The job I have chosen for this project is: Process Engineer for Corn Products International.
I've picked this position for a few main reasons; keep in mind, however, this is not my dream job by any means (I'm much more interested in academia). Corn Products International is great because they are such a global company. This offers several opportunities to, at the very least, network with people from different countries. I am familiar with almost all of the relevant processes they use to at least some degree. The company is quite large and stable at around $4 billion in sales per year; with such a large stable company their benefits are increasingly attractive. Mainly, the reason for choosing this job, is that I believe I am well qualified.
Corn Products International provides several industries with necessary raw materials. They produce a litany of both modified and unmodified corn starches, emulsifiers, polyols, adhesives, and various glucose-fructose corn syrups. These are, of course, required for baked goods, beverages, building materials, cosmetics, meat products, snack foods, textiles, and many more industries. Processes for producing these products adequately matches my background. With such a large product list and global involvement, there is more than enough opportunity to advance my career (should I choose to go into this type of industry at all) as an engineer.
Some relevant skills that I posses for this job include, as mentioned before, a great understanding of several of the unit operations and processes used by Corn Products International. Some of these include: pump and piping networks, agitators, extruders, evaporators, heat exchangers, enzymatic hydrolysis, and starch modification. My communication skills, so far, have proved to be effective. Also, I excel in team oriented environments-a requirement for any engineer. In the past I have worked in an industrial facility that produced roller and ball bearings-not the same as food processing, but useful just the same. While working for this bearing company I was in a position that allowed me to gain a certain rapport with the skilled laborers, which (stereotypically yet truthfully) was difficult since is was a union steel shop. This company, like so many others, will also have skilled laborers working the line-so having this sort of experience is great since communicating with them is just as, if not-more, important than communicating with managers or other higher-ups since they are the ones physically making the product. Additionally, I have experience specifically with corn. I have worked in a research laboratory here on campus (Laboratory of Renewable Resource Engineering). My work there involved hydrolysis-an important process that I've mentioned already.
After reviewing their website I have come up with a few key points that should be addressed in some way on a resume and-or cover letter. Corn Products International employs people in fifteen countries across north and south America, Asia, and Africa. They also do business with companies representing over 70 different industries hailing from approximately 60 different countries worldwide. Their three main company values are: commitment to the customer, commitment to quality, and commitment to operational excellence. The first two are obvious, but the second is referring to a wide range of industry standards and codes-particularly in the pharmaceutical industry. Their facilities are among the most modern in our industry. Most of their operations have gained ISO 9000 and/or ISO 14000 certification around the world. Because food companies depend on their products, they meet food safety and pharmaceutical standards. Their mission is bold, yet simple, To become the premier regional provider of agriculturally based products and ingredients worldwide. Also, on top of their list of governing policies is ethical behavior-this is something every company should have at the top of their lists around the world.
Link: http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobDetails.aspx?Job_DID=J8E8...
Instructor commentary
OK, this response demonstrates that you have researched this company and considered its place in your career track, both of which are good. I think it could be improved in two primary ways: being concrete and turning the discussion to your employment documents. Notice that in the third paragraph you mention a number of specific tools/operations—pump and piping networks, agitators, extruders, evaporators, heat exchangers, enzymatic hydrolysis, and starch modification—but you don't explain how you are familiar with them, where you employed them, and to what effect. A specific story about using particular skills to a measurable effect will be more memorable than a list of qualifications. Connect specific tasks you have completed with what the job ad requests. The golden rule of employment documents is show, don't tell. Specific stories stick; general statements don't. The narrative about working with skilled laborers is more concrete (although you would want to present it with a different tone in your employment documents), and the experience with corn and hydrolysis is begging for tangible explication, given the company you have selected.
This leads us to the second way you could revise this analysis. You should turn to a discussion of how this information shapes your cover letter (and other documents). 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 correspondingly. Also, your final paragraph demonstrates fine research, but you don't seem to clarify how this information will be useful in your employment documents, or how you will target it specifically. You want to treat this analysis as groundwork for the documents ahead of you, which means attention to both content and structure.
Overall, however, you've got a fine start, and you should be able to mine much of this content for your other employment documents.