C The best way to contact Mary Smith in this scenario is by email. Email will allow Mary to read the email when it is convenient for her. Emails are much easier to be saved and archived for later referencing. Contacting someone by telephone is always tricking because you never know the appropriate time to make the call. Also if the person is out of the office or unable to take the call, it may be awkward to make another call to make contact. In today’s business environment, mail is so tricky. It is difficult to know where to send it and how soon it will arrive. Also the recipient could be out of the office and may not receive the mail until too late. E-mail in one way or another plays a role in just about everyone's life. Just about everyone has a computer and uses it to communicate. E-mailing is easy and almost necessary for people in today's world. E-mailing and instant messaging definitely plays a large role in most business professional’s lives. Most individuals check their email constantly throughout the day. Most smartphones allow for email checking on the go. It's become a routine for me. Personally I think that sending an email is the perfect way to contact the hiring manager. Sending an email will also allow for the attachment of several supporting documents such as a resume, copies of degrees and/or certifications. I do not think that I would tell Ms. Smith that I was aware of the open position. I would simply state that I was inquiring about an opportunity with the company at some point. I would make sure that the memo of the email stated that I was interested in the company and summarize the skills that I have that would be an asset to the company. I would also make sure that the attachments supported the wording of the email. I would not want to say anything to make Ms. Smith think that someone inside her company was leaking information. This could give her the impression that I could not be trusted or that something inappropriate was going on inside that company and that I was or could be a party to it. Since I do not know the specific details of the position, I would do a little research on the company and the position and pose the following questions to Ms. Mary: 1) What are the organization's/company's strengths and weaknesses compared to its competition? 2) How does upper management view the role and importance of this department and this position? 3) What is the organization's plan for the next five years, and how does this department fit in? 4) Could you explain your organizational structure? 5) What do you most enjoy about your work with this organization / company /