How do I make a written work sample readable when it was created for a different audience?

Usually, keep the artifact as it was and make the context around it do the translating. Rewriting can blur what the piece was originally meant to do, or make it look as though it was created for the portfolio reviewer. Instead, add a brief orientation before the sample. Explain its original audience and purpose, your part in creating it, and what a new reader can notice without treating the piece as if it had a different job.

For example, a concise opening might say: “Originally written for [original audience] to help them [original purpose]. I was responsible for [your contribution]. As you read, notice how the piece [specific feature relevant to the original purpose].” Replace each bracket with accurate details. If the sample was collaborative, describe your contribution precisely rather than implying you wrote every part.

Aim for a few sentences, not a full project history. Name the audience concretely enough to orient the reader—for instance, “new staff using an internal process guide” rather than simply “employees.” Then state what the document was supposed to help that audience do. Include only background that changes how someone should interpret the sample, such as whether it was a short announcement, a reference document, or a draft for feedback.

A useful order is: (1) original audience and purpose; (2) your role and the scope of the sample; (3) one feature to notice. For an illustrative placeholder: “This excerpt was written for [audience] to [purpose]. I drafted [section or contribution] as part of [project, if useful]. Notice how the headings help readers [intended task].” Keep the claim about the headings only if that is genuinely what they do.

Say plainly that the style reflects the original assignment, rather than presenting it as a model for every audience. Then identify what the sample demonstrates on its own terms: perhaps organizing information for quick reference, matching an established voice, or making a specific request clear. Choose a feature that is actually visible in the piece.

You do not need to defend every choice or predict what the reviewer will think. A short note can distinguish “this is what the document needed to do then” from “this is how I would write for every reader now.” If you have a separate example better suited to the portfolio audience, you can include it as another sample; the introduction should not disguise the original piece or claim that it meets a different brief.

Use this copyable version, keeping only statements you can support:

“Context: This sample was created for [original audience] to [original purpose]. I contributed [specific work you did]; the excerpt includes [what is included or omitted]. In its original setting, the piece needed to [relevant constraint or task]. As you read, notice [one or two observable features]. It is presented as an example of [relevant skill], not as a piece written specifically for [current portfolio audience].”

If the final sentence sounds defensive, remove it; the first sentences may provide enough context. Before sharing, confirm that you are allowed to use the material and that it contains no information you should not disclose. If that is unclear, do not assume an introduction makes sharing appropriate: ask the relevant person or organization, or use a permitted excerpt or a different sample. The context note helps readers interpret the work; it does not change the work’s original audience or purpose.