2011年ESL之商务英语 26 Writing a Letter of Inquiry

26 Writing a Letter of Inquiry 1

GLOSSARY 2

laid off – fired; told that one no longer has a job

* Hundreds of people were laid off and then the company decided 3 to close thefactory.

to pound the pavement – to spend a lot of time walking along streets, especiallygoing to many homes and businesses

* This year, the school’s fundraiser involves asking the students to pound thepavement and try to sell magazines to their neighbors.

to turn up – to appear; to suddenly show up or be present

* Ozzie thought he had lost his dog, but one night, it turned up on his front porch.

to take the bull by the horns – to do something without hesitation 4, especiallywhen it appears challenging or difficult

* Kenji isn’t scared of anything! He always takes the bull by the horns and doeswhatever needs to be done.

inquiry – a question; the act of asking about something or whether somethingexists

* Some publishers want authors to send in a letter of inquiry before sending in acomplete book manuscript.

job opening – a vacant position; an opportunity to work somewhere; a role that acompany is trying to fill by hiring someone for a position

* More than 300 people have applied 5 for the job opening, and we just posted itlast week!

personnel officer – a person whose job is to hire and train employees andhandle other aspects of staffing for a business or organization

* The personnel officer keeps files and records on everyone’s job performance.

qualification – a trait, characteristic, knowledge, education, or experience that acompany is looking for while hiring someone for a job; something that makes anindividual seem like a good person to hire for a particular position

* Here’s a job description for a graphic 6 designer, but the listed qualificationsinclude three software programs I’ve never used before.

extensive – covering many topics or a long period of time; thorough; broad

* The New York Times published an extensive review of the play.

to enclose – to put something inside something else, especially to put anotherdocument in an envelope with a letter

* Please send us the completed form and enclose a copy of your driver’s licenseand a $25 check.

résumé – a 1- or 2-page document summarizing one’s professional experience,education, and skills, used mostly when one is applying for a job

* What should I put at the top of the résumé? My professional experience or myeducation and leadership positions?

consulting – related to projects where an expert or a company is paid to providea specific service over a defined period of time, but not hired as additional staff

* The students wrote a business plan for a local nonprofit organization as aconsulting project in one of their MBA courses.

consideration – thought; time spent thinking about something, especially whilemaking a decision about someone’s proposal or request

* Please put your proposal in writing and send it to the managing director for herconsideration.

to hesitate – to delay or to wait to do something, usually because one doubtswhether it is appropriate or a good idea

* This is a great business opportunity! If you hesitate, someone else might takeadvantage of it first.

legwork – work that involves a lot of traveling, especially if the work is difficult orboring

* Benny put in a lot of legwork, hanging posters of his missing cat all over town.

to have no intention of – to not plan to do something

* Christopher broke up with Molly, but she has no intention of staying home andcrying about it.

to twiddle (one’s) thumbs – to hold one’s hands together while moving one’sthumbs in small circles around each other; an expression meaning to waste timeby doing things that are not important

* How can you sit here just twiddling your thumbs when there’s so much work tobe done?

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. What does he mean when he says, “I decided to take the bull by the horns”?

a) He decided to take action.

b) He decided to stop complaining.

c) He decided to go to the rodeo.

2. What will he put in the envelope with the letter?

a) A description of his qualifications.

b) A professional photo of himself.

c) A check.

______________

WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

to enclose

The verb “to enclose,” in this podcast, means to put something inside somethingelse, especially to put another document in an envelope with a letter: “Pleaseenclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you want us to return yourdocuments to you.” The verb “to enclose” also means to put a wall or a fencearound something to separate an area from another area: “They want to enclosetheir patio 7 so that they can have a warm sunroom to enjoy in the wintertime.” Or,“Jack gets really nervous whenever he’s in an enclosed area, because hedoesn’t like to be in small spaces.” Finally, an “enclosure” is the area inside ofsuch a wall or fence: “How many sheep can you keep in this enclosure?”

consideration

In this podcast, the word “consideration” means time spent thinking aboutsomething, especially while making a decision about someone’s proposal orrequest: “We gave your proposal a lot of consideration, but we’ve decided it isn’tthe right decision for us at this time.” The phrase “to take (something) intoconsideration” means to include something in one’s decision or to think aboutsomething: “The committee is trying to take everyone’s opinion intoconsideration.” The word “consideration” can refer to one’s ability to understandhow other people must think or feel about a particular situation: “Show someconsideration for your young cousin’s feelings and stop telling scary stories!”

CULTURE NOTE

What Personnel Officers DoA personnel officer is a “human resources” (related to staffing an organization orbusiness) “generalist” (someone who knows a little bit about many things, but isnot an expert in one particular area). Most personnel officers are “tasked with”

(responsible for) many different types of “HR” (human resources) issues.

