Re: Writing Samples, Resumes and Job Applicants

["Tony G. Rocco" <trocco -at- NAVIS -dot- COM>]

I wish the sentiments expressed below were more often the case with
employers. When I have looked for tech writing jobs in the past, I have
frequently found that recruiters and employers want a laundry list of
skills that have nothing to do with the ability to write clear sentences
and organize information.

You have to know this and that software application, this and that
technology, a couple programming languages, have project management
experience, design web pages, set up an NT server, administer a UNIX
network, and if possible, demonstrate an ability to walk on water.

Hey, I am a WRITER, not a software engineer, project manager, programmer,
database administrator, network systems administrator, or holy man from the
East. It's nice to hear that someone thinks of writing as the main thing a
writer should be able to do. (I can also edit fairly well, too.)

Just my two cents.

- tgr

At 10:01 AM -0500 1/27/98, Sheila Marshall wrote:

One of the key abilities I look for in a Tech Writer is someone who can
really write -- you'd be surprised how many samples we get with verb/noun
agreement problems, run-on sentences, and other basic writing problems. In
addition, the samples allow me to judge a person's attention to detail
(where 1-2 mistakes are acceptable but 3-4 aren't).?

?So, we take a hard look at the resume -- if there are any obvious
mistakes(like margins not matching, for instance), we don't bother asking
for writing samples. We then take a hard look at the writing sample(s). Once
again, if there are any obvious mistakes (ones that should be caught by a
quick glance after printing),  we don't go any further. If the sample(s)
look good, we invite the person in for an interview.?