Fluent Essays

Instructions: You have a few topic options for this assignment, but please understand that you must choose one of the topics listed here. If you do not choose one of the listed topic options, the assignment will need to be rewritten and a grading delay will occur. No matter which topic you choose, you will write a Routine Inquiry designed to glean information that you need via relevant, specific questions. You should include a full Memorandum heading as though you were sending the document to your chosen professional. This business professional can be a family friend, acquaintance, a person you work(ed) with, someone from whom you need information for work purposes, or simply someone you admire in the professional world. To obtain the information you need, you will create a Routine Inquiry that includes a set of questions you hope to have answered. You should format your Routine Inquiry in business Memorandum format  Your inquiry should include an introduction of yourself and why you are writing the inquiry. Youll also need at least 4-5 good questions that will help you determine what your next steps would be. These questions will, of course, vary depending on which topic you select. With this in mind, please use the guidelines underneath each topic choice below to inform your writing choices. Audience and purpose are key elements of this assignment.  Assignment Notes: Create this Routine Inquiry in Memorandum format as a Word document. Your submission should be 1 or 2 pages. Remember, the focus is on being clear with your needs and questions rather than filling space to meet a specified assignment length. You will upload your finished document to the appropriate upload area as a .doc or .docx file. The topic options are described below. Choose one of the following topics: Option #1: Online Meeting Software     You are a manager for a local restaurant chain with five locations within the city. Each month, the management team has a luncheon meeting in which they discuss any issues that have arisen, the financial health of the business, progress on current initiatives, any ideas for creating new business, and various other topics.     You think these meetings are a great idea, but you wonder if they are really worth the time and expense involved.     Having recently attended a meeting of the Restaurant Managers Association (RMA), you learned that many of your peers are conducting this business meetings online. one online meeting technology you kept hearing about was ____________ (WebEx, GoToMeeting, or some other relevant online meeting provider - you choose the specific product). You decide to research the products website, view the demo, and study the fact sheet about the product. You determine that this product might be a great alternative to holding these monthly meetings on-site.     To gather more facts before approaching your supervisors, you decide to consult a person2 you met at the RMA meeting. This person seemed to know a lot about online conferencing and the particular product youre interested in.     Think very carefully about what youd like to learn; for instance, you would not want to ask any questions that can be readily found on the products website. Your target reader is a business professional who has no personal interest in the topic, so plan your document accordingly and create a Routine Inquiry that includes good questions for this topic. Option #2: Venue for Company Retreat The CEO of the small company where you work wants to schedule a relax-and-recharge retreat for company employees. You have been given the task of finding a suitable venue for this retreat. Your company is located just outside of Washington, D.C., and the CEO wants to hold the retreat in the Shenandoah Valley are of Virginia, which is about 90 miles from the city. The CEO specified that the retreat should be more like a getaway than a business meeting, so a cabin is preferred over a hotel. The retreat is for the 20 company employees only; families are not invited.     After some research, you believe you have found the ideal place: a large, isolated cabin overlooking the valley. You learn about the property from the website. Here are the specs listed on the website: The cabin will sleep 20 and is equipped with a large kitchen, a deck with 20 chairs, a large-screen TV, and a game room. The cost is $50 per person per day, except on weekends and holidays, when the rate is increased.     But you need to know more. You have tried calling and emailing the venue with no luck. You therefore decide to send a Routine Inquiry to the venues owner3 in an attempt  to get the information you need,     Evaluate the information provided above and determine what other factors you would need to know before booking your companys retreat at this venue. Option #3: Career Exploration As a part of your career exploration, you recently discovered that a mentoring organization exists that provides advice to people who are considering career paths. This organization is called Mentors, Inc. You have been considering a particular career, and you want more information about it from an experienced professional. Thus, you have decided to interview a business professional from Mentors, Inc., to learn more.     Write a Routine Inquiry in which you ask your questions. Find out the main elements you want to know about this field of employment in a way that shows consideration for the reader and demonstrates your won serious interest in the type of job that the mentor does.4 If you were to contact a career mentor, think about the types of questions you might ask: specifics about the field, advice for how to enter the field, skills needed to succeed, etc., are all things you might include in your inquiry.Memo TO: Donald Jones, CEO FROM: Kevin Fauber DATE: Current Date SUBJECT: The main topic of your Routine Inquiry Dear Mr. Jones: A mutual friend of ours, Sarah Winters, suggested I contact you to find out more information regarding software sales. My name is Kevin Fauber, and I am completing my bachelor’s degree in business management and technology at the University of Virginia. I have a natural affinity toward people and a strong knowledge of software management principles that I would like to combine and put to use after graduation. I know you have been in this field for a number of years, and I would like to ask you a few questions to help my gauge my understanding, and needed skills to enter, this field. 1. What is the level of software engineering knowledge needed to be successful in this field? 2. I understand you have your degree in Information Technology. Are there any courses in that field you recommend I take to be successful? 3. I will graduate in May 2014. Would you be open to helping me find a position within your organization after I graduate? Even if there are no positions, I would be open to an internship to help me develop my skills in this area. 4. Are there any particular certifications you recommend I get in order to be more marketable in this industry? As someone who has been in this industry for nearly two decades, your knowledge, or any advice you can give to me, will be valuable in helping me pursue this career choice. I know you are a busy professional, and I certainly appreciate the time you have taken to read this inquiry. I look forward to hearing from you and putting your recommendations into action. Sincerely, Kevin Fauber (804) 555-1234 If you are sending this Routine Inquiry to someone you know fairly well, you might forgo this salutation. The salutation makes the Memo a bit more formal. These headers are all very standard and should be included as you see here (of course, change the names as appropriate). The Memorandum format allows you to maintain a degree of formality without being overly formal. This complementary close gives the Routine Inquiry a slightly more formal tone. Not all Memorandum formats will call for this. It all depends on your audience and purpose.Memo TO: Donald Jones, Principal FROM: Kevin Fauber DATE: Current Date SUBJECT: The main topic of your Routine Inquiry Dear Mr. Jones: My name is Kevin Fauber, and I was a student at your elementary school, from kindergarten through the fifth grade. I have wonderful memories of my time at Roanoke Valley Elementary School, and I know a great deal of that is due to your leadership as principal. Currently, I am a senior at Virginia Tech majoring in Elementary Education, with an expected graduation date of next May. I am looking forward to embarking on a career in the education field. Now that I am planning for my future after graduation, I greatly value your insight, as a former teacher and current principal, on the following questions: 1. Will focusing on a sub-specialization, such as Special Education, assist me in obtaining a teaching position upon graduation over just Elementary Education? 2. Does it matter if I substitute teach in a private versus public school? 3. I currently volunteer in an afterschool program at a local elementary school. Do you see that benefiting me in future employment? 4. Since I graduate next May, would you be open to helping me find a position at your school after I graduate? I understand this is contingent on availability, but even if there are no positions, I would be open to volunteering within the classroom to help me develop my skills. As a valued leader in this field, and in my hometown, your guidance would be greatly beneficial to me, and I am eager to get your insight. I want to have the same influence on today’s students as you did on me some 15 years ago. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Kevin Fauber (540) 555-1234 If you are sending this Routine Inquiry to someone you know fairly well, you might forgo this salutation. The salutation makes the Memo a bit more formal. These headers are all very standard and should be included as you see here (of course, change the names as appropriate). The Memorandum format allows you to maintain a degree of formality without being overly formal.