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.
Subject:Re: Interview questions From:d r <writeagain -at- JUNO -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 20 Feb 1997 23:12:47 EST
On Thu, 20 Feb 1997 13:26:50 -0800 "Susan W. Gallagher"
<sgallagher -at- EXPERSOFT -dot- COM> writes:
>>PS My sister-in-law's favourite response to the question in question
>is one I
>>have not heard on this list yet [I think]: "On the other side of the
>table."
>
This is a great response IMHO the only thing is that you never know what
the interviewer is thinking and you never know what will spark his/her
interest or attention. I once got the interview to line edit in a
science's journal. The head of the company said she liked my resume (one
page if you must know :-)) and after the interview said she had to
interview "two other turkeys tomorrow".
Just as I got in the door, my phone was ringing. It was her. She said she
forgot to ask me the two most important questions: 1. Did I love the NY
Yankees and 2. Did I hate the Boston Red Sox. Well, I mean - she
practically gave it away so I said YES YES to both. She said that she
loved to talk baseball and no one else there wanted to (this job started
in April), so she said that she would forget about the 2 turkeys and that
I could start day after next.
When I got down there she called me in and sat me down and said she had
been thinking about it and if I got the job we'd be talking baseball all
day and get nothing accomplished. You should have heard me. "No, no -
really I wouldn't. You start the conversations. You tell me when to end
them. I'm here now. Can I at least work one full day and then you can
decided?" No. That was it. And as I was leaving she said that if she
couldn't find the resumes of the other "2 turkeys" she might call me as a
fill-in until she did. I told her to forget it and walked out.
You know as I read the responses to this resume/interview thread, I have
come to the conclusion that you can try your best, you can stand on your
head, you compromise anything to try to get the job but people are all
different and what is important to one is not important to another. I
don't know. What about this? Just hope for the best. Do your best, and to
thine own self be true - and if you don't get this job, you'll get the
next one?
Personally I think if Eric Ray was interviewing I might have a
shot...nah, probably not after I include on my one page resume that I am
also on this listserv. <g>
D.R.
writeagain -at- juno -dot- com
TECHWR-L (Technical Communication) List Information: To send a message
to 2500+ readers, e-mail to TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU -dot- Send commands
to LISTSERV -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU (e.g. HELP or SIGNOFF TECHWR-L).
Search the archives at http://www.documentation.com/ or search and
browse the archives at http://listserv.okstate.edu/archives/techwr-l.html
