Preapplying

A concept that is widely recognized in writing theory is prewriting (or, to use Donald Murray’s term, pre-vision). Prewriting includes everything writers do before they actually begin to write, for example understanding the task, taking notes, brainstorming, exchanging ideas, doing research, or thinking. Far from being unproductive procrastination, prewriting has a measurable and direct effect on the product: writers who have already spent time with a given assignment or project before beginning to write typically do better than writers who don’t.

It occurred to me today that the same principle might pertain to job applications or networking situations (in a way, this takes me back to the idea of mise-en-place). So let’s say that I preapplied today: I thought about writing samples, thought about when (soon) and how (by e-mail first) to contact two companies that contract/employ freelance writers, and discussed some options with friends. For those who have a hard time accepting the concept of pre-anything, I also selected and revised a case study I wrote for a marketing class. I’d like to add, though, that the selection of this particular piece was the direct result of preselecting…trust me, it works. It’s what Hercule Poirot would call “using your little gray cells.”