You are what you watch! Essay -- Media, Television Shows

Imagine a distant post-apocalyptic future in which a large silver box has just been excavated from the ruins of what was once Los Angeles, a box that contains stack after stack of DVD’s with titles like Survivor, The Bachelor, Biggest Loser, The Swan, Real World, The Apprentice, and Hell’s Kitchen. What might anthropologists conclude about our 21st century society if these shows were their only glimpse into how we lived our lives? Francine Prose ponders this same question in her essay â€Å"Voting Democracy off the Island: Reality TV and the Republican Ethos,† in which she asks not only what future anthropologists might deduce, but, â€Å"for that matter,† what â€Å"contemporary TV-addicted children and adults† might realize if they were to more closely examine their motivation for watching these shows (22). Salman Rushdie, in his article â€Å"Reality TV: A Dearth of Talent and the Death of Mortality,† suggests that we need to examine rea lity television closely because â€Å"it tells us things about ourselves,† and even if we don’t think it does, it â€Å"ought to,† a claim that suggests that if we merely brush off reality television as a fad, we might be missing something inherently valuable about our nature (16). In her essay, â€Å"The Distorting Mirror of Reality Television,† Sarah Coleman suggests that reality television offers a distorted reflection, a â€Å"dark view of humanity in the guise of light entertainment,† a consideration that asks us to see who we are in this distorted reflection of our values (19). The question then is: what do we see when we see ourselves in this â€Å"dime-store mirror† (â€Å"Reality TV† 16)? Whatever the answer to this question might be, the question itself suggests that there is something inherently human about our fascination with r... ...way and be the winner; that it is okay to betray others because winning is everything; that annoying, conniving, hysterical liars are far more interesting than honest, conscientious, selfless people; and that we are not really a nation of communities but a group of individuals fighting for ourselves—all of which suggests on a very deep level that we feel better when we watch people who we deem to be worse off than we are. The saddest lesson, however, might very well be that we are starved for this kind of inherently cruel entertainment because our own lives seem so much duller in comparison, an observation that suggests that what we can learn from Reality TV does not necessarily only apply to our generation, but to those that came before us and those that will follow—including these hypothetical anthropologists who are watching these shows to better understand us.

Fool Chapter 9

NINE TOIL AND TROUBLE So why is it that we are going to Great Birnam Wood to look for witches?† asked Kent as we made our way across the moor. There was only a slight breeze but it was bloody cold, what with the mist and the gloom and my despair over King Jeff. I pulled my woolen cape around me. â€Å"Bloody Scotland,† said I. â€Å"Albany is possibly the darkest, dampest, coldest bloody crevice in all of Blighty. Sodding Scots.† â€Å"Witches?† reminded Kent. â€Å"Because the bloody ghost told me I'd find my answers here.† â€Å"Ghost?† â€Å"The girl ghost at the White Tower, keep up, Kent. Rhymes and riddles and such.† I told him of the â€Å"grave offense to daughters three† and the â€Å"madman rising to lead the blind.† Kent nodded as if he understood. â€Å"And I'm along because†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Because it is dark and I am small.† â€Å"You might have asked Curan or one of the others. I'm reticent about witches.† â€Å"Nonsense. They're just like physicians, only without the bleeding. Nothing to fear.† â€Å"In the day, when Lear was still Christian, we did not do well by witches. I've had a cartload of curses cast on me.† â€Å"Not very effective, though, were they? You're child-frighteningly old and still strong as a bull.† â€Å"I am banished, penniless, and live under the threat of death upon discovery of my name.† â€Å"Oh, good point. Brave of you to come, then.† â€Å"Aye, thanks, lad, but I'm not feeling it. What's that light?† There was a fire ahead in the wood, and figures moving around it. â€Å"Stealthy, now, good Kent. Let us creep up silently and see what is to be seen before revealing ourselves. Now, creep, Kent, you crashing great ox, creep.† And with but two steps my strategy revealed its flaw. â€Å"You're jingling like a coin purse possessed of fits,† said Kent. â€Å"You couldn't creep up on the deaf nor dead. Silence your bloody bells, Pocket.† I placed my coxcomb on the ground. â€Å"I can leave my hat, but I'll not take off my shoes – we'll surrender all stealth if I'm screaming from trodding tender-footed across lizards, thorns, hedgehogs, and the lot.† â€Å"Here, then,† said Kent, pulling the remains of the pork shoulder from his satchel. â€Å"Dampen your bells with the fat.† I raised an eyebrow quizzically – an unappreciated and overly subtle gesture in the dark – then shrugged and began working the suet into the bells at my toes and ankles. â€Å"There!