Career planning, Motivational letter, Professional letter, Technical and Academic Proposal writing

1. PROPOSAL WRITING
Mona Mostafa El- Ashry
Master of Business Administration- Cairo University
Doctorate of Business Administration- Cairo University
Trainer at RCSC-Cairo University

2. Session Outline
• Career Planning
• Motivational letter
• Professional E- Mail
• Technical Proposal
• Academic Proposal

3. 01282566224
Monaalashry@yahoo.com
Mona Mostafa El- Ashry
@Dr.MonaElashry

4. CAREER PLANNING

5. CAREER PLANNING DEFINITION
Is an ongoing process that can help you manage your
learning and development.
Is a deliberate process of knowing WHO you are so that
you can be sure of WHERE you want to go or WHAT
you want to be at some defined point in the future.
The deliberate process through which someone becomes
aware of personal skills, interests, knowledge, motivations,
and other characteristics and establishes action plans to
attain specific goals.

6. STEPS OF CAREER PLANNING
Step 1: Knowing yourself
Step 2: Finding out
Step 3: Making decisions
Step 4: Taking action

7. STEP1: KNOWING YOUR SELF
 Self Assessment:
 Knowing and understanding of self better to know
if you are in the right job/career or you want to go
to another job.
 Begin by asking yourself the following
questions:
 • Where am I at now?
 • Where do I want to be?
 • What do I like to do?
 • What are my strengths?
 • What is important to me?

9. STEP2: FINDING OUT
 Work/Career Exploration:
 This step is about exploring the occupations and learning areas that
interest you. Once you have some idea of your occupational preferences
you can research the specific skills and qualifications required for those
occupations.
 Explore occupations that interest you and ask yourself :
 • How do my skills and interests match up with these occupations?
 •Where are the gaps?
 •What options do I have to gain these skills or qualify for these
occupations?
 •What skills do I need?
 •Where is the work?

10. STEP3: MAKING DECISIONS
 This step involves comparing your options, narrowing down your choices and
thinking about what suits you best at this point in time
 List down three to five career options that is match with your interest,
personality, needs, values and skills, on one hand and the opportunities and
limitations, on the other what suits you best at this point in time.
 Ask yourself:
 • What are my best work/training options?
 • How do they match with my skills, interests and values?
 • How do they fit with the current labor market?
 • How do they fit with my current situation and responsibilities?
 • What are the advantages and disadvantages of each option?
 • What will help and what will hinder me?
 • What can I do about it?

11. STEP4: TAKING ACTION
 Here you plan the steps you need to put your plan into action.
 Use all you have learnt about your skills, interests and values
together with the information you have gathered about the
world of work to create your plan that will help you to achieve
your goals.
 Begin by asking yourself:
 •What actions/steps will help me achieve my work, training
and career goals?
 •Where can I get help?
 •Who will support me?

12. MOTIVATIONAL
LETTER

13. What is a Motivational Letter and Why
it Matters?
■ A motivational letter is a one-page letter that’s used to
describe why you are the perfect candidate for a certain
position. It is usually attached to your resume.

14. You are required to write a motivational
letter in these 4 specific scenarios...
■ You are applying to get admitted to an educational program at a
college or university (undergraduate, graduate, or
postgraduate).
■ You are applying to work at a non-profit organization.
■ You are applying as a volunteer in an organization.
■ You’re applying for an internship in a company.

15. How to Structure a Motivational
Letter
■ A good motivational letter is a one-pager where you
introduce yourself, your story, and show your interest in the
position or organization you are applying to.

16. There are two main ways to structure your
motivational letter:
■ Using the classic 3 main paragraphs structure, where your
motivational letter has: the introduction, the body, and the
conclusion.
■ Using the 5-7 paragraph structure, where you divide your
main body paragraph into smaller 1-3 sentence paragraphs
according to the main points.

