Re: novelist wannabes

["Huber, Mike" <mrhuber -at- SOFTWARE -dot- ROCKWELL -dot- COM>]

I can't quite see the difference between that kind of "experience" and the
kind of "experience" that leads other managers to conclude that women tend
to be "too vested in their families." Well, I suppose the fact that
aspirations are not legally protected means you can get away with it,
but...

Meanwhile, thanks for saving me the cost of a resume on my next job search.
I'm not interested in writing novels, but I do like to work among people
with a variety of dreams, some of which may not be to my own or
management's specifications. Frankly, working for someone who would search
out information of that type and exclude candidates from consideration on
that basis sounds horrible, and the explanation you give only makes it
worse.

-----Original Message-----
From:   Doreen Mannion [SMTP:DoreenM520 -at- AOL -dot- COM]
Sent:   Monday, March 31, 1997 11:53 AM
To:     TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
Subject:        novelist wannabes

Jody LaFerriere writes in response to part of my posting:
<<Why not? I wouldn't be asking YOU to make me a best-selling novelist.
 I'd be asking you for a job! What if my web site said what I really want
to be is a person who grows prize-winning roses. Would _that_ exclude me
too? Sheesh, I'm allowed to do things in my spare time aren't I?
>
>From:  Doreen Mannion[SMTP:DoreenM520 -at- AOL -dot- COM]
><snipper>
> Again, as a prospective employer, I can't exclude you based on certain
>information I find there, but if you tell me what you really want to be is
a
>best-selling novelist, well, sorry!
>
Hiring managers tend to hire based on past experience, both good and bad.
 I've found that the techwriters I've had contact with who "really" wanted
to be novelists are far too vested in their words to be good techwriters. I
therefore avoid hiring techwriters, all other things being equal, who want
to be novelists. I tend to avoid hiring English majors for the same reason.
I'm not saying I'm right, and I'm not saying that perhaps I haven't passed
up some terrific techwriters, but this is what has worked for me.

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