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Subject:Interviews and Portfolios From:"Marinela G. Miclea" <marinela -at- BRAINPOWER -dot- NET> Date:Tue, 10 Aug 1999 18:19:08 -0700
As a senior tech. writer, I have a slew of binders containing different
documents on which I've worked. As luck has had it, I've been the lone
writer/editor on most of them, so I don't have a problem in
differentiating my work from that of other contributors.
Whenever I'm asked for writing samples *prior* to the interview, I give
interviewers the URL to my online resume, which has hyperlinks to recent
documents I've written. I also have a bio. & a recommendation letter at
my site, so interviewers can pre-qualify me.
At the interview, I bring samples with me that are close, in my
judgment, to what the client needs me to produce. I NEVER *ever* leave
my samples with a potential client. The reason is that most of my
documents are considered proprietary by the company for which I produced
them. As such, I'm entitled to my own copy but not to distributing it to
other companies w/out permission. (It's a legal issue.) Also, most of my
work is for Silicon Valley companies that have me sign a non-disclosure
agreement when I interview there, so that's an added caveat.
Brad <kiwi -at- BEST -dot- COM> wrote:
> <snip> I specifically ask before the interview begins for his
>or her "very best original writing samples" that I can take away
>from the interviewing room and give it a quick review by myself
>at my desk. I'll ask if I can photocopy a few sample pages to
>show others, and that's never been a problem.
I only did this once when I was a junior tech. writer and regretted it
because the writer came back w/ her marked-up version of my sample and
proceeded to lecture me on my "stylistic errors." Even though I
explained that on every assignment I'm bound to follow the company's own
style guide, she seemed to think I should have gone w/ the "proper
English" rather than "tech. writing" approach. (One example: "click on
the button" vs. "click the button" - I happen to prefer "click on," but
if the manager on an assigment insists on "click the button," I'll do
it.) Anyway, this interview determined me to look elsewhere as she
seemed to have a problem w/ contractors in general.
In any case, my experience is representative of tech. writers that work
w/ so-called cutting-edge firms in Silicon Valley & may not apply to
tech. writers in other industries.
Marinela
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Marinela G. Miclea
BrainPower - Technical/Marketing Writing * Web Publishing
marinela -at- brainpower -dot- net - www.brainpower.net - 925/935-0692
