Re: Samples (was Ethical Questions)

[David Warren <David -dot- Warren -at- NEXTEL -dot- COM>]

     As a (mostly) consulting/freelance t/w for 18 years, my experience has
     been to *always* take a backup softcopy and hardcopy home every week.
     You have a legitimate need to do this (saved my ass several times.)

     Asking that as a condition of employment you be allowed to retain
     samples of your work almost always sours the interview.  The surface
     issue always raised is confidentiality, but the real subtext is that
     such a request makes you seem to already planning for your *next*
     job...which you are!

     One of the political questions most companies have never dealt with is
     that it is *politically* easier to hire a new person every two years
     at 15-20% more than their last salary than to give existing employees
     raises that do much more than keep up with the cost of living (and the
     expectations of our media and culture that we *need* more and more to
     maintain a given standard.)

     Now that I went direct so as to wear a "brass hat," I can confirm this
     theory from the employer side as well.

     David T. Warren
     Pubs. Mgr., Nextel


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Ethical Questions
Author:  Natalie Flynn <NaFlynn -at- AOL -dot- COM> at INTERNET
Date:    6/21/98 2:05 PM


Hi everyone,

Help!!! I have two interviewing questions:

1. I recently interviewed for a senior technical writer job documenting
software. After going through a phone screen and a second round of interviews
with three other people, the hiring manager e-mailed me with an unusual
request. She asked me for a comprehensive list of everything I have ever
written, a desciption of the project/product documented, what platform I
authored for, and what development platform I authored from. If I choose to
provide this information, is there a standard bibliography format senior
writers use to document their software manuals and help projects?
Specifically, how do I document the projects and platforms?

2.) I provided the interviewer with writing samples that are available to the
public via the Web, but they were business newswriting samples from my
experience as a journalist. (This is a software documentation position.) When
I asked my former employer if I could show user manual samples, they said they
would prefer I didn't. I respect the confidentiality issue, but how can I get
a software documentation job, if I can't show clips, or descibe projects? I
know this is a common problem in the industry, any suggestions on how to get
around it?

I really want this position, but I am afraid if I give a list of all the
projects I have written to the soon-to-be-boss, they will call the ex-boss and
ask about projects that the ex-boss specifically asked me to keep
confidential. In future years, I would like to be able to go back to my old
boss again for references, and more importantly, don't want to do anything
dishonest and/or unethical. My last employer was satisfied hirng me on the
basis of news writing samples. This one is not. Any ideas on how to handle the
latest situation I have gotten myself into?

Thank you in advance!!!

Regards,
Natalie Flynn