Re: Technical Writing Tests

[Eugene Kim-Eng <gene -at- genek -dot- com>]

I've found software tools to be the least important factor when deciding to 
hire a prospective writer.
If a candidate has the ability to identify a target audience, wade through 
the inevitable pile of data
of questionable value to distill it down to what the intended user actually 
needs and present it in a
coherent manner, I can teach them how to use the tools.  With a properly 
designed template, I can
sit a chemist or a biologist down at a FrameMaker seat and get a manuscript 
that an editor can
polish up with minimal effort, at least on something a small as a data 
sheet or product insert.  But
if the candidate doesn't have that basic ability, then no matter how well 
they take a set of canned
data and manipulate it into a predetermined "test" format, my chances of 
getting productive results
from them on original work is poor.  I can't tell you how many candidates 
I've seen who are aces at
FrameMaker, but haven't got the tech savvy to write anything more 
complicated than the directions
for a toaster oven.

Gene Kim-Eng
Technical Publications Manager
Half Moon Bay, CA


At 10:38 AM 2/11/2003 -0500, Beth Agnew wrote: