obviously Nick you and Jay dont have a sense of humor nor did you read the
entire post.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Nicholas Burlakoff" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, September 08, 2003 5:33 PM
Subject: Re: writing samples


> There is a whole raft of issues that most employers and employees do
badly,
> as a rule. One is ending of the employment relationship. Few employers
know
> how to end an employment relationship well; even fewer employees have that
> skill. Thus far, in my life I have bid good-bye to well over 50 employees
> and only 2 knew how to exit well. Both of these folks I remember fondly
and
> would recommend to any other employer, despite the fact that one of these
> employees I did not even consider a friend.
>
> The other area where both employers and employees do badly is in the
initial
> employment situation. In my view over 75% of position descriptions I have
> read are poorly written. They either do not give sufficient information so
> that a potential employee knows what is truly expected, or they give too
> many details of the position.  To my mind, a request for a writing sample
> should indicate what the employer is looking for. A simple " a writing
> sample appropriate for the position" should cover most possible
> misunderstandings. To ask a potential employee to guess what the employer
> wants is both silly and counterproductive. All you prove when an employee
> guesses what you want is that that employee tends to think like you do. In
> most cases that is not a good thing. If most employees think alike in an
> institution, that institution is weak. Diversity in cultural background,
> economic background and cognitive functioning is essential to a vibrant
> culture within any good institution.
>
> The problem with the recent post, in which the author bragged how the
> "writing sample" was used to eliminate potential candidates, is that it
had
> too much of a "gotcha" air about it. Stress interviews, and "gotcha"
> attitudes don't get you good employees all they get are employees that can
> survive in that particular culture.
>
> Employers do much better when they lay-out clearly to a candidate what
their
> needs are, allow the candidate to make an argument why that person
believes
> that (s)he is good for that position, and then decide-based on the belief
> that a particular candidate will be best to solve the particular problem
the
> employer needs to solve.
>
> Of course, from time to time, you do get the immature personality that
> submits a 400 page MA thesis for a "writing sample" (obviously not a
person
> who understands the word "sample" well), but generally those folks get
> eliminated in the proper writing of the original position description. As
an
> HR friend of mine used to say "If you get more than 10 responses to a
> position description, then you need to learn how to write that description
> better."
>
> All that being said, I have usually regretted reading anything more than
> three pages of any writing sample(s) submitted as part of a job
application.
> This amount is sufficient to establish that the author can express an idea
> clearly, and write at a level that would not embarrass an institution.
> nburlakoff
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
Behalf
> Of Jay Heuman
> Sent: Monday, September 08, 2003 2:43 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: writing samples
>
> Hi Janey et al.:
>
> The question of writing samples is tricky; however, I'll second my vote
for
> Diane's rationale.
>
> A potential employer can safely assume an applicant knows the standards
for
> the type of position for which they are applying.  It IS a screening
> technique
> - like any contact an applicant has with a would-be employer.
>
> The applicant who assumes a 402-page MA thesis is appropriate is likely to
> be
> omitted from the rest of the process as lacking an understanding of
> appropriateness.  So, if an applicant is unsure about writing samples
(what
> type, how many, how long, etc.) . . . ASK!  It's better to ask for
> clarification from, rather than complain to, a would-be employer.
>
> [Similarly, an applicant who shows up for an interview late, wearing torn
> jeans, a wrinkled tie-dye T-shirt, with offensive odors (pot, booze, body
> odor, and/or "other") is unlikely to get hired.  UNLESS the museum tries
to
> recreate the Sixties - complete with lava lamps, "roaches," and books by
and
> about Georgi Gurdjieff or the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi for sale in the gift
> shop.]
>
> The issue is appropriateness - not sadism or being dim.  (Though some
> would-be
> employers may very well be either or both.)  It's sad to think that
writing
> samples must be (for some jobs) a necessary "screening technique" when the
> average museum job posting attracts dozens of unqualified applicants.
>
> The peson who gets the job is the person who makes the least mistakes -
> including the selection of appropriate writing samples.
>
> Best wishes to all, sincerely,
>
> Jay Heuman
> Assistant Curator of Education
> Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art
> Utah State University
> www.artmuseum.usu.edu
> t 435-797-0165
>
>
> >----- Forwarded Message -----
> >From: Jane Teebs <[log in to unmask]>
> >Subject: RE: writing samples
> >Yes, I agree. I was discourteous not to spell out the kinds of writing
> >samples expected. Making them guess not reflects poorly on the sadistic
> >character of the person asking, it makes them appear dim. This is not an
> >employee screening technique I would brag about.
> >Just being blunt.
> >Janey
>
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