Re[2]: Resume Scrn. Comments & Question

[Don Smith <dsmith -at- ACCESSBEYOND -dot- COM>]

     Heather wrote in part:

"Really good writers can be hard   to find. If I have one, whether they want to
be doing the same job in 5   years and be up on the latest technology, or they
have management   aspirations, it is my job to do what I can to help them reach
their = goals while doing their current job effectively."


You sound like a good manager to work for. Ours manager is not a pubs manager,
doesn't know too much about publications and asks questions which are not
related to the areas that our our responsibility. (Such as, "Are there any of
those in stock? How many have been ordered?" and so on. We do not do any
ordering, stocking, record keeping of manuals, though I do maintain a database
of publications numbers.)

Don

______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: Resume Scrn. Comments & Question
Author:  Heather Searl <heathers -at- ASTOUND -dot- COM> at INTERNET
Date:    2/21/97 12:05 PM


Don Smith wrote:
>     Comment: (Re-"Where do you expect to be in 5 years?")
>     This seems to imply that you must be a "highly aggressive" person =
who
>     is "upward mobile", out to concore the world. Why? Does this mean =
that
>     a Technical Writer who likes what he/she does and does not want to
>     become management, go from job to job or considers money as the =
only
>     career goal, as someone inferior. <snip>

Good point, which also points out another important use of the "Where do =
you want to be in x years" questions -- finding out as a manager what =
your employees/prospective employees want out of their career.

One of the first and biggest mistakes I made when I started managing was =
assuming that all tech writers wanted the same things from their career =
as I do from mine.  I had a writer who was very good at his job, and as =
the company grew I gave him more and more project management =
responsibility, without asking if he wanted it. He turned around and =
quit.  He wanted to be a writer, not a project leader or future manager.

I use the "where do you expect to be" question in interviews and in =
reviews. I request honesty and I listen. Really good writers can be hard =
to find. If I have one, whether they want to be doing the same job in 5 =
years and be up on the latest technology, or they have management =
aspirations, it is my job to do what I can to help them reach their = goals
while doing their current job effectively.

I think you have to have an answer prepared for this type of question (I =
don't know doesn't cut it with me. Take the time to think about it. I'm =
not going to hold you to what you say and check in on you in 5 years). =
However second guessing what the interviewer wants you to say isn't =
going to get you where you want to be -- if you guess right it may just =
get you into a job and career path that you don't like.

Heather Searl
Documentation Manager
Astound Incorporated

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