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It must be nice to be as perfect as Johnny and Marilynne. However, there
are many, many people interviewing for positions in the same way they got
through school-putting on a show without real substance. Portfolios don't
always give you the real story-how much of the work did they really do, how
long did it take, how many revisions did it need to go through, how many
colleagues did they piss off in the process. And five minutes is hardly
adequate to figure out whether the red flags you might be getting are really
justified.
My strategy is that if you refuse to take a writing test related to the
product you have to document, then you won't fit in. Preen as much as you
want about how you're too experienced and too good to take a test. It buys
nothing from those of us who use them to test how interested you are in the
product you're responsible for, how quickly you can grasp concepts and
whether you know how to research. I don't make people write ridiculous
pieces about PB&J or tying shoelaces. I don't expect it to be perfect, but
it is a GREAT way to weed out people who are too lazy or self-important to
figure out what they have to do and then do it.
I'm delighted you're such a great judge of people. Don't bother to send
your resume, I'm not looking for the self-important.
MTC
Connie Giordano
-----Original Message-----
From: Johnny Brown [mailto:johnny_brown -at- hotbot -dot- com]
Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2000 11:07 PM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: RE: Sample Writing Tests NOT!
All:
Back in the day when I was a wooly-back I submitted to tests, then I would
take the test and I recieved a call back from an excited HR Rep, I'd say I
wasn't interested in the job. Now, I politly tell who ever it is that places
a test before me that I'm not the right candidate.
In 5-minutes I know if someone can or cannot do the job. I don't need some
test to help me figure that out....and for those of you who do, I think you
need to rethink your stratagy.
I took tests at school, I don't need one at work.
J.
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