Portfolios and writing samples...a little more

["Johnson, Dick D" <Dick -dot- Johnson2db8ef -at- PSS -dot- BOEING -dot- COM>]

The strength of opinions on subjects like this can precipitate a lot of
disagreements...certainly NOT my desire, but it has happened.

Sean wrote:
*Respectfully, I disagree. Yes, a potential employer can ask for a portfolio
and, *yes,* a potential employer does have a right to ask to keep some
samples. Why not? A candidate certainly has a right to refuse, but, aside
from company confidential information, why?*

I thought my post was more carefully worded so as to prevent fragmentation
and out of context scenarios...perhaps not.

It was mentioned about the integrity of the interviewer introducing an
atmosphere of integrity and NOT asking to copy the portfolio.  Yes, a
potential employer CAN ask for a portfolio to review...and should ask for
it.  It is the writer's responsibility to take it to the interview.  It is
the interviewer's responsibility NOT to ask to copy any samples or to place
the interviewee in a position of compromising his previous clients'
requirements.

As Sean's last paragraph states, this has NOT happened to him, therefore
perhaps all of his interviewers displayed the proper integrity, thus not
putting him into this awkward position.

Nothing was stated about conspiracies or maturity.  Let's take just a little
closer look...I thought this would have been understood.  Please note that
my post only referred to hired work done for clients or employers, not done
by the writer for the writer's own purposes.  Work done by the writer, for
the writer's own purposes can be handled by the writer any way he/she
wishes...because there is ownership.

1.  Does any tech writer out there own any of the material it produced for
any client?  I think not.
2.  Do all tech writers out there have client permission to show his/her
work in an interview?  If not, the writer cannot show it.
3.  If the tech writer does not have permission to show his/her work, does
he/she show it anyway?  Beware, if you choose to take the risk!
4.  Does any tech writer out there have client permission to allow a
potential employer to copy any of his/her work?  If no permission, how can
the tech writer allow it?  Not his/her authority.

With the exception of any work done on his/her own, it is unlikely that no
technical writer owns any work done for any client for hire.  Therefore, it
is imperative that he/she obtain permission to show this in an interview.
If the tech writer shows his/her work without permission, he/she could be in
for some uncomfortable explaining, should such news get out.  If the writer
allows copying of ANY clients' property without prior permission, serious
repercussions could, and sometimes do, result.  This is factual stuff, here
and it cannot be opinionated away.

Its not about what doing what you want, or what others feel is OK for you to
do.  It is directly about doing what is proper...the right thing.  One more
case, to drive home the point...I have first hand knowledge of this.

Sorry, but I must be VERY generic citing this event.  A firm had worked for
years doing very expensive printed materials for a very large (not good
enough...VERY LARGE...that's better) company.  This company repeatedly
advised the firm that none of its material could be displayed outside the
confines of the company without prior written permission, which the company
never gives, as per policy.  After a dispute over another, unrelated matter,
the firm decided to display some company material in a trade show, attended
by representatives of every related business in this business in the
country, including this company.  You guessed it, the firm's display of
non-permitted company material was discovered.  The net result was, the firm
was banned forever from doing business with the company and there is now
litigation seeking damages.  This happened because one person (the president
of the firm) thought it was OK to do this.

So now, based on the advice (opinions) offered by myself and others, and
keeping in mind what is paid for this advice (nothing), would it be wise to
take risks and allow interviewers to copy material that is not owned by the
writer, or to simply allow the interviewer to review in the writer's
presence?

To address the time waste issue, couldn't that simply be handled by
scheduling one's self open ended to facilitate any additional time needed?

I liken this to trying to opinionate away the rules of grammar (aka..."Don't
use no double negatives" because it is grammatically incorrect and the words
cancel each other).  Perhaps a smaller potential result than the former
above, but still in violation of a rule...at least for technical writing.

OK, I'm stepping off my soap box again.  Sorry for this diatribe, good
people.  We all just need to remind ourselves that we, as technical writers,
do not possess the authority to do things outside the rules, including the
rules of common sense.  Please do what you feel is right for you, and
prepare to reap the result, whether it be good or bad.

Been there, done that...thirty plus years of technical writing (oops...don't
want to resurrect that contraversial "senior" technical writer thread) and I
only want to share what I believe to be good advice and what will certainly
NOT cause anyone a problem.  As a senior technical writer, I would not offer
risky advice.  No need for anyone to learn by being bloodied as I have been
from mistakes past.  Oh yes, I'm NOT the guy from the 'firm' above who made
the fatal decision...I advised him against it...and he (the president of the
firm) chose otherwise.  *wrinkled old smile...*

Dick

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