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Just one more thought I've not seen yet on this topic. This comes from the
once-burned school.
I interviewed a writer who answered questions well, interviewed well, and
passed the writing tests with flying colors. Our manager hired the writer
without asking for writing samples, and guess what? In 3 years, the writer
never produced anything, never completed a project. I know that this was
the writer's problem, because the writer had the same support and resources
as the rest of us who produced several manuals over a 3-year period.
If nothing else, writing samples illustrate an ability to produce.