Re: the interview question, from the interviewer's pov

Subject: Re: the interview question, from the interviewer's pov
From: Kevin McGowan <mcgowan -at- LORAN -dot- COM>
Date: Fri, 6 Aug 1999 15:15:30 -0400

I think the best question I was ever asked in an interview (for a job at a
telecom company) was this:

"Pretend I've never used a telephone before. Explain to me how to use it."

I had to explain the purpose of the phone, the different components, how
they fit together, and then how to use them. I forgot to mention the dial
tone (what the heck is that buzzing sound?), but they hired me anyway ;-)

While the list of questions you provided are great, I think its best to make
sure you have the person demonstrate communication skills.

Some candidates get nervous and just aren't "good" in interviews. Some have
a portfolio that was created by the various teams they've worked in. My old
group hired a guy who answered all the questions with perfect answers, but
he couldn't actually write himself out of a wet paper bag.

So, I think having them actually write a procedure, either on paper or
verbally, is an important part of an interview.

-Kevin

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Technical Writers List; for all Technical Communication issues
> [mailto:TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU]On Behalf Of Robin Hilp
> Sent: Friday, August 06, 1999 2:41 PM
> To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
> Subject: the interview question, from the interviewer's pov
>
>
> O Collective Wisdom,
>
> A hiring manager in one of our other offices asked me for suggestions
> in interviewing a Tech Writing candidate. I sent her some ideas about
> how my ideal candidate would appear in an interview.
>
> Then I thought, as long as I'm writing these out, I'd like to start a
> discussion here in techwr-l on these characteristics. Maybe those of us
> who have to conduct interviews can compile a handy "need to have/nice
> to have" list for our future hiring efforts.
>
> Do you cover all or some of these points in an interview? Are there any
> others you hope to find? What characteristics do you consider "must
> have" and which are "gravy"? If you judge a candidate quantitatively
> for various characteristics, what scales and red flags do you use?
>
> (Most of these are good characteristics for any positin, not just tech
> writer. Here, I've tried to put a "tech writer spin" on all of them
> while keeping it reasonably generic. Of course, you can get a lot more
> specific when you have a particular job in mind for a particular
> company.)
>
> 1. Good listening skills. The tech writing job involves a lot of
> interviewing, mostly with content providers and clients. The candidate
> should be an active listener, understanding quickly what is said,
> asking pertinant questions, and providing reassurance that
> communication is happening.
>
> 2. Team skills and ability to deal with difficult people. A good
> question would be: What techniques have you found successful in
> encouraging reviewers and content experts to provide you with the
> information and feedback you need? ... Or, simply ask for war stories
> in dealing with reviewers :-)
>
> 3. Curiosity. For example, the candidate should have researched the
> company in some depth and be both able and willing to ask pertinant
> questions during the interview. Reading our website is pretty basic ...
> I would want indications that the candidate has done some *extra*
> research about <our company> or at least <our technology>.
>
> 4. Has a portfolio and knows how to use it. The candidate should have a
> portfolio of high-quality work -- it need not be large but should be
> structured to show either a range of skills or a focus. Look for the
> candidate either to use it as a prepared, show-and-tell presentation or
> to display individual pieces as examples during your conversation.
> Please don't ask the candidate to leave the portfolio after the
> interview, but you can request copies of work samples.
>
> 5. Understanding of the document life cycle. The candidate need not
> have experience in all phases or aspects but should be comfortable with
> most of the following list: Document Plan; Draft Preparation; Review
> Cycles; Indexing; Editing; Formatting; Publication; Version Management;
> Document Control. I would ask the candidate: "Describe how you would
> develop a document from planning to publication." Or, you could ask
> about each item specifically.
>
> 6. Flexibility. Is the candidate comfortable adapting to the "house"
> style guide? Would the candidate be able to contribute to style-guide
> evolution? Ask the candidate about working with style guides in the
> past, and about any experience with style-guide development.
>
> 7. Graphics teamwork skills. The candidate need not be an artist but
> should be able to use graphics appropriately or design a graphical
> presentation that an artist can easily render. Ask about the
> candidate's history of working with artists and with clip art, or ask
> about the origin of illustrations in the portfolio. And you can ask the
> same questions about layout experience.
> ===
> RolyBear ICQ 1863181 (Robin Hilp)
>
>
> _____________________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com
>
> ==================================================================
> =========
>
>
>
>

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