Senior writers doing exams at interviews?

["Geoff Hart" <geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca>]

I'm of two minds on this notion of having to take a writing test as 
part of a job interview. I certainly understand the employer's need to 
see a real-world sample of your writing (rather than some carefully 
massaged portfolio with all the editor's footprints well concealed). 
But speaking as someone whose hours are a valuable commodity, 
I seriously resent the time requirement. After all, I'm already 
sacrificing several hours of my time to attend an interview; why 
should I spend even more time working on a fictitious exam that 
may have little relevance to my abilities? (I've actually taken tests 
where they wouldn't even let me sit in front of a computer--I had to 
write my instructions out longhand--and had no access to anyone 
resembling an SME when I had questions! The latter may reflect 
the real working conditions at the company, but if so, I'm not sure I 
want to work there.)

My compromise would be to propose doing a short work for hire: I'll 
do real work related to the job, and you'll pay me at my current 
hourly rate for that time. You get good work in exchange for your 
money, plus a chance to evaluate me. I don't waste hours of my 
time for no return. Realistically, that's not going to happen very 
often, but it _is_ how I got my current job (primarily as a technical 
editor); based on the results of editing one of their real manuscripts 
for pay, they asked me to come for an interview, and the interview 
earned me the job.

--Geoff Hart @8^{)}  geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca  (Pointe-Claire, Quebec)
"If you can't explain it to an 8-year-old, you don't understand it"--Albert Einstein