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RE: On-the-spot writing test during a job interview?
Subject:RE: On-the-spot writing test during a job interview? From:"Wally Glassett" <wallyg -at- flashcom -dot- net> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Mon, 15 Nov 1999 17:36:10 -0800
IMO, this thread is getting pretty stale, and it was pretty stale to begin
with. However, along with the opinions expressed so far (I don't pretend to
have read them all - I do have work to do...) I find it interesting that no
one has suggested having a candidate just read the sample/test document and
verbally discuss what they think about it; likes, dislikes, how they would
do it, etc. That would be much faster, friendlier, and allow for a much more
open discussion and evaluation than having someone sit down at a, possibly,
strange machine and bang out something to be handed over for "grading."
I don't know about the rest of you, but most of my time is spent discussing,
interviewing and planning my writing. The actual "typing" part happens
fairly quickly and is relatively unimportant in the overall scheme of
things.
Wally Glassett
Tech Doc-It, Inc.
wallyg -at- flashcom -dot- net <mailto:wallyg -at- flashcom -dot- net>
-----Original Message-----
From: bounce-techwr-l-9988 -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
[mailto:bounce-techwr-l-9988 -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com]On Behalf Of Tracy
Boyington
Sent: Monday, November 15, 1999 12:35 PM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: Re: On-the-spot writing test during a job interview?
> What I find interesting about writing tests about using staplers, ovens,
> cars, and so on is that the best print solution is probably a series of
> technical illustrations. The next time you get a test like this start
> doodling!
That reminds me... when I worked in our MIS division while I was in college,
we
had a little "tech writing for programmers" workshop. One of our assignments
was to write directions for tying a shoelace. The programmers were curious
as
to how I'd address it, since I was a tech writing student. I said I would
never
write directions for that kind of task, since it would best be handled with
diagrams. That would be an interesting test -- give the testee something to
write and see if they realize it shouldn't be *written* at all. It reminds
me
of Bill Horton's oft-used example of a graph with a typo in the label... I
think you're asked which *one* thing you would fix, and you're supposed to
notice that the graph is wrong without getting sidetracked by that typo.
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