Re: Advice Requested: "What part of this is yours?"

["Brierley, Sean" <Brierley -at- QUODATA -dot- COM>]

Hallo:

Aside from the employee book, do you have any other samples?

As for the question, "what part of it is yours?":

I would answer all of it and none of it. I planned the book, coordinated
with SMEs (legal dept. et al.), authored the text, edited the same, arranged
for review, more edits, and approval. I scheduled the binding and printing
after selecting a vendor, paper stock and bindery. However, the book is not
mine because it belongs to the company for which I created it. The book
reflects their policies, procedures, philosophy, as well as company-required
revisions and content. As a professional, I do not own the book. The book is
simply work.

Perhaps, in the interview, you put too much emphasis on the contribution of
others. Or, perhaps, the interviewer did not like what they saw and were
looking for you to point to a more pleasing section for which you claimed
personal credit. Anyway, if, in applying for a writing position, you
describe a book as being a committee effort, expect any interviewer to ask
"so which part did you write?"

You could always respond by saying "did you understand anything I just
said?"

Good luck.

Sean
sean -at- quodata -dot- com

>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: Jl Cc [mailto:jccwriter -at- YAHOO -dot- COM]
>>>Sent: Wednesday, May 05, 1999 2:15 PM
>>>To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
>>>Subject: Advice Requested: "What part of this is yours?"
>>>
>>>
>>>(As I move slowly out of Digest lurking mode....)
>>>
>>>First, I appreciate the wealth of knowledge expressed on this list. I
>>>learn much from this fount of collective wisdom. I really mean this!
>>>I'm not trying to polish the apple. I need your advice.
>>>
>>>I met with my consulting agency's Account Manager (AM) recently. I'm
>>>making a career change into TW. I showed the AM an Employee Handbook
>>>(EH)I had produced in 1992. (I was in charge of at least
>>>five revisions
>>>of the Handbook.)
>>>
>>>I explained to her that my manager, the Senior VP of Human Resources,
>>>had brought in an EH from her previous company. She then
>>>turned the EH
>>>project over to me.
>>>
>>>My responsibilities included editing and rewriting the EH to fit our
>>>much smaller organization. I collaborated with our Legal Dept. to
>>>ensure we were safe from future litigation. I consolidated several
>>>pages of loose Benefits handouts into the EH. I created camera-ready
>>>illustrations according to the printer's guidelines. This EH was my
>>>baby. My manager reviewed it only when I was ready to send it out for
>>>final print, and would either bless or change a paragraph here or
>>>there.
>>>
>>>The above is basically what I said to my consulting agency's AM. She
>>>looked at the EH, fingered through a couple of pages, and then asked:
>>>
>>>"Well, what part of it is yours?"
>>>
>>>My jaw dropped. I repeated what I've stated above, and she
>>>still asked
>>>"What part of it is yours?".
>>>
>>>This has lead me to think that I need to improve my response to this
>>>question. Therefore, I come to you all for advice.
>>>
>>>How would you all respond to that question? How can I improve my
>>>response should I hear that question again in the TW
>>>interview process?
>>>Please reply to my email address, and I will post a summary
>>>to the list
>>>if the interest is there.
>>>
>>>Thank you from the bottom of my confused and somewhat hurt heart.
>>>
>>>Jenise
>>>jccwriter -at- yahoo -dot- com


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