Re: Professionalism on lists

Subject: Re: Professionalism on lists
From: Beth Agnew <beth -dot- agnew -at- senecac -dot- on -dot- ca>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Fri, 23 Sep 2005 17:05:57 -0400


I don't think it's the spelling and typing that is going to get an employer's notice, but the professionalism of the content, how one responds to others, the lucidity of argument or explanation, and the breadth or focus of knowledge evident in the post. A good employer will review more than one message and overlook typos.

You never know when your behavior is being observed by someone you would otherwise want to impress. I have declined to interview someone I met at an STC meeting because their conduct was unprofessional during the meeting. It was a networking event, with some small group discussion on various topics and trends. During introductions at the meeting, I recognized the individual's name as one of the applicants passed on to me by our HR department. I had intended to speak informally to them during the meeting, but before I had a chance, I observed them being overly aggressive in a discussion, stating incorrect information, and putting down other peoples' opinions. If this was the behavior in a casual meeting, what could I anticipate in a pressure situation on the job? Corporate fit was an important criterion for the position, and it was clear this person was not right for our team. Definitely not the kind of behavior that would be revealed in an interview, no matter how acute the questioning.

Word of mouth can also be a powerful support or deterrent in this profession. I wonder how many of us have been recommended or passed over without even knowing it, because of what a colleague thought about us, even from casual interaction? Right or wrong, all it takes is one thing to change someone's mind about you.
--Beth

arroxaneullman -at- aol -dot- com wrote:

IMO, it is inappropriate to judge one's professionalism based on typing/spelling in a discussion list (or IM, informal email, text message, etc). That would be like judging your presentation and public speaking skills based on your ability to chit-chat over the phone.

--
Beth Agnew
Professor, Technical Communication
Seneca College of Applied Arts & Technology
Toronto, ON 416.491.5050 x3133
http://www.tinyurl.com/83u5u


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References:
Professionalism on lists: From: Dana Worley
Re: Professionalism on lists: From: arroxaneullman

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