Ethical Questions

[Natalie Flynn <NaFlynn -at- AOL -dot- COM>]

Hi everyone,

Help!!! I have two interviewing questions:

1. I recently interviewed for a senior technical writer job documenting
software. After going through a phone screen and a second round of interviews
with three other people, the hiring manager e-mailed me with an unusual
request. She asked me for a comprehensive list of everything I have ever
written, a desciption of the project/product documented, what platform I
authored for, and what development platform I authored from. If I choose to
provide this information, is there a standard bibliography format senior
writers use to document their software manuals and help projects?
Specifically, how do I document the projects and platforms?

2.) I provided the interviewer with writing samples that are available to the
public via the Web, but they were business newswriting samples from my
experience as a journalist. (This is a software documentation position.) When
I asked my former employer if I could show user manual samples, they said they
would prefer I didn't. I respect the confidentiality issue, but how can I get
a software documentation job, if I can't show clips, or descibe projects? I
know this is a common problem in the industry, any suggestions on how to get
around it?

I really want this position, but I am afraid if I give a list of all the
projects I have written to the soon-to-be-boss, they will call the ex-boss and
ask about projects that the ex-boss specifically asked me to keep
confidential. In future years, I would like to be able to go back to my old
boss again for references, and more importantly, don't want to do anything
dishonest and/or unethical. My last employer was satisfied hirng me on the
basis of news writing samples. This one is not. Any ideas on how to handle the
latest situation I have gotten myself into?

Thank you in advance!!!

Regards,
Natalie Flynn