I wasn't bragging. I was telling the truth. Hiring managers use a lot of tools to evaluate candidates. If a candidate can't read a job description and use it to tailor a response, than no manager is going to take the time to tease out that particular candidate's skills. In the interest of brevity, I expect I was too brief. I posted a position that clearly specified the types of writing expected of the position. (I also listed other skills.) I asked for a writing sample. Any candidate who couldn't put those two bits of information together does not have the critical thinking skills necessary to be successful in that particular job. Evaluating the appropriatness of a writing sample is a legitimate screening tool and certainly not an attempt to play games with such a serious undertaking. Job hunting is stressful for all involved and it would hardly be professional for one to treat it otherwise. Diane Gutenkauf On Mon, 8 Sep 2003 17:33:32 -0400, Nicholas Burlakoff <[log in to unmask]> wrote: ...snip... >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. ...snip... ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).