A personnel officer may help a business determine what “staffing levels” (howmany employees) it needs to have. The personnel officer may help the businessmaximize the “productivity” (how much work can be done with a certain amountof resources) of its workers. If the personnel officer “determines” (decides;realizes) that additional staff members are needed, he or she may help to writethe “job description” (detailed information about what a job involves and whattype of employee is needed) and “post” (advertise) the “vacancy” (job opening).

The personnel officer may “cull” (review and choose the best ones) theapplications, calling the “top tier” (the group of the best applicants) for phoneinterviews before inviting 8 them “in” (to the office) for a face-to-face interview withthe “hiring manager” (the person who will select and work with the newemployee). The personnel officer might help the hiring manager develop a list ofquestions for the interview. The personnel officer may also “be present” (be inthe same room) during the interview.

Once a candidate has been selected, the personnel officer may “draft” (write) theletter of invitation and process the candidate’s paperwork for employment. Thepersonnel officer may also be responsible for providing the “new-employeeorientation” (sessions or tours helping 9 the new employee learn about theorganization and where things are) and some “initial” (early) training.

______________

Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – a; 2 – a

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT 10

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 748: Writing aLetter of Inquiry.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 748. I’m your host, Dr.

Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development inbeautiful Los Angeles, California.

Go to eslpod.com today – not tomorrow, today – and become a member of ESLPodcast. Why? Well, you’ll be able to download our Learning Guide and yourEnglish will get better much faster than if you don’t download our Learning Guide.

This episode is about writing a letter of inquiry. That is, you’re asking a question;you’re trying to get information. That’s normally what an “inquiry” is. In this case,really, it is a letter asking for a job. Let’s get started.

[start of story]

I was laid off from my job three months ago. Since then, I’ve been pounding thepavement looking for another job. So far, nothing has turned up, so I decided totake the bull by the horns and deliver inquiry letters to every company that mighthave a job opening.

…Dear Ms. Smith (or the name of their personnel officer):

I am writing to inquire about any job openings you may have for someone withmy experience and qualifications. I worked for six years as a software engineerfor McQ Corp. and I have extensive training and experience related to softwaredevelopment.

I have enclosed a copy of my résumé. I would appreciate an opportunity tospeak with you regarding any openings you may have or any consulting workyour company requires.

Thank you for your consideration, and please don’t hesitate to contact me if youhave any questions.

Sincerely,Steve Woz…

I’m planning to personally deliver each letter, with the hope of talking withsomeone in the company. It is going take a lot of time and legwork, but I have nointention of sitting home and twiddling my thumbs while I wait for my next job!

[end of story]

Our story begins when I say, “I was laid off from my job three months ago.” “Tobe laid (laid) off” means to lose your job, to be fired, to say I’m sorry, you nolonger work here. “Since then (since that time), I’ve been pounding thepavement looking for another job.” “To pound (pound) the pavement(pavement)” is an expression that means to spend a lot of time walking along thestreets, especially going to different businesses or different houses. “Pavement”

is another word for street, and “to pound” usually means to hit something hard,like with a tool called a “hammer.” But here, you are hitting the ground with yourfeet; you’re pounding the pavement. It’s a general expression meaning to workvery hard, to be looking in many different places either because you’re trying tosell something or because, in this case, you need a job.

I say that so far, nothing has turned up. “To turn up” is a two-word – say it withme – phrasal verb meaning to appear suddenly, to suddenly be present. But, I’msaying that nothing has turned up, meaning I still don’t have a job, “so I decidedto take the bull by the horns and deliver inquiry letters to every company thatmight have a job opening.” The expression “to take the bull (bull) by the horns(horns)” means to do something without hesitation, even when it looks difficult orchallenging, to try to take direct to control over something. You feel your life isout of control; you need to make a strong, bold decision. You’re going to take thebull by the horns; you’re going to actually do it, whatever that is, even when itseems difficult. “Inquiry letters” are letters that you send to a company, askingthem something; often, it’s asking for a job. An “inquiry” is another word for aquestion. A “job opening” is when a company is trying to find someone to workfor them. We might also call it a “vacant position,” but “job opening” is morecommon. You might ask someone, “Does your company have any openings?”

That is, are they looking for people to hire – to work there.

Then we get to the actual letter that I write. I begin by saying, “Dear Ms. Smith,”

or whatever the name of the personnel officer is. “Personnel” is a word related tothe employees of a company. An “officer” would be someone who’s a boss,someone who’s in charge. So, a “personnel officer” is the person who is theboss of the department that hires people, that goes out and finds people for thecompany and gets them to work there. Sometimes we call it the “personneloffice,” sometimes it’s called the “human resources office.”

My letter begins by saying, “I am writing to inquire (to ask) about any jobopenings you may have for someone with my experience and qualifications.”

Your “qualifications” are the things you know, your education, your experience,perhaps something about you as a worker that make you qualified 11 or fit for a job.