17. Now, which one do YOU go for?
■ The rule of thumb is if you want to be more factual and to
the point, go for the 7-paragraph structure. This way, you
can use each body paragraph to discuss specific
achievements or points.
■ If, on the other hand, you’re going for a more story-telling
approach, you’d go for the 3 paragraph option, so as not to
break the flow of the story.

19. ■ Whichever structure you go for, it should consist of 3 main
parts: the introduction, body, and conclusion. Here’s what
to include in each one:
Contact information on top.
For example:
To: School/Organization Name
First Name Last Name
myemail@mail.com
Phone Number
Relevant Social Media (LinkedIn, Quora,
GitHub, etc.)

20. Introduction:
■ A short, engaging pitch about yourself and why you are
applying. Here, you can include:
■ Personal information. Who are you and what do you do?
■ What are you applying for? Where?
■ Mention the general reason on why you’re applying, and then
deep-dive in the bulk of your motivational letter.

21. Example of Introduction for Motivational Letter
Dear [Name of The Contact Person],
My name is [Your name] and I would like to express my
interest in applying for the Doctoral program in political
science at [University Name]. I’ve always dreamed of
becoming a politician and helping give back to my country,
and I believe that a Ph.D. in politics from [University
Name] would set me miles ahead to reaching my goal

22. Body of the Motivational Letter:
■ This is the main bulk of your motivational letter. This is
where you really sell yourself, mentioning stories behind
your achievements, skills, and passion for whatever
you’re applying for.

23. Things You Can Mention in Your Motivational
Letter:
• My passion for ______ started when ______.
• I want to ______ because ______.
• I have been part of _________ for ___ months/years. It’s the
best thing for me because _______.
• I remember once when I ________, which made me realize
that I _______.
• _______ resonates with me because _________.
• What distinguishes me from my peers is __________.

24. Here’s a Practical Example:
■ I developed my passion for Online Marketing
during my internship at [company name].
Working in a small startup allowed me to get
surface-level experience in most digital marketing
channels. Now, I would like to deep-dive and gain
advanced know-how by attending the [university
name] program in Digital Marketing.

25. Conclusion
■ Finally, you can wrap up the motivational letter and send
it in. In this section, you can:
• Briefly summarize your main points - “I believe I’d be a
good fit for the program because of __________”
• Mention your overarching goal - “I’d love to be a part of
_______, as it would allow me to ___________.”
• Thank the reader and conclude the motivational letter

26. Proofread your motivation letter
■ Proofread your motivation letter to make it more concise and professional.
Correct any spelling and grammatical errors and awkward phrasing. Edit
information already listed in your application form or resume to ensure your
motivation letter contains only unique information.
■ You may need to proofread your motivation letter several times to identify all
problem areas. If time permits, complete this step two days or more after writing
your motivation letter as time away from your work allows you to view it more
objectively. To help ensure your letter has professional grammar and spelling,
ask a trusted friend or colleague to proofread your motivation letter after you.

27. ■ Now that you know how to structure a
motivational letter, let’s move on to the
contents!

28. 1. When writing a motivational letter, you want to make sure you know
what and where you are applying to. Find out who is in charge of
deciding your fate and address them directly in your opening
remarks as Dear Mrs. Smith.
2. Look at the program requirements and the institution’s website. Find
out the top three requirements for the position and explain how you are
the best candidate.
3. Demonstrate that you share the organization’s values or are
exceptionally qualified through a short story or personal examples. Be
specific.
4. Your motivational letter should demonstrate that you really want to be
there! There is a fine line between pleading and showing intelligent
interest while also selling yourself. State specific reasons,
demonstrate knowledge and express passion for applying to the
institution or organization without showing off or begging.
5. DO NOT LIE! If you write anything remotely untrue, your reader will
sense it. Unconsciously, we inflate feelings and ideas when we lie. If
you tell a fake story or inflate your excitement or achievements, you
will be put into the “lying Pinnochio pile”. Consider your case rested

29. Questions to Answer in Your
Motivational Letter [+Possible
Answers]
• Requirement: Minimum 2 years of volunteering experience
■ I volunteered in Africa for three years. It’s one of my most fulfilling experiences
because I am passionate about helping others and came out a better person. I
would do it again in a heartbeat.
• Requirement: Passionate about research
■ I would pick a sleepless night conducting research instead of a night out
anytime. I spend most of my mornings reading the last edition of the Journal of
Marketing. I have worked on three separate research studies during my time at
Colorado University.
• Requirement: 3,80 GPA
■ Achieving a Magna Cum Laude required a lot of hard work and dedication, but
education has been my biggest passion in life, so there was more joy than pain
in the process!

