TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
On the other hand, I did get a job from a publisher despite being called out on my typos ...
"You're 'focussed'? 'Focused', I think you'll find", said my future employer...
P
On 1 Mar 2012, at 00:03, Phil Snow Leopard wrote:
> Agreed, up to a point.
>
> But IMO the question is not about gathering information about the job (there are other questions for that) but information about how much effort the candidate put into preparing for the interview. One aspect of assessing good future employees is there attention to detail and preparedness. I note the question has a different function from when it first started to be used and was not widely expected, which was originally to see how someone would react when out of their comfort zone (back in the day you didn't mention weaknesses).
>
> Nowadays, I've heard all sorts of alternatives for the latter function ("tell me how you would run my department" / "tell me how you'll get promoted over me in the next 18 months" / tell me why our competitors products (or services) are better than ours" and so on).
>
> On there own, all such questions are pointless, of course. The assessment has to be) an holistic judgement of the candidtate. I've gained jobs where I fluffed such questions. Going back to the original point, though, the only time I did criticise a current employer in an interview (constructively, I thought), I didn't get shortlisted...
>
>
> On 29 Feb 2012, at 23:36, Gene Kim-Eng wrote:
>
>> I hate that question. Anyone who isn't still living in the 1950's knows that whatever answer you get is going to be a canned response from some job search website. The closest thing I ever ask is what the candidate thinks is his/her experience that is most relevant to the position and what areas where additional training might be required once on the job. I want information that is actually going to mean something.
>>
>> Gene Kim-Eng
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Feb 28, 2012 at 7:43 PM, Phil Snow Leopard <philstokes03 -at- googlemail -dot- com> wrote:
>> That's why you still get all those stupid questions about strengths and weaknesses.
>
> Phil Stokes
> ààààààààààààààààà
> àààààààààà
> ààààààààààààààààààààà
> àààààààà
> ààààààà
> àààààààà 10330
>
> Tech Writer:
>http://applehelpwriter.com
>
>
>
> Critical Thinking & Philosophy:
>http://essentialthinking.wordpress.com/
>
>
>
>
Phil Stokes
ààààààààààààààààà
àààààààààà
ààààààààààààààààààààà
àààààààà
ààààààà
àààààààà 10330
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Create and publish documentation through multiple channels with Doc-To-Help. Choose your authoring formats and get any output you may need.
Try Doc-To-Help, now with MS SharePoint integration, free for 30-days.