† I shook a leg to the satisfying sound of nothing at all. â€Å"Forward!† Creep we did, until we were just outside the halo of firelight. Three bent-backed hags were walking a slow circle around a large cauldron, dropping in twisted bits of this and that as they chanted. â€Å"Double, double, toil and trouble: Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.† â€Å"Witches,† whispered Kent, paying tribute to the god of all things bloody fucking obvious. â€Å"Aye,† said I, in lieu of clouting him. (Jones stayed behind to guard my hat.) â€Å"Eye of newt and toe of frog, Wool of bat and tongue of dog, Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting, Lizard's leg and owlet's wing, For a charm of powerful trouble, Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.† They double-bubbled the chorus and we were readying ourselves for another verse of the recipe when I felt something brush against my leg. It was all I could do not to cry out. I felt Kent's hand on my shoulder. â€Å"Steady, lad, it's just a cat.† Another brush, and a meow. Two of them now, licking my bells, and purring. (It sounds more pleasant than it was.) â€Å"It's the bloody pork fat,† I whispered. A third feline joined the gang. I stood on one foot, trying to hold the other above their heads, but while I am an accomplished acrobat, the art of levitation still eludes me; thus my ground-bound foot became my Achilles' heel, as it were. One of the fiends sank its fangs into my ankle. â€Å"Fuckstockings!† said I, somewhat emphatically. I hopped, I whirled, I made disparaging remarks toward all creatures of the feline aspect. Hissing and yowling ensued. When at last the cats retreated, I was sitting splayed-legged by the fire, Kent stood next to me with his sword drawn and ready, and the three hags stood in ranks across the cauldron from us. â€Å"Back, witches!† said Kent. â€Å"You may curse me into a toad, but they'll be the last words out of your mouths while your heads are attached.† â€Å"Witches?† said the first witch, who was greenest of the three. â€Å"What witches? We are but humble washerwomen, making our way in the wood.† â€Å"Rendering laundry service, humble and good,† said witch two, the tallest. â€Å"All it be, is as it should,† said witch three, who had a wicked wart over her right eye. â€Å"By Hecate's[27] night-tarred nipples, stop rhyming!† said I. â€Å"If you're not witches, what was that curse you were bubbling about?† â€Å"Stew,† said Warty. â€Å"Stew, stew most true,† said Tall. â€Å"Stew most blue,† said Green. â€Å"It's not blue,† said Kent, looking in the cauldron. â€Å"More of a brown.† â€Å"I know,† said Green, â€Å"but brown doesn't rhyme, does it, love?† â€Å"I'm looking for witches,† said I. â€Å"Really?† said Tall. â€Å"I was sent by a ghost.† The hags looked at one another, then back at me. â€Å"Ghost told you to bring your laundry here, did it?† said Warty. â€Å"You're not washerwomen! You're bloody witches! And that's not stew, and the bloody ghost of the bloody White Tower said to seek you here for answers, so can we get about it, ye gnarled knots of erect vomitus?† â€Å"Ah, we're toads for sure now,† sighed Kent. â€Å"Always a bloody ghost, innit?† said Tall. â€Å"What did she look like?† asked Green. â€Å"Who? The ghost? I didn't say it was a she – â€Å" â€Å"What did she look like, fool?† snarled Warty. â€Å"I suppose I shall pass my days eating bugs and hiding under leaves until some crone drops me in a cauldron,† mused Kent, leaning on his sword now, watching moths dart into the fire. â€Å"She was ghostly pale,† said I, â€Å"all in white – vaporous, with fair hair and – â€Å" â€Å"She was fit,[28] though?† asked Tall. â€Å"Lovely, you might even say?† â€Å"Bit more transparent than I care for in my wenches, but aye, she was fit.† â€Å"Aye,† said Warty, looking to the others, who huddled with her. When they came up, Green said, â€Å"State your business, then, fool. Why did the ghost send you here?† â€Å"She said you could help me. I am fool to the court of King Lear of Britain. He has sent away his youngest daughter, Cordelia, of whom I am somewhat fond; he's given my apprentice fool, Drool, to that blackguard bastard Edmund of Gloucester, and my friend Taster has been poisoned and is quite dead.† â€Å"And don't forget that they're going to hang you at dawn,† added Kent. â€Å"Don't concern yourselves with that, ladies,† said I. â€Å"About to be hanged is my status quo, not a condition that requires your repair.† The hags huddled again. There was much whispering and a bit of hissing. They broke their conference and Warty, who was the apparent coven leader, said, â€Å"That Lear's a nasty piece of work.† â€Å"Last time he went Christian a score of witches were drowned,† said Tall. Kent nodded, and looked at his shoes. â€Å"The Petite Inquisition – not a high point.† â€Å"Aye, we were a decade spelling them all back to life for the revenge,† said Warty. â€Å"Rosemary here still seeps pond-water from the ears on damp days,† said Tall. â€Å"Aye, and carps ate my small toes while I was pond-bottom,† said Green. â€Å"Her toes thus gefilted,[29] we had to seek an enchanted lynx and take two of his for replacement.