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> A couple of months back, my company advertised for an entry-level
> writer, and we got an applicant who had no writing experience
> whatsoever; when we asked him about his qualifications for the position,
> he kept emphasizing that we'd advertised for entry-level! He took that
> to mean that he didn't really need qualifications (other than a desire
> to learn). Personally I didn't know what to make of that--*does*
> entry-level mean no experience whatsoever? When people advertise for an
> entry-level writer, what sort of qualifications are they expecting?
I've always seen "entry level" used to mean knowledge and/or training
without professional experience. I would expect an entry-level writer to
know how to write, not simply to be willing to learn how to write. And
if an applicant claims to know how to write, I expect some proof. That
doesn't necessarily mean they have a portfolio of their professional
work -- they should have written enough in school or previous jobs (I
did a *lot* of writing before I was officially called a technical
writer) to show they can write. And if they've never written anything,
the desire to write might make them a candidate for OJT or an
internship, but not (IMHO) an entry-level position.
Tracy
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Tracy Boyington tracy_boyington -at- okvotech -dot- org
Oklahoma Department of Vocational and Technical Education
Stillwater, OK, USA http://www.okvotech.org/cimc/home.htm
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