30. An Example of a Great Motivational
Letter
■ The general requirements are: being research inclined, a demonstrated
passion for Politics, and an above average performance during
undergraduate studies.
■ The values of the university are integrity, education, respect, and
accountability.
■ She’s using the three paragraph structuring method.
■ You can see how Jane highlights through personal stories:
• That she knows the history of the university and shares the same values
• That she’s genuinely excited and passionate about the program and the
school
• What her qualifications are and how they’ll be a great fit for the program
• What she hopes to achieve if given the opportunity to study at Harvard

31. Examples
Dear Mr/Ms. [recipient's surname],
My name is [your name] and I am a [position/qualification/area of study]. I am writing to apply for
a [scholarship/volunteer opportunity/place] at [name of organization].
I would love to [study/volunteer] with you because [reasons for wanting to study course or
volunteer]. I am especially interested in your [school/non-profit organization] because [reasons for
choosing a particular organization].
I feel I would be an asset to your organization because I am [list of positive qualities]. I am also
skilled in [list of positive skills] which I developed through [experiences or courses that taught you
skills].
In conclusion, I hope to get the opportunity to [study/volunteer] with you at [name of organization].
Thank you for taking the time to review my application. Please contact me at [preferred contact
details] if you have any questions for me. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours sincerely,
[Your name]

34. FORMAL E- MAIL
FOR JOB

35. What to include in a formal email for
your job application?
■ The main objective of writing an email for job application is to let the hiring
manager know some of the imperative possessions which should be a part of
your job email:
• The purpose of writing
• Which job you’re applying for
• Qualifications for the job
• What you have to offer the company
• How recipient can get in contact with you

36. How to write a job application email?
■ The critical thing to consider when writing an email is to
focus on the length it should not be lengthy. So, here is
some information you can follow in drafting the email
correctly.
■

37. • Subject Line:
■ Many candidates apply for a job, so hiring managers receive a lot of application for particular job
positions. To make the job application noticed include your name and job title you are applying for
in the message subject line.
• Salutation:
■ When writing an email, make sure to concentrate on your email to a particular person who looks
after their jobs. In case the name is not available, you can open with “Dear Hiring Manager”, or
with more formal, you can put it “Dear Sir/Ma’am” etc.
• First Paragraph:
■ The first paragraph of your email, it’s significant to explain why you’re writing. State where you
proverb the job application, the date when it was posted, and how you found the posting. For
example: posted on the job search board etc.
• Second Paragraph:
■ It is the most essential and noticeable section of your email where you can pitch for your
candidature. Mentioning about why you’re the fine fit for the job and what can you present the
company? Emphasize the most pertinent jobs and responsibilities, as well as your achievements.
• Final Paragraph:
■ Use the legroom to thank the recipient for interpretation your email, and cite that your resume is
attached. It is also the room to thank recipients for in view of your application and affirm when and
how you will pursue up as well.

38. • Gracious Close:
■ Use a courteous close such as “Sincerely or best”, to sign off your letter, and
then type your full name.
• Email Signature:
■ You can also embrace your email signature, which is an efficient way to provide
information to recipients. List your name, contact number, email address and
LinkedIn profile URL (if you have one).

