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Actualy, it isn't that It is that all narcissists, whether they are
writers, programmers, brain surgeons, rocket scientists, or meat
cutters, are offended by being asked to take a test. Its that ALL
tests are not testing to determine a qualified technical writer.
We recently had a technical writer. She produced great sentences and
given a reasonable amount of time, could assemble the most beautiful
seven-step process you'd ever seen.
She would have tested great! She was articulate. She had 12 years
experience (12 years where a person would JUST write. Another person
would JUST edit. Another person would JUST format).
OTOH, within two months of coming on, she folded. She quit. She
couldn't prioritize her tasks, she couldn't handle pressure, she
wasn'r comforable being critiqued. She was afraid to push developers
when she needed something from them. She couldn't figure out the
steps for using new tools...Acrobat Exchange and Distiller were the
two that I helped her on.
There are skills that a TW needs that cannot be tested, so why
volunteer for a test that isn't going to test for the correct skills.
> I think you're asking the wrong question. It isn't that ALL writers
> are offended by being asked to take a test. It is that ALL
> narcissists, whether they are writers, programmers, brain surgeons,
> rocket scientists, or meat cutters, are offended by being asked to
> take a test.
> I think most tech writers recognize the value to a prospective
> employer of weeding out the poseurs and are quite content to submit
> to reasonable testing to demonstrate objectively that they are who
> they say they are.
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