† Rosemary (who was Green) nodded gravely. â€Å"Goes through shoes in a fortnight, but there's no better witch to chase a squirrel up a tree,† said Tall. â€Å"That's true,† said Rosemary. â€Å"Beats the burnings, though,† said Warty. â€Å"Aye, that's true,† said Tall. â€Å"No amount of cat toes'll fix you if you've all your bits burnt off. Lear had him some burnings as well.† â€Å"I'm not here on behalf of Lear,† said I. â€Å"I'm here to correct the madness he's done.† â€Å"Well, why didn't you say so?† said Rosemary. â€Å"We're always keen on sending a bit of the mayhem Lear's way,† said Warty. â€Å"Shall we curse him with leprosy?† â€Å"By your leave, ladies, I don't wish the old man's undoing, only the undoing of his deeds.† â€Å"A simple curse would be easier,† said Tall. â€Å"A bit o' bat spittle in the cauldron and we can have him walking on duck feet before breakfast. Make him quack, too, if you've a shilling or a freshly-strangled infant for the service.† â€Å"I just want my friends and my home back,† said I. â€Å"Well, if you can't be persuaded, let us have a consult,† said Rosemary. â€Å"Parsley, Sage, a moment?† She waved the other witches over to an old oak where they whispered. â€Å"Parsley, Sage, and Rosemary?† said Kent. â€Å"What, no Thyme?† Rosemary wheeled on him. â€Å"Oh, we've the time if you've the inclination, handsome.† â€Å"Jolly good show, hag!† said I. I liked these crones, they had a fine-edged wit. Rosemary rolled her good eye at the earl, lifted her skirts, aimed her withered bottom at Kent, and rubbed a palsied claw over it. â€Å"Round and firm, good knight. Round and firm.† Kent gagged a little and backed away a few steps. â€Å"Gods save us! Away you ghastly carbuncled tart!† I would have looked away, should have, but I had never seen a green one. A weaker man might have plucked out his own eyes, but being a philosopher, I knew the sight could never be unseen, so I persevered. â€Å"Hop on, Kent,† said I. â€Å"Beast-shagging is thy calling and thou surely have been called.† Kent backed into a tree and half cold-cocked himself. He slid down the trunk, dazed. Rosemary dropped her skirts. â€Å"Just having you on.† The crones cackled as they huddled again. â€Å"We've a proper toading for you once the fool's business is finished, though. A moment, please†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The witches whispered for a moment, then resumed their march around the cauldron. â€Å"Nose of Turk, and Tartar's lips, Griffin spunk and monkey hips, Mandrake rubbed with tiger nads, To divine undoing for the old king mad.† â€Å"Oh bollocks,† said Sage, â€Å"we're all out of monkey hips.† Parsley looked into the cauldron and gave it a stir. â€Å"We can make do without them. You can substitute a fool's finger.† â€Å"No,† said I. â€Å"Well, then, get a finger from that comely hunk of man-meat with the bootblack on his beard – he seems foolish enough.† â€Å"No,† said Kent, still a tad dazed. â€Å"And it's not bootblack, it's a clever disguise.† The witches looked to me. â€Å"There's no counting on accuracy without the monkey hips or fool's finger,† said Rosemary. I said: â€Å"Let us make do and gallantly bugger on, shall we, ladies?† â€Å"All right,† said Parsley, â€Å"but don't blame us if we bollocks-up your future.† There was more stirring and chanting in dead languages, and no little bit of wailing, and finally, when I was about to doze off, a great bubble rose in the cauldron and when it burst it released a cloud of steam that formed itself into a giant face, not unlike the tragedy mask used by traveling players. It glowed against the misty night. â€Å"‘Ello,† said the giant face, sounding Cockney and a little drunk. â€Å"Hello, large and steamy face,† said I. â€Å"Fool, Fool, you must save the Drool, Quick to Gloucester, or blood will pool.† â€Å"Oh, for fuck's sake, this one rhymes, too?† said I to the witches. â€Å"Can't a bloke find a straightforward prose apparition?† â€Å"Quiet, fool!† snapped Sage, who I was back to thinking of as Warty. To the face, she said, â€Å"Apparition of darkest power, we're clear on the where and the what, but the fool was hoping for some direction of the how variety.† â€Å"Aye. Sorry,† said large steamy face. â€Å"I'm not slow, you know, your recipe was short a monkey hip.† â€Å"We'll use two next time,† said Sage. â€Å"Well, all right, then†¦ â€Å"To reverse the will of a flighty king, Remove his train to clip his wings. To eldest daughters knights be dower, And soon a fool will yield the power.† The steamy face grinned. I looked at the witches. â€Å"So I'm to somehow get Goneril and Regan to take Lear's knights in addition to everything else they have?† â€Å"He never lies,† said Rosemary. â€Å"He's often wildly fucking inaccurate,† said Parsley, â€Å"but not a liar.† â€Å"Again,† said I to the apparition, â€Å"good to know what to do and all, but a method to the madness would be most welcome as well. A strategy, as it were.† â€Å"Cheeky little bastard, ent ‘e?† said Steamy to the witches. â€Å"Want us to put a curse on him?† asked Sage. â€Å"No, no, the lad's a rocky road ahead without adding a curse to slow him.† The apparition cleared his throat (or at least made the throat-clearing noise, as, strictly speaking, he had no throat). â€Å"A princess to your will shall bend, If seduction in a note, you send, And fates of kings and queens shall tell, When bound are passions with a spell.† With that, the apparition faded away. â€Å"That's it, then?† I asked. â€Å"A couple of rhymes and we're finished? I have no idea what I'm to do.† â€Å"Bit thick yourself, then, are you?† said Sage. â€Å"You're to go to Gloucester. You're to separate Lear from his knights and see that they're under the power of his daughters. Then you're to write letters of seduction to the princesses and bind their passions with a magic spell. Couldn't be any clearer if it was rhymed.† Kent was nodding and shrugging as if the bloody obviousness of it all had sluiced through the wood in an illuminating deluge, leaving me the only one dry. â€Å"Oh, do fuck off, you grey-bearded sot. Where would you get a magic spell to bind the bitches' passion?† â€Å"Them,† said Kent, pointing rudely at the hags. â€Å"Us,† said the hags in chorus. â€Å"Oh,† said I, letting the flood wash over me. â€Å"Of course.† Rosemary stepped forward and held forth three shriveled grey orbs, each about the size of a man's eye. I did not take them, fearing they might be something as disgusting as they appeared to be – desiccated elf scrotums or some such. â€Å"Puff balls, from a fungus that grows deep in the wood,† said Rosemary. â€Å"In lover's breath these spores release An enchanting charm you shall unleash Passion which can be never broken For him whose name next is spoken.† â€Å"So, to recap, simply and without rhyme?† â€Å"Squeeze one of these bulbs under your lady's nose, then say your name and she will find your charms irresistible and become overwhelmed with desire for you,† explained Sage. â€Å"Redundant then, really?† said I with a grin. The hags laughed themselves into a wheeze-around, then Rosemary dropped the puff balls into a small silk pouch and handed it to me. â€Å"There's the matter of payment,† said she, as I reached for the purse. â€Å"I'm a poor fool,† said I. â€Å"All we have between us is my scepter and a well-used shoulder of pork. I suppose I could wait while each of you takes Kent for a roll in the hay, if that will do.† â€Å"You will not!† said Kent. The hag held up a hand. â€Å"A price to be named later,† said she. â€Å"Whenever we ask.† â€Å"Fine, then,† said I, snatching the purse away from her. â€Å"Swear it,† she said. â€Å"I swear,† said I. â€Å"In blood.† â€Å"But – † As quick as a cat she scratched the back of my hand with her ragged talon. â€Å"Ouch!† Blood welled in the crease. â€Å"Let it drip in the cauldron and swear,† said the crone. I did as I was told. â€Å"Since I'm here, is there any chance I could get a monkey?† â€Å"No,† said Sage. â€Å"No,† said Parsely. â€Å"No,† said Rosemary. â€Å"We're all out of monkeys, but we'll put a glamour on your mate so his disguise isn't so bloody pathetic.† â€Å"Go to it, then,† said I. â€Å"We must be off.† ACT II How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child. – King Lear, Act I, Scene 4

Johnny Appleseed Word Search and Crossword Puzzle

Description Of A Sociological Autobiography - 2484 Words

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My autobiography is closely associated with my social connections including my experiences with my family, educational institution, and the larger society I resi de within. My development as an individual can be defined in terms of many sociological concepts. Deviance is one among them, which refers to any violation of social norms by an individual. These violations can range from minor to major. However, since it is designed by social norms, it is quite relative. The concept of deviance can change from one society to another (Henslin, 2015). As stated, I have had plentiful chances to interact with society from an early age, whichShow MoreRelatedHistory Can Be Studied And Recorded3273 Words   |  14 PagesHistory can be studied and recorded in a multitude of ways. Historical autobiographies offer insight into personal stories of the past but raises the question of whether or not these individual histories have been skewed by memory. 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The Meeting s Chair, Welcomed Everyone - 1663 Words

1. Introductions Kristin, the meeting’s chair, welcomed everyone. New members: †¢ Ronald Coleman is the new Service Coordinator. He has 14 years of service with Probation. †¢ Barbara Dickinson (not present) is from the Public Defender Office, she is replacing Audrey Brown. 