39. Sample of a formal email for a job application
Subject: Name of Applicant- Name of Job position
Dear Hiring Manager,
I came crosswise a very stimulating job position on your job portal that I think fits me completely. I am engrossed in applying for the
position of web developer at ABC Company. After understanding this job description and necessities and identifying it with my own
experiences, I know that I would be a precious asset to your organization.
I lately graduated with a Bachelor of computer science degree from the University of Delhi. I now want to relate my skills in a
multinational company like ABC. As a web developer, I can realize coding concepts to plan innovative websites and applications
for consumers.
I have attached a resume, cover letter and certificates for your deliberation. Please take an instant to evaluate it.
I like to know more about the aspect concerning this opportunity at your company. It would give me great happiness to hear back
from you regarding my application.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Your Address
Your Phone Number
Your Email Address

40. Errors to avoid in a job application email
■ Don’t: be vague. Hirers search their inboxes looking for individual names, roles or job ID
numbers, so a subject line that says just ‘job application’ or ‘response to advertisement’
risks not being found.
■ Don’t: Start with ‘Hi’ or ‘Hey’. This is not an email to a friend, so don’t make the mistake of
being over-familiar.
■ Don’t: Send it as a Word file, as these can be distorted by differing versions of Office.
Avoid other formats such as HTML, BMP, EPS or ZIP files. If you are applying for a
creative or tech job and need to send links to your work, such as videos or websites,
include links in the main body of the job application email.
• Forgetting the Attachment:
■ Writing a formal email for a job, and forgetting to attach your CV and cover letter is a
negative factor. Personalize each email and send to the authorized email address.
• Proofreading:
■ It is mandatory before sending an email to the recruiter or employer check all the
sentences and grammatical mistakes are formatted correctly with the right intent of getting
a job.

41. TECHNICAL
PROPOSAL WRITING

42. Technical Proposal
■ A proposal is an offer by one party to provide a
product or service to another party in exchange
for money.
■ Marketing tool designed to sell goods, services, or
ideas to someone
■ Convince readers to say “yes” to the quality of what
you offer
■ Fill a need
■ Create a desire for product
■ Solve a problem

43. Proposal Writers must:
■ Understand conventions (requirements)
■ Know the competition
■ Know how to persuade reader
■ What information is needed for
■ client to feel like you can do the Job
■ Needs of audience
■ What information is required
■ Consider multiple audiences
Decision makers
Users
Technical experts

44. Components of Proposal
■ Front matter: cover, title, letter of
■ transmittal, table of
■ contents, abstract, etc.
■  Introduction
 Statement of the problem
 Overview of the approach
 Scope
 Statement of organization
■  Body
 Statement of the work
 Plan
 Costs
 Statement of qualifications
 Back Matter: resumes, appendices, etc

45. Structure-Elements
■ Prefatory Parts:
-Title page
-Letter of transmittal
-Table of contents
-List of tables/figures
-Executive summa

46. • About section
• What is… section
• How does… section
• Technical contract
• Product description
• Company duties
• Considerations
• Ownership
• Modification terms
• Applicable laws
• Other clauses/terms/definitions
• Signature section

47. The second section of your technical proposal, the “What is…”
part is the place for selling the merit for what you have
created.
■ In this section, you need to first introduce the demand for your innovation,
before you describe its specifics.
■ Questions to answer in the “What is…” section of a technical proposal:
1. Who does this product benefit?
2. What is the problem the product solves?
3. Why is this innovation needed now?
4. Why are you the best innovator to solve this problem?

48. ■ These questions correspond to the “How does…” section of your technical
proposal, in that section, you will need to illuminate the following:
1. Technical specifications
2. Detailed features
■ The “How does…” section is often necessarily dry, so consider using some
flourishing language to keep your proposal recipient from falling asleep, but do
not go too far off track

49. Technical Proposal Template
■ ABOUT [NAME OF COMPANY]
Introduce yourselves first. Extensive profiles detailing the inventor(s), their educational
backgrounds, and professional backgrounds will be important because the company
to whom this technical proposal is written is likely very skeptical of proposals of this
nature, and the person reviewing it probably sees a lot come across his desk. Separate
yourselves with your credentials if you can. Something is going to have to grab their
attention, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be your credentials but great credentials
do not hurt you in this scenario.

