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.
Subject:Re: Illegitimate Questions????? From:"Jeanne A. E. DeVoto" <jaed -at- JAEDWORKS -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 6 May 1999 11:07:25 -0700
At 9:14 AM -0700 5/6/99, Ivan Gelicall wrote:
>I just had a telephone interview and the interviewee asked me: Are you
>interviewing with other companies currently? Who are those companies?
>
>Am I wrong are those questions legit?
The first is borderline. The second is not legitimate and you were right
not to answer it; it's no more appropriate to ask for such a thing than it
is to ask for your salary history (as opposed to salary requirements). You
will find people asking both questions, but that doesn't mean you have to
answer them.
A couple of people have mentioned, if you were interviewing with a
recruiter, the possiblity that they wanted to avoid double-submitting you.
This is a legitimate concern, but an agency should handle this by asking a
specific question (such as whether you've been presented for such-and-such
a position at such-and-such a company) before they send your resume over.