Re: Recent unusual interview experiences

Subject: Re: Recent unusual interview experiences
From: Bruce Byfield <bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Thu, 09 May 2002 09:48:17 -0300


Ed Gregory wrote:

If you can't stand the heat of the interview, then how well will you stand
up in a project status meeting with all of those same people around the
table? Can you think on your feet? Do you lose your cool? Are you easily
intimidated?

Whether these questions are relevant depend on the job. Junior or intermediate writers are less likely to be at project status meetings in the first place. As for thinking on your feet or being easily intimidated, these traits are useful in business development, where you might be negotiating with people, but how often are they relevant to writing? Many people tend to think these abilities are desirable; for example, intelligence tests are often scored partly on the speed of response. However, I question whether they are desirable in every context.

Not that I have any objection to thorough, probing interviews. In fact, I prefer them to vague and formless ones. I have enough experience that, in a probing interview, I have a reasonable chance of being short-listed. But, more to the point, a probing interview tells me that I'll be working with people who either understand the role of documentation or are interested in learning.

In contrast, an unnecessarily aggressive or rude interview makes me think twice about taking a job. If nothing else, it shows that the interviewers aren't thinking ahead: the process is going to end in a new colleague, and, by being aggressive, they're getting their relation with their new colleague off to a bad start.

--
Bruce Byfield 604.421.7177 bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com

"Come in through the side door,
No need to worry now, the coast is clear,
We can make a little music now the night is ours,
And it'll sure sound sweeter after hours."
-Battlefield Band, "After Hours"




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RE: Recent unusual interview experiences: From: Ed Gregory

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