Question

select the correct answer.

devins technical writing portfolio includes her résumé, two product descriptions, and a technical summary. she wants to add another writing sample. which suggestion is best for devin to follow?

look for a full-time position that involves creating technical documentation.
reuse a document she wrote in college as part of a group project.
write summaries of a project that she wants to work on in the future.
rewrite a section of a published technical document to improve it.
include an excerpt of a technical description in her cover letter.

Explanation:

Analyze the goal and current portfolio elements

The student, Devin, wants to add another writing sample to her technical writing portfolio. Her current portfolio contains:

• A résumé
• Two product descriptions
• A technical summary

Evaluate the given options

• Option 1: "Look for a full-time position..." is a career step, not a writing sample suggestion.
• Option 2: "Reuse a document she wrote in college as part of a group project." Group projects make it difficult to prove individual contribution and authorship.
• Option 3: "Write summaries of a project that she wants to work on in the future." Speculative summaries of future projects do not demonstrate current technical writing capability.
• Option 4: "Rewrite a section of a published technical document to improve it." This is a highly recommended practice for technical writers ("before and after" samples) because it demonstrates editing, critical analysis, and direct improvement of real-world documentation.
• Option 5: "Include an excerpt of a technical description in her cover letter." A cover letter is not the place to embed portfolio writing samples.

Select the best suggestion

Rewriting an existing published document to show improvement is the strongest, most practical way to demonstrate technical writing and editing skills.

Answer:

• Look for a full-time position that involves creating technical documentation.
• Reuse a document she wrote in college as part of a group project.
• Write summaries of a project that she wants to work on in the future.
• Rewrite a section of a published technical document to improve it. (Correct answer)
• Include an excerpt of a technical description in her cover letter.