Hello Reader,

My name is Katherine Neal, but I prefer to be called Kate. I was born 14 February 1989. I realize that the Summary section of a profile is meant to be a sort of “who are you?”, but the space is rather small, and I essentially repeated my resume.

LinkedIn is meant to be a self-marketing site, where companies and potential employees may meet and connect. To that end, I have added this letter to my portfolio to give a voice to my profile. You see, LinkedIn gives applicants a face, but it can be hard to inject your voice, your personality, into a website.

I know I said this in my profile summary, but I truly do believe in the Air Force Core Values of Integrity First, Service Before Self, Excellence in All We Do. I also have a lot of heart: I put my whole self into anything I set my mind to doing.

For a couple of months in high school, I played volleyball. I wasn’t anywhere near being the most athletic or the star player, but I’ll never forget something the coach said to me. He pulled me aside once when he noticed I was having a harder practice than usual, and he said, “You have more heart than all the girls on this team combined”. I couldn’t run very fast, and I had to stand on a table to be able to reach over the net to practice blocking, but that never stopped me. That heart, that drive and competitive spirit to be the best, has helped me in a lot of hard situations, and it’s who I am at my core.

As a result of all of that heart, I have done very well in the hospitality industry. However, I want to do more than work at the front desk. The problem is, having a lot of heart doesn’t translate well on paper; I have to be given a chance before an employer can see that part of my personality. In many ways, I’m a lot like Rudy: my attitude is “I can do it, Coach!” But again, that’s awfully difficult to see on a resume.

Because this particular part of myself is hard to see online or on paper, I wanted to write this letter to all possible employers, in the hope that one of them will read it, and give me a second look. It’s taken some time, but I have finally figured out that I’d like to be a copywriter. I love reading, writing, proofreading and editing. Beyond writing in college, I have not professional writing experience. However, I am a very fast learner with a drive to succeed. If you give me the chance for which I am asking, you won’t be disappointed. You will see me put forth my best effort in every task, and take responsibility for any mistakes. If you like what you’ve read and want to know more, please see my contact info at the bottom of my profile page. Thank you for your time and attention, and I hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,

Kate Neal