GEB 3214/4930 Writing and Speaking in Business

Diagnostic Writing

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For this diagnostic writing assignment you have a choice of two topics. Whichever topic you choose, your memo/letter should be at least a page. I am not terribly concerned with formatting so feel free to use a template if you would like. The main focus of the memo/letter is to provide me with your best business writing sample. The final memo or letter should be professional both in its tone and its appearance.

1. As the Human Resources Assistant Manager, you’ve been asked to invite the department staff to the December holiday party (you get to decide what kind of party it will be). Write the memo including all the necessary information: where the party will be held, when it is, a description of the food to be served, whether guests are allowed, and whom to make reservations with. Unfortunately, staff members are going to have to contribute some money to defray the costs as the organization has grown and social funds are limited this year. Include this information, too.

2. Your hard work has brought you two internship offers. Last week, you were offered an internship at Lanham Associates in a city in another state. You asked for a week to think about it, but said you were really interested. Two days later, Infonews called and offered you a really interesting internship in their company based in your city. Infonews is a smaller organization, so you’ll get to do a wider variety of things there. While the job at Lanham Associates is better paid, you would have to relocate for three months and the work they would give you seems limited and less interesting. Write a letter to Richard Lanham, President of Lanham Associates, refusing the internship but striving to maintain goodwill. After all, you might want to work there in the future and it’s a growing company.