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But what on earth does professionalism have to do with "following
directions"?
> I guess I just don't get it, but I've always thought that being a
> professional means being able to fulfill reasonable job requirements
to a
> high degree of quality. If a job applicant can't follow basic
directions,
> what does that say for that person's ability to complete an
assignment in a
> professional and timely manner?
If the job applicant can give a good reason for not "following
directions", then I think that person is worth considering.
> This isn't mean; it's professionalism. It's meeting standards.
Hopefully,
> the individual sets personal standards that are higher than what the
company
> requires.
>
> Frankly, I'd be cautious about working for a company that *didn't*
enforce
> professional standards for behaviour and quality.
>
> Mr. Plato has the right idea. Maybe it's a sign of the times that
> professionalism has become so lightly regarded. And that's not
appalling;
> it's scary.
The above appears to me to be more a troll than a reasoned discussion
of any of the issues brought up by this thread. Sure, some people are
just sloppy and will leave out information because they can't follow
directions. But someone who clearly read the requirements and sends
you a resume stating that he/she would be happy to discuss the
contents of his/her portfolio with you should you decide to interview
him/her is, IMHO, being just as professional as someone who sends you
every document he/she has ever worked on. Maybe more so. And you have
a choice--interview the person or not.
In my (admittedly limited) experience, most of the "requirements" in a
job ad are negotiable. I would therefore have every reason to think
that the sending of writing samples on first contact would be also.
And if it isn't, well, maybe I didn't want to work there anyway (and
maybe you wouldn't have wanted to hire me).
Nora
nmerhar -at- charlesindustries -dot- com
Senior Technical Writer, Charles Industries, Ltd.
> -Dave
> (Any statements made above are mine, and mine alone.)
>
>
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