50. WHAT IS [PRODUCT]?
■ Introduce the concept for the product. Give a very high level overview of it in a few
paragraphs. This might be the most important section of your technical proposal
because if you can’t get the reader’s interest at this conceptual level, then you will
never get them to read any further through the specifics that you will get into in the
next section. You should think of this section as painting a picture and conveying
your vision to your reader.

51. HOW DOES [PRODUCT] WORK?
■ Now is the part of your technical proposal where you get into the nitty-gritty details
of the product. If you have captured your reader’s attention you should be able to
keep it through this section where they learn about the inner workings of the
product. Again, with a technical proposal, perhaps more than any other, it is
important to keep the reader’s attention. While the nature of this section
necessitates some really dry details, infuse some energy wherever you can
because if you lose your reader than it’s over.

52. TECHNICAL CONTRACT TEMPLATE
■ This Technical Contract (the “Contract”) states the terms and conditions that
govern the contractual agreement between [COMPANY] having its principal place
of business at [COMPANY ADDRESS] (the “Company”), and [INVENTOR] (the
“Inventor”) who agrees to be bound by this Contract.
■ WHEREAS, the Inventor has conceptualized [PRODUCT] which is a [DESCRIBE
PRODUCT] (the “Product”) and the Company has agreed to [EXTENT OF
COMMITMENT] according to the terms and conditions herein.

53. ■ NOW, THEREFORE, In consideration of the mutual covenants and promises
made by the parties hereto, the Company and the Inventor (individually, each a
“Party” and collectively, the “Parties”) covenant and agree as follows:
1. THE PRODUCT. Technical details of the Product are attached hereto as Exhibit
A.
■ This format gives you the way to describe the product in any manner you feel is
appropriate. This could be a brief description, or it could involve technical
drawings. It really depends entirely on where you are in the process before
bringing your technical proposal to the Company.
2. COMPANY DUTIES. The Company agrees to perform all duties described on
the page attached hereto as Exhibit B.
■ Again, because the extent to which the Company may agree to perform
regarding the Product will likely vary, it is important to describe this very clearly
in a manner that fits your situation. You want to be sure there is a mutual
understanding and the description reflects that understanding in detail.

54. 3. CONSIDERATION. In consideration for the rights conveyed herein, the
Company agrees to pay the Inventor [AMOUNT] to be paid on or before [DATE].
■ If the Inventor is to receive a percent of the profits in addition, you can add “The
Inventor shall also receive X% of the profits realized by the Company on the
sale of the Product for X years after the execution of this Contract, payable by
[DATE] of each year for the previous year’s share of profits.”
4. OWNERSHIP. The Parties acknowledge and agree that the Company will hold
all intellectual property rights in the Product including, but not limited to,
copyright and trademark rights. The Inventor agrees not to claim any such
ownership in the intellectual property inherent in the Product at any time after
the execution of this Contract.
■ Consider this section very carefully. As written, it conveys the ownership of the
Product to the Company and the Inventor is left merely with a fee (in such a
case, the company duties are irrelevant because the fee is all that matters to the
Inventor). However, depending on your situation, you may want to retain partial
ownership, in which case you can carve that out in this clause

55. 5. NO MODIFICATION UNLESS IN WRITING. No modification of
this Contract shall be valid unless in writing and agreed upon by
both Parties.
6. APPLICABLE LAW. This Contract and the interpretation of its
terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the
laws of the State of [STATE] and subject to the exclusive
jurisdiction of the federal and state courts located in [COUNTY],
[STATE].

