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> Of course, that assumes you can leave copies of your samples behind.
A good point. For that matter, it's only courteous and sensible to ask
permission to use a sample in your portfolio. Some companies would
prefer that other companies not even glimpse what they are doing, much
less leave it behind.
Personally, I always ask permission that includes leaving a sample
behind. I also make a policy of not including any work for which I don't
have that permission. If I had to keep track of different permissions,
I'd probably slip up sooner or later.
In practice, I haven't had much trouble. At times, I've had to agree to
doctor graphics to remove confidential information, or to select the
sample carefully so that nothing gets circulated that the company would
like to be private, but I've generally managed to get some sort of
sample from every job I've had. The sample hasn't always been my first
choice, but I've had a sample.
I think that the writer has an advantage here, because most companies
haven't thought deeply about how samples can be used. That means that
the writer is almost always the most prepared and can negotiate better.
--
Bruce Byfield 604.421.7177 bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com
"And the court gave them justice
As justice is given by well-mannered thugs."
-Geoff Pearson, "If They Come In the Morning"
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