Lettersmith

Timeline

January 2023-present

About the project

Effectively and professionally communicating with recruiters, hiring managers, and employers can be a crucial step in the job search process, especially in written application material. The Lettersmith project is led by Dr. Julie Hui in collaboration with the University of Michigan’s Center for Academic Innovation (CAI), a department that aims to enhance educational opportunities at the University of Michigan and worldwide. In this project, we are examining the efficacy of the Lettersmith platform, a digital writing support tool for professional and academic writing, particularly for preparing job materials. Through this project, we aim to uncover ways to support job seekers and college students with their written professional communication skills in the job search process.

My role

I began as a research assistant in January 2023 where I attended regular meetings to discuss the course of the project and relevant opportunities for Lettersmith. I supported the creation and deployment of an survey experiment that examines the efficacy of Lettersmith. In May 2025, I joined CAI as a research fellow where I will continue research on Lettersmith’s efficacy and have included an experimental condition for using ChatGPT as a digitally-supported instructional mechanism that can be used to help prepare job application materials. I will also be preparing a manuscript for publication.

Presenting at CAI’s 2025 Research & Analytics Showcase