RE: Advice for interviewing new tech writers - Samples and legal issues

Subject: RE: Advice for interviewing new tech writers - Samples and legal issues
From: "Robart, Kay" <Kay -dot- Robart -at- tea -dot- texas -dot- gov>
To: William Sherman <bsherman77 -at- embarqmail -dot- com>, "techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 14:04:15 +0000

Of course, I encountered that one time and made allowances for that person not having samples. But I still think they are important when available.

Kay

-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+kay -dot- robart=tea -dot- texas -dot- gov -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+kay -dot- robart=tea -dot- texas -dot- gov -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of William Sherman
Sent: Sunday, January 25, 2015 10:50 AM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Re: Advice for interviewing new tech writers - Samples and legal issues

While everyone seems to be looking for samples, I can tell you I would not have been hired for a large number of jobs based on that. I didn't have any.

Why?

They were proprietary works for hire. I had no ownership and could not legally give these to anyone. Many projects never went commercial and thus never public, so you are now talking about company confidential material that can get your butt in the sling if you are passing it out freely, especially if it goes to a competitor. You would also be surprised at how many companies interview people from competitors, looking for those confidential samples, and now you just fell into their trap and aided them.

Just because you have a copyright date and a finished customer manual, unless it actually went out publicly, you could be in trouble.

Some work was government work, and in the case of government work, much was secret, and you Do Not Pass Go, you Do Not Collect $200, because you know where you are going if you begin passing secret documentation out as samples.

It wasn't until about 10 years ago, I worked for a company that put a lot of material online and I could point to it. I also found some material that had gone commercial and was online so I could point to it.



----- Original Message -----
From: "Lynne Wright" <Lynne -dot- Wright -at- tiburoninc -dot- com>
To: "Dan Goldstein" <DGoldstein -at- nuot -dot- com>; <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Sent: Thursday, January 22, 2015 9:33 AM
Subject: RE: Advice for interviewing new tech writers


> That's the problem with candidates submitting writing samples -- they may
> have been cleaned up by an editor, or have been produced by someone else.
> I've experienced plenty of job applicants who proved, once hired, that
> they could not produce work anywhere near to the standard indicated by
> their samples.
>
...
> -----Original Message-----
> From: techwr-l-bounces+lynne -dot- wright=tiburoninc -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+lynne -dot- wright=tiburoninc -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com]
> On Behalf Of Dan Goldstein
> Sent: January-22-15 9:20 AM
> To: TECHWR-L (techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com)
> Subject: RE: Advice for interviewing new tech writers
>
> A good portfolio is worth far more than any silly test. But when someone
> gives you a sample of their work, you need a way to find out whether they
> really wrote it.
>

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Doc-To-Help: The Quickest Way to Author and Publish Online Help, Policy & Procedure Guides, eBooks, and more using Microsoft Word | http://bit.ly/doctohelp2015

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as kay -dot- robart -at- tea -dot- texas -dot- gov -dot-

To unsubscribe send a blank email to
techwr-l-leave -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com


Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit
http://www.techwhirl.com/email-discussion-groups/ for more resources and info.

Looking for articles on Technical Communications? Head over to our online magazine at http://techwhirl.com

Looking for the archived Techwr-l email discussions? Search our public email archives @ http://techwr-l.com/archives
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Doc-To-Help: The Quickest Way to Author and Publish Online Help, Policy & Procedure Guides, eBooks, and more using Microsoft Word | http://bit.ly/doctohelp2015

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-

To unsubscribe send a blank email to
techwr-l-leave -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com


Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit
http://www.techwhirl.com/email-discussion-groups/ for more resources and info.

Looking for articles on Technical Communications? Head over to our online magazine at http://techwhirl.com

Looking for the archived Techwr-l email discussions? Search our public email archives @ http://techwr-l.com/archives


Follow-Ups:

References:
Advice for interviewing new tech writers: From: Kelly Smith
RE: Advice for interviewing new tech writers: From: Dan Goldstein
RE: Advice for interviewing new tech writers: From: Lynne Wright
Re: Advice for interviewing new tech writers - Samples and legal issues: From: William Sherman

Previous by Author: RE: Advice for interviewing new tech writers
Next by Author: RE: Where are the limits of Business Requirements Documents / Software Requirements Specifications?
Previous by Thread: Re: Advice for interviewing new tech writers - Samples and legal issues
Next by Thread: Re: Advice for interviewing new tech writers - Samples and legal issues


What this post helpful? Share it with friends and colleagues:


Sponsored Ads