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At my previous company, I was responsible for hiring a number of technical
writers. If I wanted to pursue the candidate after talking to him/her on
the telephone, I'd ask him/her to write a procedure for using a calculator.
The samples varied greatly and it did help me weed out a few. So I think
it was beneficial.
When I interviewed for a job at my current company, I brought a writing
sample to the interview and they asked if they could hold on to it. I
agreed. When they called me a few days later they asked me to do a writing
test (write a procedure) and bring it to my second interview. At that
interview, they asked me to do another writing test (a marketing-type
writing assignment) and make suggestions about their current manual and
their web site. My first impression was, "Gee, do they just want free
consulting?". But, they told me that if they liked these samples, they
would make me an offer. So, I went home and spent the afternoon doing my
'assignments'. They did indeed call me the following day and made me a good
offer.
The moral, I do believe writing tests give a prospective employer a valid
way to discover the talents of tech writing candidates.
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<TITLE>FW: What Might a Writing Test Be?</TITLE>
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<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>At my previous company, I was responsible for hiring =
a number of technical writers. If I wanted to pursue the =
candidate after talking to him/her on the telephone, I'd ask him/her to =
write a procedure for using a calculator. The samples varied =
greatly and it did help me weed out a few. So I think =
it was beneficial.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>When I interviewed for a job at my current company, I =
brought a writing sample to the interview and they asked if they could =
hold on to it. I agreed. When they called me a few days =
later they asked me to do a writing test (write a procedure) and bring =
it to my second interview. At that interview, they asked me to do =
another writing test (a marketing-type writing assignment) and make =
suggestions about their current manual and their web site. My =
first impression was, "Gee, do they just want free =
consulting?". But, they told me that if they liked these =
samples, they would make me an offer. So, I went home and spent =
the afternoon doing my 'assignments'. They did indeed call me the =
following day and made me a good offer.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>The moral, I do believe writing tests give a =
prospective employer a valid way to discover the talents of tech =
writing candidates.</FONT></P>
