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 > > ========================================================= > 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). > > ========================================================= > 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). > ========================================================= 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).