TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
> Having just interviewed a dozen candidates I can tell you that the ones who
> said they didn't have any questions for me were a disappointment. I - as I
> assume your interviewer will - presented our company history as well as an
> in depth look at our current projects. Hearing someone say "nope" drew the
> interview to a quick conclusion.
>
> There were 3-4 candidates who asked superficial questions that led
> immediately to them expressing that they wanted full time employment.
> Again, another disappointment since I explained that the contract was for
> 3-4 months.
I don't think a candidate with "no questions" is necessarily a bad thing.
When I interview, I try to present candidates with a description of our
processes that is as complete as possible.
I wouldn't expect a candidate interviewing for a 3-4 month contract to
have the same questions as one interviewing for a direct-hire position or
even a longterm contract. When I work short-term contracts I really
couldn't care less about the company history or current projects other
than the one I'm being contracted for, and when I hire for them I don't
expect the contractors to care, either.
Also, if someone interviewing for a short-term contract told me that
"full-time employment" was desired, I would assume that meant 40
or more hours per week during the contract period. I think most
people who do contract work have had at least one experience in
which a client said to go home one or more days in a week because
delays in development caused them to conclude there wasn't enough
work to occupy the contract writer for a full 40 hours that week. I
don't think that would be a superficial quetion at all coming from a
contract candidate.
> The two tech writers that I did hire asked questions mainly centered around
> our processes. For example, "If I needed to gather requirements are the
> SMEs located on-site or off?", "Do you have a formal review and sign-off
> procedure for documentation?" and "What is the expected turnaround time
> between the end of the requirements gathering and the first draft of a
> document?".
>
> These questions showed me that even though the candidates knew very little
> about our work environment, they understood how to apply their skills.
These, of course, are good questions coming from any candidate,
assuming that your interviewer hasn't already covered them. In
that case, they just indicate that the candidate hasn't been paying
attention.
Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or
printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista & 2007
Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more. http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList
True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com
---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-