2. Strategic Planning Update a. Strategic Initiatives †¢ Ginni reported the every 6 months updates are done with operational staff regarding strategic planning. This is the end of year two. Ginni reported the focus has been on 4 areas: i. Refine Volunteer Commitment: utilizing youth and volunteers, bringing in the best volunteers give them the best training and retaining volunteers, attrition is a huge issue when you have people exiting, and when you always trying to get new volunteers. ii. Seamless Integration of Technology: money was spent for a smart TV, wireless laptop for outreach and presentations, a number of computers, a new telephone to make conference calls, and working on other refinements with board member that is an IT guru over at Clorox. iii. Organization Culture of Support: providing the support to staff, to deal with everything it takes to do this job. It involves continuing education, professional development, and support for trauma issues that they may encounter dealing with these difficult cases sometimes. Doing things to make the work environment a good place to be since we see each other daily. iv. Measurable Outcomes to Drive Program: There was a growth strategy group that wasShow MoreRelat ed322 Plan and Organise Meetings1184 Words   |  5 Pagesand organise meetings 1. 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How Organizations Overcome Environmental Changes free essay sample

How organizations overcome environmental changes? Organisations need to deal with environmental changes with appropriate strategies. First, organisations may choose to wait and see. Such strategy has its advantages and disadvantages. For example, facing a significant technological change, some companies may choose to integrate the new technology into their products. If they are successful, the rest companies’ ‘wait and see’ strategy is obviously unwise. However, if they failed, the rest companies’ ‘wait and see’ strategy appears wise. As a result, strategic decision making is impacted on and opportunities may either be lost or capitalised on. Second, organisations may choose to change in response to environmental changes through either proactive or reactive. Proactive change involves actively attempting to make alterations to the work place and its practices. Companies that take a proactive approach to change are often trying to avoid a potential future threat or to capitalize on a potential future opportunity. Reactive change occurs when an organization makes changes in its practices after some threat or opportunity has already occurred in the external environment. As an example of the difference, assume that a hotel executive learns about the increase in the number of Malaysians who want to travel with their pets. The hotel executive creates a plan to reserve certain rooms in many hotel locations for travelers with pets and to advertise this new amenity, even before travelers begin asking about such accommodations. This would be a proactive response to change because it was made in anticipation of customer demand. However, a reactive approach to change would occur if hotel executives had waited to enact such a change until many hotel managers had received repeated requests from guests to accommodate their pets and were denied rooms. In reality, companies may use a combination of both proactive and reactive approaches. Proactive approach is highly common when an industry is new with little or no change. The bellwether company entering the industry is making all of the strategic decisions or being proactive. However, because of its success, competitors gradually enter the market, resulting in the turbulent change of the competitive environment. Consequently, the reactive change is on the part of the new competitors as well as the bellwether company. To overcome environmental changes, companies may also choose the merger or acquisition strategy. A merger is defined as the joining of two or more organizations to constitute a new combined, legal entity. An acquisition is defined as the purchase of more than 50 percent of the voting shares of one organization by another, but the two organizations are still separate legal entities with the acquiring organization running as the parent company and another as a subsidiary. For example, recent study discloses that the merger and acquisition strategy in the global automobile industry will be further enhanced in the near future in order to deal with the threat of global financial crisis which decreased the consumers’ disposable income and increased the debt of auto makers and suppliers that have to save their organisations through merger and acquisition Ddiscuss the importance of organisational culture in strategy implementation Organisational culture can be defined â€Å"as the system of shared beliefs and values that guide and direct the behaviour of members, can have a strong influence on daily organisational behaviour and performance. † (1) Reflection to leadership Successful strategy implementation needs strategic leadership. Strategic leadership is the ability of influencing others to voluntarily make decisions that enhance prospects for the organisation’s long-term success while maintaining short-term financial stability. It includes determining the firm’s strategic direction, aligning the firm’s strategy with its culture, modelling and communicating high ethical standards, and initiating, shaping and implementing changes in the firm’s strategy, when necessary. Strategic leadership sets the firm’s direction by developing and communicating a vision of future and inspires the organization’s members to move in that direction. (2) Enable to create