Re: Preparation for a phone screen interview

[John Posada <john -at- tdandw -dot- com>]

Everyone on the list complains that too many clients create requirements
that are tool oriented when they should be results oriented.  Yet, when the
requirements are tool oriented, we follow it anyway. Why should we fall into
the trap of determining our abilities based on tool skills rather than
results.

If the requirement was phrased "Have you ever used ABC Flowcharter?", then
the answer would have been "No, but since I understand it is similar to
Visio, I expect that I can be up to speed in a few hours." However, that
wasn't the requirement.

Suppose if you had answered 3, their response was "I really am not
interested in your opinion of what you think you can do. I need results. Can
you create flowcharts or not?"

I'm a contractor. Every gig requires me to do something I've never done
before and to give assurance that I can do it before I walk in the door.
Knowing the principles of flowcharting is more important than what buttons I
need to press. We create instructions for systems we've never used before.
and we do it because we probably documented a similar "type" of system. Why
can't we create instructions WITH a system we've never used before without
dropping in all kinds of disclaimers "Gee, Ms Customer...I'm sorry I wasn't
able to create a flowchart, I said I've never used the application. Why are
you so upset?" rather than "Gee, I'm sorry, Ms. Customer, that I don't know
how to create flowcharts when I said I did. I'll leave now and I won't
charge you for the time."

Regarding your initial response below, I have performed that task...I've
created flowcharts. What I've created then with is immaterial The result is
what is important.

Results are black and white. You achieve results or you don't. Managers are
interested in what you think you can do. Just do it or get out of the way
and let someone else do it.

John Posada
Senior Technical Writer
john -at- tdandw -dot- com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Storer" <tstorer_tw -at- yahoo -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 08, 2003 12:14 AM
Subject: RE: Preparation for a phone screen interview


>
> If I were an interviewer, and you answered "Yes" when
> asked if you could do a task you had in fact never
> attempted, I would consider that a fib. As an
> interviewer, answer 3 is what I would hope to hear if




^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Help Authoring Seminar 2003, coming soon to a city near you! Attend this
educational and affordable one-day seminar covering existing and emerging
trends in Help authoring technology. See http://www.ehelp.com/techwr-l2.

A new book on Single Sourcing has been released by William Andrew
Publishing: _Single Sourcing: Building Modular Documentation_
is now available at: http://www.williamandrew.com/titles/1491.html.

---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as:
archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot-  Visit
http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.