Bringing online docs to an interview

[geoff-h -at- MTL -dot- FERIC -dot- CA]

 Chuck Martin reported <<I once had sometell me that the
 person in charge of the department did not take floppy disk
 from strangers because he was afraid of viruses. Needless
 to say, I took offense, and decided that I did not want to
 work for a person who evidenced such an attitude.>>

 This is not a flame, but it is a criticism and a solution:
 the manager might well have been right. I've stopped
 counting how many "professionals" I've worked with don't
 know the first thing about viruses, and who won't spend the
 time to at least download a shareware program. How can
 someone who doesn't know you personally tell whether you
 are one of these professionals? Granted, the interviewer
 should have his own antivirus software, but that's not
 always an option in big companies with weird
 bureaucracies... I've twice had to find and install my own
 software (without anyone's permission) until my employer
 came up with a corporate solution. Whether you want to work
 for such a company is another issue entirely.

 My suggestion: Next time you bring a disk to an interview,
 make sure you inform the interviewer that you checked the
 disk for viruses that very morning, with the latest version
 of (whatever software you use). This both reassures the
 person that it's OK to use your disk, and reinforces your
 image as someone who cares enough about the concerns of
 your clients or prospective employers to go the extra mile.

 --Geoff Hart     @8^{)}     geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca
 Disclaimer: Speaking for myself, not FERIC.

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