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: Sample Requests From:RAHEL A BAILIE <rbailie -at- NEWBRIDGE -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 22 Jun 1999 12:58:55 -0700
I agree that asking to see a portfolio should be commonplace; I would much
prefer to talk about specific portfolio pieces: what pleased me, what I thought
still needed improvement, what elements I thought were incongruent but I had to
live with because of political reasons, and so on. Asking a person to bring a
portfolio is much different than the other practice I've heard of, where an
employer asks candidates to prepare samples using the employer's raw material as
a way of getting "free work".
Rahel Bailie, Vancouver, BC
Mary Deaton wrote:
> It is very hard to assess someone's ability without seeing samples of their
> work. However, I have frequently had candidates who could not bring samples
> of key pieces because they were internal or otherwise proprietary. In such
> cases, I may ask them to produce something as a sample or critique something
> I give them or otherwise demonstrate that they know what they are doing.
>