PROJECT: MENTOR LETTER This is the second and last chapter-level project of this chapter. It will focus on professional mentorin
g. This project should take you between one and two hours. This is a two-part project. The first part will support your ability to find and use information. The second part will help you to develop professional communications skills. You will find potential mentors in the professional area that interests you. To do that, you will need to use your research skills to locate at least three potential names and addresses of a professional in your field (physical address or e-mail address is OK). Potential research starting points: Yellow Pages; Web site of a college or university; related department at a nearby college or university; the professional association associated with your chosen career; the professional association is a group of professionals in the field who form an organization that loosely governs the career; internet search engine research (stay local, try your city + the profession as your search term); local librarian; librarian chat service; and local business organizations, such as Main Street Associations. Once you've found the mailing/e-mail address of three potential mentors, you'll need to craft a letter of introduction that also asks about the possibility of establishing a mentor relationship. Your letter should include: formal set up (addresses, date, etc.); brief introduction of yourself. (Do not give out personal information! Instead, keep the introduction focused on your current academics, this course, the career you are considering, and why.) how you found the mentor's name; request to establish a mentor relationship; your understanding of what a mentor relationship would entail. (Can I ask you questions via e-mail? Could we arrange a visit to your place of business someday?) at least two or three general, preliminary questions about the career. Turn in: a paragraph on your research process (how you found your three potential mentors); the list of three mentors; and a copy of the letter.
