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Re: On-the-spot writing test during a job interview?
Subject:Re: On-the-spot writing test during a job interview? From:Tracy Boyington <tracy_boyington -at- okvotech -dot- org> To:TECHWR-L <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Mon, 15 Nov 1999 14:34:51 -0600
> What I find interesting about writing tests about using staplers, ovens,
> cars, and so on is that the best print solution is probably a series of
> technical illustrations. The next time you get a test like this start
> doodling!
That reminds me... when I worked in our MIS division while I was in college, we
had a little "tech writing for programmers" workshop. One of our assignments
was to write directions for tying a shoelace. The programmers were curious as
to how I'd address it, since I was a tech writing student. I said I would never
write directions for that kind of task, since it would best be handled with
diagrams. That would be an interesting test -- give the testee something to
write and see if they realize it shouldn't be *written* at all. It reminds me
of Bill Horton's oft-used example of a graph with a typo in the label... I
think you're asked which *one* thing you would fix, and you're supposed to
notice that the graph is wrong without getting sidetracked by that typo.