You are able to do it. So, you talk about your qualifications, the things that showor demonstrate that you will be able to do this job. I say that I worked for sixyears as a “software engineer,” someone who makes software programs, forMcQ Corp. and I have extensive training and experience related to softwaredevelopment. When you have “extensive” training, you have a lot of it,something that would cover a long period of time and perhaps a lot of knowledgeabout that area. I don’t have a little bit of training; I have extensive training.

I say then, “I have enclosed a copy of my résumé.” “To enclose” (enclose)means to put one thing inside of something else. In this case, it’s a piece ofpaper inside an envelope. Usually this word is used in a written letter to indicatethat there is something else in the envelope besides the letter that you arereading; in this case, it’s a copy of my résumé (résumé). A “résumé” gives a briefdescription of your experiences and qualifications: where you went to school,what kind of skills, what kind of knowledge you have, where you worked beforeyou applied for this job. I then say, “I would appreciate an opportunity to speakwith you regarding any openings you may have or any consulting work yourcompany requires.” So, he’s saying do you have anything that is close to myqualifications or do you have any consulting work. “To consult” usually means toask someone else their advice or opinion; “consulting” is working for companies,but just doing specific projects. You’re there for maybe a month, two months, sixmonths; you’re not a permanent employee of the company.

I then say, “Thank you for your consideration, and please don’t hesitate tocontact me if you have any questions.” “Consideration” means the time that youspent thinking about something, especially making your decision aboutsomeone’s proposal or request to do something. So, I’m thanking the person, wemight say “in advance,” for taking the time to read my letter and perhaps to callme about any job openings. I say, “please don’t hesitate to contact me.” “Tohesitate” means to delay or wait to do something, usually because you’re notsure if it’s a good idea that you do it. I say, “don’t hesitate to contact me.” It’s nota problem; you can call me, you can email me, and so forth 12. Then I sign theletter, “Sincerely, Steve Woz.”

At the end I say, “I’m planning to personally deliver each letter.” Normally, lettersare delivered by the Post Office; but here I say I’m going to deliver the letter, I’mgoing to actually go to each of these companies, “with the hope of talking with someone in the company.” So he’s going to take the letter to the personnelofficer, but he’s going to try also to talk to other people in the company to see ifhe can find out any more information about whether they have any job openings.

He says, “It is going take a lot of time and legwork.” “Legwork” (one word) isanother word for a lot of traveling, doing a lot of work that is difficult or boring.

Sometimes we use this word even if we aren’t talking about walking or travelingor running – moving ourselves personally. Sometimes we use the word to talkabout the hard, somewhat difficult research or investigation 13 that you have to do inorder to complete a project. I then say, “I have no intention of sitting home andtwiddling my thumbs while I wait for my next job!” To say “you have no intentionof (doing something)” means you have no plans to do that; you’re not going to doit. I say that I don’t want to be twiddling my thumbs. Your “thumbs” are the short,you can think of it, finger that you have; you have five fingers, the shortest one isthe thumb. “To twiddle” (twiddle) means to hold your hands together, and “totwiddle your thumbs” means to take your thumbs and move them in small circles,one around the other. It’s an expression, however, that means to waste yourtime, not to do anything, instead just sit back, wait, don’t worry about it. Thatwould be twiddling your thumbs. I say I do not want to sit around and twiddle mythumbs; I want to go out and do something, and that’s what I’m doing, trying togo to each company and deliver this letter of inquiry.

Now let’s listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.

[start of story]

I was laid off from my job three months ago. Since then, I’ve been pounding thepavement looking for another job. So far, nothing has turned up, so I decided totake the bull by the horns and deliver inquiry letters to every company that mighthave a job opening.

…Dear Ms. Smith (or the name of their personnel officer):

I am writing to inquire about any job openings you may have for someone withmy experience and qualifications. I worked for six years as a software engineerfor McQ Corp. and I have extensive training and experience related to softwaredevelopment.

I’ve enclosed a copy of my résumé. I would appreciate an opportunity to speakwith you regarding any openings you may have or any consulting work yourcompany requires.

Thank you for your consideration, and please don’t hesitate to contact me if youhave any questions.

Sincerely,Steve Woz…I’m planning to personally deliver each letter, with the hope of talking withsomeone in the company. It is going take a lot of time and legwork, but I have nointention of sitting home and twiddling my thumbs while I wait for my next job!

[end of story]

We thank the person who did all of the legwork on this script, Dr. Lucy Tse.

From Los Angeles, California, I’m Jeff McQuillan. Thank you for listening. Comeback and listen to us again here on ESL Podcast.

English as a Second Language Podcast is written and produced by Dr. Lucy Tse,hosted by Dr. Jeff McQuillan, copyright 2011 by the Center for EducationalDevelopment.