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Just a quick thought on your thought, Dianna. If the writer you mentioned
didn't produce anything or complete a project in 3 years, he (or she) wasn't the
only one with a problem. Sounds like the company should, perhaps, be looking
for a new manager (unless, of course, her (or his) staffing was so deep it
wasn't a problem).
Steve Struck
Sr. Technical Writer
ALR, Irvine, California
Just one more thought I've not seen yet on this topic. This comes from the
once-burned school.
I interviewed a writer who answered questions well, interviewed well, and
passed the writing tests with flying colors. Our manager hired the writer
without asking for writing samples, and guess what? In 3 years, the writer
never produced anything, never completed a project. I know that this was
the writer's problem, because the writer had the same support and resources
as the rest of us who produced several manuals over a 3-year period.
If nothing else, writing samples illustrate an ability to produce.
