A writing sample demonstrates an applicant’s professional communication skills and is a significant part of a job application. Its purpose is to showcase the ability to organize thoughts clearly and write effectively, a core function in nearly all professional roles. Formatting requirements often create confusion because professional standards diverge significantly from the double-spaced papers required in academic settings. Understanding this difference is the first step in presenting a polished, job-ready document.
Professional Standards for Line Spacing
For the vast majority of professional contexts, including job applications and portfolios, writing samples should be single-spaced. This standard, often set at 1.0 or 1.15, is the recognized format for business correspondence and formal documents. Single spacing maximizes the content a reviewer can quickly absorb, which is important for busy hiring managers.
Double spacing is primarily reserved for academic manuscripts and drafts intended for heavy editorial markup. Historically, the extra space provided room for handwritten notes, a function now largely obsolete. Presenting a finished sample in double spacing can make the document appear less polished and suggest the applicant has not transitioned fully to business conventions.
Non-Negotiable Formatting Requirements
Beyond line spacing, a professional writing sample must adhere to several other formatting standards that enhance readability. The typeface should be clean and widely available, such as Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri. These fonts are highly readable and are consistently parsed by Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).
The body text size should fall within the 10-point to 12-point range, with 12-point favored for optimal on-screen readability. Margins should be set to the standard one-inch on all four sides. Maintaining consistency in these elements is paramount, as an inconsistent layout can distract the reader and detract from professionalism.
How Submission Context Changes Expectations
The context of the submission dictates the primary goal of the document, which influences formatting choices. When submitted to a corporate hiring manager, the goal is to maximize reading speed and comprehension, making single spacing the clear choice. The document is treated as a finished product, reflecting the quality of work the applicant would produce on the job.
In contrast, documents submitted to an academic journal or literary agent are often viewed as works-in-progress, where double spacing may be requested to facilitate editing. Hiring managers focus on clarity and conciseness, while editors focus on the ability to incorporate feedback. For most job applications, the sample must be formatted to be immediately presentable and easy to skim.
Formatting Guidelines for Different Industries
The core formatting principles remain constant across industries, but certain fields introduce specific stylistic nuances. Applying the single-spacing rule consistently shows an understanding of professional document standards. Industry-specific considerations tailor the presentation to what reviewers in that field are accustomed to seeing.
Technical and Business Writing Samples
Samples for technical and business roles, such as reports or proposals, mandate single spacing and a block paragraph format. The formatting emphasis is on structure and clarity, often requiring clear subheadings to create a logical hierarchy and break up dense text. Data-heavy content should utilize tables or bulleted lists to enhance comprehension, mirroring the clean, direct style expected in the workplace.
Journalistic and Editorial Samples
For positions in journalism or editorial work, the sample should be brief and adhere to standard news style conventions. If the sample is a published article, it is often submitted as a “clip” in its original, single-spaced format. For unpublished work, single spacing within paragraphs is standard, with an extra line between paragraphs to preserve readability. The focus is on the quality of the writing and the ability to present information concisely.
Creative and Literary Samples
Creative fields, such as fiction or poetry, present the main exception where double spacing may sometimes be acceptable, though single spacing is preferred for portfolio excerpts. If the sample is an excerpt from a novel or script submitted for a job, single spacing must be used for the portfolio version to keep it concise and professional. Double spacing is generally reserved for submitting a full manuscript draft to a publisher, allowing space for traditional editorial marks.
Finalizing Your Sample File and Presentation
The final steps involve preparing the document for external submission, focusing on presentation and logistics. The file should be saved as a Portable Document Format (PDF) to ensure the formatting, including spacing, fonts, and margins, remains exactly as intended regardless of the recipient’s software. Using a professional file naming convention, such as “LastName\_Sample\_Title,” helps the hiring manager organize the application materials easily.
A header or footer should be included on every page, containing the applicant’s name, contact information, and the page number. This ensures that every page can be tracked if it becomes separated from the main application. The applicant must strictly adhere to any stated length limit, typically between one to five pages. Finally, proofread the PDF version to confirm all formatting elements are clean and error-free.