putting a bow on it

So we've come to the end of my run of example posts. I'll still post things every so often (let's not lose any sleep over it), but for the most part, I'll be looking to hand over posting duties to other authors. The purpose of the past four posts has been to provide workable examples for future contributions.

This fifth post in the series should be one that reflects on everything that was done for a particular section, and an evaluation of what was learned. I don't necessarily feel like I should evaluate my own work (because it's a bit self-serving), but let me try, at least, to give a basic framework for what other posts might look like when they're written by someone other than me.

Over the past week, we covered the topic of letters of inquiry or direct request letters. Hopefully, we learned a little bit about the format, and a little about the reasons why we send these types of letters. We practiced writing them once or twice before sending real requests out to actual companies. If, for example, you learned something that you didn't know about before, then this would be a good place to mention that. If there are things that you still have questions about, this would also be a good place to elaborate a little bit on that. What did you like or dislike about the process? What might you change about this section if you had the ability?

In addition to our letters, we also had posts that evaluated a corporate blog, discussed a textbook reading, and posted links that gave us a little more information on our topic at hand. Did you find anything in any of those posts helpful? Did you have trouble finding information to fill up your posts? What advice do you have for the group that will take over after you?

In general, this last post should just be something that reflects on how everything went. It gives you the opportunity to think back and examine the work that you did and what you learned. Consider that, and everything that came before, when writing your own reflection!

letter of inquiry links and examples

As we wrap up our letters of inquiry, one of the things that we've hopefully taken away from it is that they're not too tough to put together - the key is understanding who you are sending a letter to. This is true from both an organizational and personal level; you have to know a little bit about the company that will be receiving the letter, but you also have to know something about the individual to whom you'll be addressing the envelope. Who might be most likely to respond to your letter, and how can you write to that person, even if you've never met him or her before?

There are a number of online resources for you to check out with regards to these types of letters. Many focus on the basic format, which is fine, but a few go into a little more depth. Let's look at a few resources here.

First off, let's start with a few links that provide examples of different letter formats. These are, honestly, very similar to what's in our own handbooks. Like I said, formatting is one of the simplest aspects of this type of writing.

Our first link gets right to the point, giving us real-world examples of letters with notes written directly on the examples. There are probably more examples here than are really necessary, but it gives you the full range as far as formatting goes.

Our second link (from publisher McGraw-Hill) gives you just one example, but there's more in-dept explanation on just what each section's purpose is. The page follows a very simple design, but I think it's very helpful if you've ever wondered why the format is what it is. Just roll the cursor arrow over the links for the description.

Our next handful of links go into a little more expository depth on writing a letter of inquiry for a specific purpose. A website called "The Balance" seems to be a good place for this type of information.

Our first link gives us information on how to write a letter of inquiry to a foundation. If you ever find yourself working for a non-profit organization, this type of organizational communication can be vital to the everyday operation of your program or entire organization.

Our second link, from the same site, focuses on how to write a job inquiry letter. This can also be very practical information, especially for college students.

Our third link also looks at grant writing, and it's probably the most in-depth link that we'll share here.

Overall, this second set of links might be most helpful from an information standpoint, but from what we're looking do to, the first set might help us out more in the short term. Check them out and see what other people have to say about letters of inquiry!

My Frankenberry Letter of Request

Let me start out by saying that I'm pretty excited about our letters of inquiry. Specifically, I'm excited about the prospects of getting free stuff from random places. I have no idea if any of our letters will be successful or not, but I'm going to think positive and assume that some of our groups will at least get some responses, even if they're "screw you, kid!" One of the reasons I chose this as an early assignment was so we'd have enough time to get some packages in the mail. Here's hoping! Also, I wonder if anyone will try to get a free pizza party for the class. I am not specifically saying that someone should try and get pizza that I can then eat. Why would I put that out there? Certainly not so someone would try and do it, that's for sure. Sheesh.

I decided to write my own letter of inquiry as an example. You can look at it as a template, or at least my own attempt at something like this. Also, I like Frankenberry (everyone likes Frankenberry), and I want to get Frankenberry delivered to me for free.

The examples in our textbook are always very professional and often pretty generic. This is probably a good thing for our class, as we're just starting out and simple is usually better in these situations. I would like to think that there is SOME room for creativity in these assignments, and that's one of the things that I want to impress with my example. My letter is probably a little too tongue-in-cheek, but I guess it is what it is. You can compare it to the example from the book and come up with your own twist on it. Remember, your goal is to get a company to send you something - there's more than one way to accomplish this, so don't feel like every letter has to look exactly the same.

Lastly, let's talk about Frankenberry. It probably turns your insides pink and the marshmallow-to-cereal piece ratio is dangerously high, but I can't get enough of it. In the '80s and '90s, I could find this cereal at pretty much any grocery store, but there was a good 10-year stretch when I couldn't find it anywhere. I figured that it was gone for good. In recent years, though, General Mills has released it (along with Boo Berry and Count Chocula, whatever) during the Halloween season. This is, of course, better than nothing, but I always feel a little silly at the beginning of September going through the checkout line with 20 boxes of Frankenberry in my cart. Do I get looks from everyone else in line, as well as from the cashier? Yes I do. But I'm telling you - it's worth it.

Here's a picture of me from about 10 years ago. I feel like this picture answers several questions about me, like "what did Jeff look like with hair?" (Answer: beautiful.) But it also raises several other, maybe more intriguing questions, which you can either ask in class, or you can keep to yourself forever, where it will gnaw at you as you try to sleep for the rest of your life. It's your choice, I guess!