Cover Letter to LucasArts

Cover Letter to LucasArts

📄

Start

Lesson Standards

8.1(A), 8.1(D), 8.2(B), 8.5(E), 8.5(F), 8.5(G), 8.5(I), 8.6(A), 8.6(C), 8.6(E), 8.6(G), 8.6(H), 8.6(I), 8.8(E)(iii), 8.10(C)

What will our lesson look like?

Success Criteria

Language Objective

Learning Intention

• Identify at least three persuasive techniques used in Tim Schafer's Cover Letter.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of each persuasive technique used in the cover letter.

I will articulate my observations and insights regarding Schafer's Cover Letter through written and verbal communication.

To understand and apply persuasive techniques and rhetorical strategies by analyzing Tim Schafer's Cover Letter to LucasArts.

Do Now

• Think about a time when you had to communicate persuasively.
• What challenges did you face, and how did you overcome them?
• Share your experience in a few sentences in the chat!

Introduction

Tim Schafer (b. 1967) is a computer game designer who is known for his work on Full Throttle and The Secret of Monkey Island. He applied for a job at Lucasfilm in 1989 (the company was rebranded as LucasArts the following year) but failed to impress the company in an initial phone interview. Instead of giving up, Schafer applied to another job within the company and wrote a text adventure game as his cover letter. His cover letter won Tim Schafer a job at LucasArts, where he worked until the year 2000. *Watch StudySync Video

Genre & Purpose

Genre

A cover letter is a persuasive text that gives a job applicant’s qualifications. Schafer designed his cover letter as a text adventure game to showcase his skills. A text adventure game is a kind of computer game that requires players to make choices to continue game play.

Purpose

• While the primary purpose of a cover letter is to tell an employer why the writer is qualified for a job, this cover letter also shows Schafer’s creativity and understanding of games.
• This unique cover letter includes graphics as well as text to communicate its message.

Vocabulary

fulfilling

commute

adjective causing someone happiness or satisfaction because of a development of their character or abilities

noun a trip between two destinations

potential

logically

noun a quality or an ability that has not yet developed; a possibility

adverb in a reasonable manner

Vocabulary

career center

quest

noun An office dedicated to helping people find jobs and develop professional skills.

noun a long or difficult search

[job] description

brochure

noun a formal account of an employee's responsibilities.

noun a small book or magazine containing pictures and information about a product or service.

Summary

In 1989, after being rejected for a job at Lucasfilm, Tim Schafer applied for another position at the company using a less conventional method. Instead of submitting a cover letter and résumé, Schafer sent a text-based choose-your-own-adventure game. Mimicking the style of video games, the text of Schafer’s letter addresses “you,” the player in search of an ideal career. After speaking to the local career center, you are handed various brochures of companies that are hiring. Out of three, you choose Lucasfilm and discover that they are looking for imaginative team players, just like you. You submit your résumé, get the job, and go to work, which you find interesting and challenging. Over time, you become personally fulfilled and earn a high score. Schafer’s imaginative approach landed him the job, and he proceeded to work at Lucasfilm for the next decade.

Your quest for the ideal career begins, logically enough, at the Ideal Career Center. Upon entering, you see a helpful looking woman sitting behind a desk. She smiles and says, "May I help you?" >SAY YES I NEED A JOB "Ah," she replies, "and where would you like to work, Los Angeles, Silicon Valley, or San Rafael?" >SAY SAN RAFAEL "Good choice," she says, "Here are some jobs you might be interested in," and gives you three brochures. >EXAMINE BROCHURES The titles of the three brochures are as follows: "HAL Computers: We've Got a Number For You," "Yoyodine Defense Technologies: Help Us Reach Our Destructive Potential," and "Lucasfilm, Ltd: Games, Games, Games!" >OPEN LUCASFILM BROCHURE

The brochure says that Lucasfilm is looking for an imaginative, good-humored team player who has excellent communication skills, programming experience, and loves games. Under that description, oddly enough, is a picture of you. >SEND RESUME You get the job! Congratulations! You start right away! >GO TO WORK You drive the short commute to the Lucasfilm building and find it full of friendly people who show you the way to your desk. >EXAMINE DESK Your desk has on it a powerful computer, a telephone, some personal nicknacks, and some work to do. >EXAMINE WORK It is challenging and personally fulfilling to perform. >DO WORK As you become personally fulfilled, your score reaches 100, and this quest comes to an end. The adventure, however, is just beginning and so are your days at Lucasfilm. THE END

📄