56. ■ IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the Parties has executed this Contract, both Parties
by its duly authorized officer, as of the day and year set forth below.
■ ‫حسب‬ ‫المفوض‬ ‫مسؤوله‬ ‫قبل‬ ‫من‬ ‫الطرفين‬ ‫كال‬ ، ‫العقد‬ ‫هذا‬ ‫بتنفيذ‬ ‫طرف‬ ‫كل‬ ‫قام‬ ، ‫تقدم‬ ‫لما‬ ‫ا‬ً‫ت‬‫وإثبا‬
‫أدناه‬ ‫المحددين‬ ‫والسنة‬ ‫اليوم‬ ‫من‬ ‫ًا‬‫ر‬‫اعتبا‬ ، ‫األصول‬
.
[COMPANY]
_________________________________ _____________
[NAME], [TITLE] DATE
[INVENTOR]
_________________________________ ______________
[NAME] DATE
■ EXHIBIT A
■ THE PRODUCT
■ EXHIBIT B
■ COMPANY DUTIES

57. ACADEMIC
PROPOSAL

58. Research Process & Steps

59. 59

60.  Abstract ‫المستخلص‬
 Introduction ‫المقدمة‬
 Introduction and motivation + background on the nature
of your industry
 Literature Review (Critical Reflection) ‫الدراسات‬
‫السابقة‬
 Research Problem (Empirically and
theoretically) ‫مشكلة‬
‫البحث‬
 Research Objectives ‫أهداف‬
‫البحث‬
 Research Questions ‫أسئلة‬
‫البحث‬
Research Steps

61.  Suggested framework ‫األطار‬
‫المقترح‬
 Research Model ‫نموذج‬
‫البحث‬
 Research Hypotheses ‫فرضيات‬
‫البحث‬
 Research Importance/contribution/value
‫أهمية‬
‫البحث‬
‫ومساهمته‬
‫وقيمته‬
Research Steps Cont.

62.  Research Methodology Research Design: ‫منهجيةالبحث‬
-
‫تصميم‬
‫البحث‬
 Data collection approach ‫(مدخل‬qualitative‫كيفي‬ / quantitative )
‫كمي‬
 Data collection method ‫طريقة‬
‫جمع‬
‫البيانات‬ (interview ‫مقابلة‬
‫شخصية‬ ,
questionnaire‫أستبيان‬ , observation‫)مالحظة‬
 Data collection technique ‫التكنيك‬
‫المستخدم‬
‫في‬
‫جمع‬
‫البيانات‬ (face- to-
face interview, telephone, questionnaire list ‫قائمة‬
‫اسئلة‬ , e- mail
..etc.)
 Sampling ‫أخذ‬
‫العينات‬ (sampling method < probability sampling
‫العينات‬
‫األحتمالية‬ & non- probability sampling ‫أخذ‬
‫العينات‬
‫غير‬
‫األحتمالية‬ ):
(sampling techniques >>>>>>>> next page
Research Steps Cont.

63. Sampling Techniques
• Probability Sampling ‫األحتمالية‬ ‫العينات‬ ‫أخذ‬
 Simple random sampling ‫العشوائيةالبسيطة‬ ‫العينة‬
 Systematic random sampling‫العشوائيةالمنتظمة‬ ‫العينة‬
 Stratified random sampling‫الطبقية‬ ‫العشوائية‬ ‫العينة‬
 Cluster random sampling ‫العنقودية‬ ‫العشوائية‬ ‫العينة‬
• Non-Probability Sampling ‫األحتمالية‬ ‫العينات‬ ‫أخذ‬
 Convenience sampling ‫المالئمة‬ ‫العينات‬
)
‫عينةالصدفة‬
)
 Judgment sampling ‫الحكمية‬ ‫العينات‬
 Quota sampling ‫الحصصية‬ ‫العينات‬
 Snowball sampling‫الثلج‬ ‫كرة‬ ‫عينة‬

64.  Measurement‫المقياس‬
 Data Analysis techniques. ‫تكنينك‬
‫تحليل‬
‫البيانات‬
 Implications and Recommendations
 Limitations ‫المحددات‬
 References (APA;
Harvard:..etc)‫قائمةالمراجع‬
 You can get it directly from Google
Scholar
Research & Steps Cont.

65. 01282566224
Monaalashry@yahoo.com
Mona Mostafa El- Ashry
@Dr.MonaElashry