrow down job opportunities by category, location, and career level. Several cities are at the top of my priority list, including Houston, which is where I found a prospective entry-level job with Flowserve. I feel that Houston offers several opportunities for life at work and outside of work because of its size and diversity. As for Flowserve, the company is a leader in the field of fluid motion and control products, providing services to many countries around the world. This particular ad first drew my attention because the study of fluid mechanics has been one of my favorite subjects at Purdue, and I think that a career path in this field would be especially interesting. According to the ad, the job entails several duties including product design and manufacture, technical support to sales and customers, and on-site service. Personally, I enjoy improving and customizing established products, which is exactly what Flowserve does for its customers. I would also like to help guide the path of those products through their useful life, from design to manufacture, and from manufacture to customer usage.
The first qualification necessary for the job is a BSME degree, which I will achieve by May 2010. Secondly, Flowserve requires the employee to exhibit competence, confidence, collaboration, commitment, creativity, and character. Throughout my work experience I have been able to display competence and commitment by seeing that my projects are completed on time and to an expected level of quality. I also understand the power of collaboration and how teamwork can reinforce creativity. It’s much easier to come up with a new idea between several people, rather than just one individual. As for confidence and character, I feel that I have improved these characteristics significantly throughout college. I’ve learned that people respect a confident person, and that good character can help build a stronger community because doing the right thing benefits everybody. Lastly, leadership qualities are also encouraged. These include communication skills, the ability to learn, customer focus, and initiative. As I’ve shown throughout my college career, I definitely possess the ability to learn, as well as the initiative to get things done. During my time at Bosch, I was always looking for things to do. If one project was put on hold, I’d find another project to fill time. If one test was in process, I’d analyze or initiate another. I’ve also had experience with customer focus, including Toyota when they required a new brake system for a vehicle and had awarded the business to Bosch North America for the first time ever. I was directly involved in interfacing with the customer throughout the design and development phases, giving me an understanding of the urgency and efficiency needed to effectively retain business opportunities with clients.
According to their website, Flowserve produces several types of components, such as pumps, valves, seals, actuation and instrumentation, and steam systems. This information could be useful because Purdue’s fluid mechanics course covers pumps and pipe flows, and exposure to these types of components may give me enough knowledge to express legitimate interest in the field while writing my cover letter. I’ve also had experience with check valves and actuation at Bosch, which would probably look good on a resume.
Flowserve is also a fairly large company, employing over 14,000 people. With their requirement of leadership skills, I would assume that there will also be opportunities for promotions within the company. This meets my career goals because I am very motivated to move up through the corporate leader. Larger companies are also prone to aiding their associates in further education, which could help me to attain my MBA. Overall, the job ad from Flowserve seems to fit my career interests in a place where I can also pursue my life goals.
Instructor commentary
You have clearly researched this position and considered how it suits your needs, which is good. I think there are three things that might improve this analysis: more consideration of how you can help the company (which will help you produce your cover letter and resume); concrete examples of experiences that align with what the job ad requests; explicit discussion of how your analysis shapes your cover letter.
Notice that your second paragraph contains mostly claims about how you suit the position rather than evidence that proves this. You do provide specific evidence in your statement: "I’ve also had experience with customer focus, including Toyota when they required a new brake system for a vehicle and had awarded the business to Bosch North America for the first time ever. I was directly involved in interfacing with the customer throughout the design and development phases, giving me an understanding of the urgency and efficiency needed to effectively retain business opportunities with clients." This is the sort of concrete narrative that demonstrates that you are appropriate for the position. A concrete example is almost always more effective than a list of qualifications. The golden rule is to show, not tell.
Also, recall that the assignment description states: "Think of the Job Ad Analysis as a prelude to the Cover Letter." You should make tentative determinations about what the central theme or argument of your cover letter will be and how you will use the material in this analysis accordingly. You want to treat this analysis as groundwork for the documents ahead of you, which means attention to both content and structure.
Overall, however, this is good start, and there is much you can build upon as you construct your cover letter and resume.