mission vision The vision is the source and the main idea of a company. The mission aims to give the direction which presents the unique scope of business, its vision and specific competence competitive advantages, and to tell employees, consumers, and shareholder what the firm is. For example, IBM’s vision is: solutions for a small planet. Mission is: At IBM, we strive to lead in the invention, development and manufacture of the industrys most advanced information technologies, including computer systems, software, storage systems and microelectronics. Create a shared vision to manage strategic change: objectives and vision of both individuals and organization should coincide. There should be no conflict between them. Senior managers need to constantly and consistently communicate the vision not only to inform but also to overcome resistance through proper communication. Strategy implementers have to convince all those concerned that the change is not superficial. The actions taken have to be credible, highly visible and unmistakably indicative of management’s seriousness to new strategic initiatives and associated changes. 3) Help to create a better strategy (4) Staff motivation Strategy implementation requires special motivation to achieve objectives. The motivation system functions according to the qualities and mechanisms of motivation, which is developed during the stage of entry strategy preparation. First and foremost, this system has to inspire employees involved in the process of strategy development and implementat ion to orient their mindset toward a strategic way of thinking. Formalizing the strategic motivation system includes establishing a system of daily incentives for employees, especially those who are responsible for strategy development and implementation. The formal system is presented in a document, where all suggestions about motivation and incentives are developed and described. It includes all moral, social, and financial instruments of motivation of individual employees and groups of employees. Special recognition and awards should be given to those who go above and beyond in creating and implementing strategic ideas. (5) Increase or enhance adaptability skills

Writing a Personal Statement Essay for Volunteer Job

Writing a Personal Statement Essay for Volunteer Job Just like with CVs, even if the volunteering job post doesn’t require submission of motivation letter, it doesn’t mean you won’t have to send it. The interviewer can ask you to send CV + motivation letter or essay upon the completion of the interview. That’s why it’s highly important to think about writing a  personal  statement at the very beginning. This will give you time to decide what to write, how to write it, and make sure the motivation letter is well-crafted before you send an email. Although it seems like volunteering motivation letter is easy to write, it still holds a trap that you should avoid. When it comes to this type of program, most people focus only on their desire to help, contribute, learn etc. Although all these qualities are great, you shouldn’t make your motivation letter to them only. Instead, to make it stand out, do the opposite – compose a highly professional motivation letter that will STILL depict your positive characteristics. Step 1 The very first paragraph of the motivation letter should be similar to the beginning of an essay for paid position – introduce yourself as well as program wherein you want to participate. Step 2 The second paragraph should focus on your previous job experiences and accomplishments in both volunteers and paid positions. Your goal here is to show you are capable of performing tasks they might give you. But also, it’s important to demonstrate that you do understand the program and its challenges. Incorporating both paid and volunteer positions into the same paragraph is used for making a connection between the two. Both positions are similar and different at the same time. Step 3 If you have achievements or important accomplishments, feel free to include them. Let’s say you worked for some financial company for a limited period of time and you were still voted an employee of the month. It’s an amazing achievement and could definitely bring you closer to the program, particularly if you apply for volunteering program in a field of finances and economy. Step 4 Once you complete the â€Å"professional† segment (work experiences + achievements etc.) it’s time to focus on your personality. Describe your attitude towards work and other people in a few sentences. Be precise and specific. Step 5 End the motivation letter stating the recipient should feel free to contact you for more info. Also, emphasize your availability and interest to become a part of the program. When you’re done, reread the motivation letter, correct all typos or grammatical mistakes and that’s it. The word count doesn’t really matter here, but don’t make it too long. In fact, 500 words should be a maximum. If you are not sure about your ability to write a statement it is normal to ask professional writing service Help me write my personal statement.